It was in the 16th century, a time between year 1515 and 1517. A war was fought between two kingdoms – The great Bini Kingdom and the Igala Kingdom. A war provoked by the incessant invasion of the Ancient Bini Kingdom by the Igala people who were widely feared because of their Vikings way of life.
Predominantly farmers, the Igala people live in a hot region occasionally plagued by drought, and for survival reasons, they invaded fertile lands during such periods.
The Binis’ on the other hand, were basically artisans and traders, whose occupations were greatly influenced by their contact with the Portuguese, as their already established territory was the Portuguese first place of contact when they sailed into the region (Nigeria).
Both tribes share a common boundary, trade often and even festive together. Unfortunately, during the time in view, their peaceful coexistence gradually became fragile, a fragility caused by the Vikings way of life of the Igala people. Today, even if the outcome of the war would out rightly deny the peace that once existed between the tribes, one would not be committing a fallacy asserting that it once existed.
They Igalas needed no "god" to tell them that they over stepped their boundaries in their last invasion, so they anticipated the war. They had always played the offence and then the defence, it was more like a way of life for them and they found pleasure living and re-living it, unknown to them the fate that was about to befall them.
Having sighted the Bini’s and their war artilleries, the Igala Vikings who were always battle ready quickly fortified their already mounted defences, chanting war songs to scare off the Bini’s.
However, and unknown to them, the Binis came prepared and will not yield to their scare tactics, and in that historic moment, they launched their first attack on a grand scale and style which left the Earth trembling in series as if it was being plagued by multiple Earthquakes and as if a volcanic eruption coincidentally occurred alongside the quakes, huge flashes of red burning flames and thick black smoke repeatedly filled the air.
“Ojo mi” yelled the Igala commanders in their local dialect, meaning “Oh My God”.
The Binis had used weapons alien to warfare. One the Igala warriors had never seen, heard nor imagined. They had used the English Cannons recently acquired from the Portuguese.
The Igala defences were instantly destroyed, and hundreds of battle ready Igala warriors killed and wounded from the multiple cannon shots, which left bodies and pieces of human flesh littered everywhere.
Again and unconsciously, the commander yelled “Ojo mi”; expressing shock and total disbelief to what he had just witnessed.
Totally disoriented, and coupled with their inability to comprehend what had just happened, the commander and the few surviving warriors helplessly watched their dying and suffering warriors as they screamed and writhed in pain while the Bini warriors marched on, unleashing death on anything that had breath on the land.
To avoid being captured, they fled, leaving behind many of their wounded.
A message was immediately sent to the King (The Attah of Igala Kingdom) and not wanting to show fear or defeat he asked every Igala son and daughter who could wield a hoe or cutlass to join the war, giving them various charms and amulets for protection.
The Igala warriors now banking on their charms and increased numbers regrouped, employing various tactics to penetrate the Bini warriors, which all failed, their charms and amulets included. Thus, their every attack or an attempt to attack only increased the numbers of their dead and wounded. Their weapons and charms combined were no match for the more superior and sophisticated ones used by the Bini warriors who came charged and prepared.
With their artilleries, they went from one settlement to another, destroying everything on their path, including farmlands, live stocks and even poisoning their water sources with the blood and bodies of their slayed warriors and people, while capturing young slaves whom they used for supplies and other war logistics.
The King (The Attah of Igala Land) had now realized his wrong doings. His kingdom was turning into a grave yard, a gory and oozing one without grave stones. Vultures and other scavengers could be seen hovering the skies and feasting on their dead. Death became their closest neighbours, constantly lurking around as his people kept dying of diseases and starvation even before the Bini warriors got to their hideouts.
The capital, 'Idah' wasn’t left out as it was now under heavy gun fire and pressure from fleeing survivors’, with some of the people crying and calling for peace.
The King retrospectively pondered, His last and failed invasion on the Great Bini Kingdom has brought this upon him and his people. They had tried to invade the Bini Kingdom when it was experiencing a war, one fought between brothers. He regrets, but it was already too late. Now he was faced with seemingly impossible tasks. To preserve and protect the capital and what was left of his already broken people whom the Bini warriors were yet to massacre.
Swallowing his pride and showing defeat, the King sent a message of truce by dispatching a white robe and a palm frond which symbolizes peace but the Binis refused the peace gesture by soaking the white robe in blood and burning the palm frond. They had lost some royal bloods during the last invasion of their lands by the Igala Vikings and only a royal blood would they accept as sacrifice for a truce and it must be the King’s pride, his princess.
The king sent his palace chiefs and again, they declined. A royal blood they want, and it must be from the King’s immediate lineage. “Only the head of the King’s pride can end this” yelled the Bini commander. “Now take that message to your King” He further added.
The Binis marched on, still killing and destroying everything on their path, closing in on the magnificent Palace while the Igalas helplessly watched from afar.
The King now confused and in shock with their persistent unholy demand, watched helplessly as everything they had built fell apart, all succumbing to the blast from the Bini warriors’ Cannons. His kingdom and his people were about to be wiped out of existence. Muttering incoherently to himself, he unconsciously voiced and repeated the words “no and never”, until the only voice capable of seizing his attention spoke.
“This isn’t war anymore, this is ethnic cleansing. Our race is being cleansed” said the king’s daughter, Princess Inikpi.
Princess Inikpi was the King’s only daughter. She was an epitome of beauty and bravery. Her father’s pride, and known for her loving nature, she was nicked named “Ufedo” by her people, meaning “love” . She was the gift of love to the Igala people and the Kingdom.
An untold legend whispers of a sacred bronze head of the beautiful Princess, cast and idolized by the Binis’, with claims that she is an Ogbanje (a river goddess) of Bini origin who died and reincarnated in the Igala kingdom and must be sent back to the spirit world.
Though trained as a warrior, her father forbade her from going to war being that she was his only daughter, his pride and undoubtedly a unifying symbol to the Igala people. Words and rumours of her beauty and bravery have been heard far and wide, and so does the compassion she shows to fallen opponents during their festivals.
People often journeyed from afar just to catch a glimpse of the Princess during one of their most cherished and prominent festivals, “the Ochoa” festival, which was a practical display of how brave and skillful they were in battle, and occasionally in hunting. A festival often described by visitors as the Vikings Games, reserved only for the brave and strong spirited.
Unfortunately, despite her great display of bravery in the Ochoa festival, Princess Inikpi was forbidden to join the Igala warriors in battle.
Not totally deterred by her father’s restrictions, Princess Inikpi who was also highly skilled in traditional medicine and treatment devoted all her time to the care and treatment of wounded warriors, easing their pains, giving them hope and showing them love even in their final and agonizing moments.
Having heard from some of the wounded and dying warriors rescued from the battle field about the demand of the Binis’ and knowing that her father would never yield to the unholy demand, to save what was left of the kingdom, she bravely offered herself for the sacrifice.
The brave beauty, forever fearless and flawless in all ramifications of life was willing to pay the ultimate prize for her people in order to end the war, and ensure their continued existence.
Her pronouncement struck her mother like a lightning bolt. She couldn’t bear it and crying profusely, she dashed out of the palace to the Binis who were now at the Royal Gates, and falling to her knees she begged them to take her instead, begging with the names of all their gods, but her pleas fell on deaf ears. Still crying and emotionally written off, she ran back to the King who was even more broken and emotionally defeated with a plea request; “please My King, there has to be another way, Inikpi cannot die, she is our only daughter, your princess and your pride, your greatest joy.”
Unfortunately, the King was helpless, his hands were tied and his emotions imprisoned. No doubt, if he had only one wish it would be to save his daughter, but this time he was trapped between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea. His pride (Princess Inikpi) or the Igala kingdom, one would have to go down.
The Binis came prepared and unforgiving and nothing except the sacrifice of the princess would stop them.
The King was heartbroken and totally devastated; his eyes filled with blood and incapacitated rage. He had brought such adversity upon himself and his people, who weren’t left out in the agonizing event as many of them had come forward to die in the Princess place but the Binis’ refused. They were determined to teach the King a grave lesson, one he would never forget.
They were determined to put an end to the incessant invasions of their lands by the Igala Vikings.
Inikpi, dressed in her simple traditional attire, walked up to her frozen and speechless father and said, “I know you cannot give the orders but I am doing this for our kingdom, to see that this war comes to an end, and that we may still be here. For that reason, I will give the orders myself”. She then looked into his wet and teary eyes for a moment and planted a kiss on his forehead, then reaching for his right hand, she pressed her favourite necklace onto his palm closing up his fingers to secure it and then she said “be strong for our people, they still need you more than ever”. It was the same necklace he had put around her neck the very day she was born as a symbol of protection.
She then turned to her mother who was by the King’s foot, looking more dead than alive, then she put her favourite wrapper over her, bent a knee and planted a kiss on her head.
“Long live the Igala kingdom” She thundered, “farewell our Princess” the people responded.
Then in the company of her grieving palace guards, she fearlessly marched down to the altar where she was to be sacrificed by her own people as instructed by the Binis’and then she gave the orders.
Inikpi was then beheaded and her head handed over to the Bini warriors who then turned back and left the kingdom.
If the legend is true, then the Binis succeeded in actualizing their idolized fantasy, and in sending home their reincarnated goddess (Ogbanje) back to the spirit world.
As a tribute for her selfless love and sacrifice, Inikpi was immortalized as a statue of her was built in Idah, the Traditional Headquarters of the Igala people.
The End
Please Note: This is a Faction - A mixture of Fact and Fiction and it is not intended to smite or mock any of the tribes.