… Why the Global Edo Community Must Rise Against Diaspora-Based Attacks on the Benin Monarchy.
For centuries, the Kingdom of Benin stood as a beacon of African civilization, sophisticated governance, and artistic brilliance. At the absolute center of this magnificent heritage is the Monarch himself, the revered Oba of Benin—who is not just a traditional ruler, but the living soul, spiritual anchor, and historical custodian of the Edo people.
The Benin Monarchy has survived empires, colonial invasions, the systematic theft of its sacred artefacts and most recently the attempt by ex-Governor Godwin Obaseki led administration to denigrate, undermine and diffuse the significance of the institution of the Monarchy in contemporary governance; yet, a new and deeply painful threat is emerging. It is not coming from foreign adversaries, but from within our own house, driven by certain Benin and Edo indigenes living in Europe and the West.
A deeply disturbing trend has taken root across digital spaces – a coordinated wave of social media attacks, insults, and systematic denigration aimed directly at the revered stool of the Oba.
Shielded by geographical distance and emboldened by the anonymity of the internet, these diaspora elements backed by disgruntled political interests have weaponized social media platforms to launch reckless assaults on a throne that our ancestors defended with their blood and sustained with their resilience.
This is not a matter of harmless modern commentary, progressive dialogue, or standard political debate. This is a direct assault on our collective identity, culture and heritage. When sons and daughters of the soil, enjoying the comforts of Europe and the West, turn around to insult the Oba of Benin, it is cyberbullying, stalking and a digital desecration of the entire Edo nation and the traditional institution in general.
Thanks to the United Nations General Assembly which has adopted Resolution 79/243 on 24 December 2024, endorsing the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime to strengthen international cooperation in preventing and combating cybercrime. The resolution is intended to strengthen international cooperation for combating certain crimes committed by means of information and communication technology systems and for the sharing of Evidence in Electronic Form of Serious Crimes. This Convention which is currently undergoing signing by State parties is expected to remain open for signature until 31st December 2026, hopefully as soon as the fortieth signatory endorses the treaty. It is expected to provide State parties with a range of measures to combat Cybercrimes at the International stage
For us as Edolites and particularly as Benins, we must not spare any opportunity to bring to justice those who have weaponized social media platforms to launch unreasonable attacks, both on the person and institution of the Oba of Benin. We must confront this contemporary challenge to the throne, the same way our forebears did to all the historical challenges faced by the Kingdom in the past.
Happily, the absolute absurdity and hollowness of these attacks were laid bare during the historic 10th Coronation Anniversary of His Royal Majesty, Oba Ewuare II, the Oba of Benin and Commander of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. While a tiny fraction of disgruntled voices spewed bile online, the rest of the world gathered in Benin City to witness a breathtaking display of royal splendor, an intellectual discourse in honor of Oba Erediauwa hosted by the University of Benin, a spectacular royal Durbar, and global reverence amongst other cultural activities. While online detractors tried to diminish the Crown, leaders at the highest levels of governance showered unreserved accolades on the Royal Stool of Benin, embodied by His Royal Majesty, Oba Ewuare II.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu congratulated the Oba of Benin, warmly describing the monarch as “an enduring symbol of cultural heritage, dignity, and integrity.” State governors, including Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, alongside political leaders and first-class traditional rulers, including the Sultan of Sokoto unreservedly affirmed the supremacy and sanctity of the Benin Royal Stool. The Vice Chancellor of the University of Benin, Professor Edoba Omoregie, SAN acknowledged “His Royal Majesty’s role in fostering social cohesion, peaceful coexistence and strengthening the identity and cultural heritage of the Benin people.”
Social and Cultural groups were not left out on the outpouring of eulogies for unarguably, the most revered Monarch in Sub Sahara Africa. The President of the Benin Club 1933, Professor Evbaziegbere Isibor in a Goodwill Message said, “We celebrate your reign of peace, unity and progress, which continues to inspire hope and strength our culture and bring pride to the Benin Kingdom.” On its part, the Benin Consultative Forum through it’s Acting President noted “that the reign of His Royal Majesty has ushered into the Kingdom a new lease of life characterized by positive traditional reforms that will further consolidate the global respect for the Kingdom, and that the unprecedented number of artefacts that had been returned from various parts of the world since the enthronement of His Royal Majesty is an attestation to the greatness of the Oba.”
All told, the pomp and pageantry that characterised the celebration of His Royal Majesty’s 10th Coronation Anniversary have unequivocally demonstrated that the Oba’s influence extends beyond local boundaries, affirming the global recognition and monumental significance of the Benin monarchy. It is profoundly tragic that while Nigeria’s President, state governors and international delegations pay homage to our heritage, some Edo people living in Europe and other Western countries are engaging in a new form of cultural vandalism. By trying to strip the monarchy of its reverence and reduce a sacred institution to an object of social media ridicule, they are doing the work of dismantling Edo pride from within.
We cannot, and will not fold our arms and watch this happen. The freedom of expression and living abroad should never become a license for renegades, fugitives and cultural infidels to continue to denigrate our age long and God ordained monarchy. For as it is often said,” Aisagbonrioba, Erinmwin Na Ke riore.”
As a community, both at home and in the diaspora, we must rise with fierce urgency to defend the sanctity of the throne. While appreciating the few individuals who have risen to defend the inviolability of our sacred monarch, we must recognise that continued silence could invite further disrespect and assaults on our collective identity and cultural heritage. We must make it unequivocally clear to these foreign-based elements that the Oba of Benin is a red line that cannot be crossed. Digital platforms must not become tools for cultural self-sabotage, nor should they be used by individuals to settle personal or political grievances against an ancient civilization.
The strength of the Edo people has always lie in our unyielding unity and our fierce loyalty to the Royal Court of Benin, much the same way the British remains unconditionally loyal to the British Monarchy, regardless of the liberal democracy the United Kingdom practice.
The overwhelming success of the 10th Coronation Anniversary is an indication that the bond between the Oba and his people remains completely unbreakable. Now, more than ever, the global Edo community must channel that ancestral resilience to the consolidating the pride of place the Benin monarch has always had the World over. The vast majority of Edo people in the diaspora who still hold their culture dear must speak up, isolate these toxic voices and recidivists and protect the custodian of our culture.
The Oba of Benin remains an enduring symbol of African dignity, a bridge to our glorious past, and the compass for our future. The modern world and its digital platforms will change, but the honor of the Benin Kingdom is eternal. Let those who launch arrows of disrespect from afar know this: the Edo soul is fiercely protective of its king, and we will completely reject, expose, and defeat any attempt to diminish the glory of the ancient Kingdom of Benin.
Oba gha t’o kpere, Ise!
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*Dr Samson R Osagie is a Lawyer, Former Minority Whip of the House of Representatives and the immediate past Attorney General of Edo State.*
