Battle of Ekiokpagha | |||||||
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Part of the battle between the Obas of Benin and Ogiamien family | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Benin Empire | Ogiamien family | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Ewedo | Ogiamien III | ||||||
The Battle of Ekiokpagha was a military conflict that took place in 1255 on the Plains of Ogboka, near Benin City. The battle was between Ewedo and Ogiamien III, the head of a royal family in the Benin Empire. It was a result of a power struggle between the two parties, who both had claims to the throne and territory of Benin. Oba Ewedo was victorious and established his palace at the site of the battle. Ewedo recognized Ogiamien III as a chief under his kingship.
The battle and its aftermath have been reenacted in the coronation rituals of the subsequent Obas of Benin, as a symbol of the historical and traditional enmity between the Oba and the Ogiamien family.