#AMRiona is set in ancient Itsekiriland, but you probably noticed the Edo kingdom insignia — Ada and Eben — in the palace of the Ogiame.

Also, the title Ogiame itself, which is the title of every Itsekiri king to this day, is Edo.

How come?

A (very old) thread.

The Itsekiri migrated from Yorubaland, through Ijebuland all the way to present-day Delta where they settled.

They had no monarch, just elders.

Meanwhile in Benin, the oracle had foreseen that two kings (obas) would emerge from the present Oba.

Abomination! An oba only produces one successor; his heir.

Quickly they tried to prevent it by sending one of the oba's two sons away, along with sons of the chiefs.

Together they travelled and travelled until they got to the Itsekiri settlement.

They arrived with such royal pomp and class that the
Itsekiri fell in love with the prince and asked him to be their olu; their king.

The prince sent word of this development back to Benin.

That was when the palace realised that, in a bid to prevent the oracle's prediction, they had inadvertently facilitated it.

The palace sent the prince — the newly crowned monarch of the Itsekiris, — a title from Benin, which is still the title of every Olu of Itsekiri to this day:

"Ogiame" (ogie ame) which means in Edo, "King of the Waters".

And that's how the Itsekiri ruling house has a TOTALLY different origin from the Itsekiri people.

FUN FACT: An Itsekiri heir apparent can only take an Itsekiri bride or an Edo bride.

Oba ghato kpere, iseee!

Ogiame, suoooooo!