Ile-Ife is our ancestral home, Benin Kingdom tells Ooni

The Benin Kingdom has told the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi Ojaja II, that Ile-Ife is the ancestral home of the Benin people.

This was affirmed by representatives of the Benin Kingdom who recently paid a courtesy visit to the revered Yoruba monarch.

The purpose of the visit was to formally invite the Ooni to attend the forthcoming Patriots Award event.

In an exchange in a now-viral video, one of the emissaries reminded the Ooni that their collective understanding has always recognised Ile-Ife as the Benin people's ancestral home, irrespective of contrary narratives circulating online.

“We have always been told that Ife is our home.

“I don’t care about the propaganda on the internet or whatever anybody is saying.

“We know our history and as far as we are concerned, when I was coming here, I knew I was coming to meet my father so I was very comfortable,” the emissary said.

Debate about Benin Kingdom's origin rages on

Recently, there has been an endless debate and discussion about the true origin of the Benin Kingdom.

While Ile-Ife is widely regarded as the ancestral home of the Yoruba people, the Benin Kingdom has been said to have historical connections to Ife.

Located in what is now modern-day Edo State, the Benin Kingdom was one of the oldest and most developed states in the coastal hinterland of West Africa dating back to the 11th century AD.

However, there have been conflicting claims and historical debates about the precise origins of the Benin people.

While some historical narratives have suggested that the Benin people descended from the Yoruba people of the South-West, others have claimed the reverse was the case.

These disagreements have often sparked tensions among people from both sides of the divide, especially on the internet.