Unyeada Kingdom

The terrain of Unyeada Kingdom is characterized by Mangrove swamp with pitches of fresh water forest which are splitted by beautiful both Brackish water and salt water creeks and Estuaries.

Originally, the territorial expanse of Unyeada Kingdom stretches from Obolo Flat (Agba-Ula), North of Bonny Rivers, to Imo River (Okwan Obbu) in the East. The Kingdom occupies a contiguous geographical territory, typical of a riverine environment comprising thirty-two of low-lying Islands and mudflats.

The area is bounded by Bonny and Bolo to the West; Ogoni to the North, Ngo Town to the South and Opobo to the East.

They are descendants of great warriors and fishermen who tranversed the length and breath of the Gulf of Guinea (from the coast of Bakassi peninsula in the East to Escravos and Lagos in the West) on fishing expeditions. The ancestors of Unyeada are believed to be some of the earliest settlers Obolo (Andoni) to arrived Eastern Niger Delta from the west. Unyeada oral tradition suggests they migrated from the Old Benin Empire through Itsekiri in Central Niger Delta to Urombi (Ramby) in the Coastal contraption of the present Nigeria-Cameroon border, the people of Unyeada with segments of Obolo receded westwards to their present location.

The tradition of Unyeada people also shows that the migration was led by a warrior named Edabiri who founded the Old Unyeada from Ebon Esebeke and to Ebon Akpon. Old Unyeada was one of the oldest, largest and most powerful Obolo nuclear settlements. However, the antiquity of legendary town of Old Unyeada is yet known. But there is general belief that the nomenclature Unyeada might have derived its meaning from a compound word Unye and Eda (Unye- Eda), meaning 'Eda' prowess'. The tradition further assert that with Eda on the sojourn were a number of prominent figures who eventually established the four ancestral sectional lineages that culminated the Unyeada Kingdom:

Egwe Eda (the forerunner of Royal Ibirinya Otuo Ogbolakon), Egwe Akpah precursor of Oyetile Lineage), Otoko Ibok (now called Otibok), Ibirinya Osiki (later called Ibirinya Etekan). The Old Unyeada is regarded as the cradle of the Unyeada culture. That to say, the traditional value system of the Unyeada people Kingdom is linked with the Old Unyeada: It was there they first became conscious of themselves. From there they evolved in all sphere of life. King Edabiri instituted a monarchical system of government centred around a council of Ibirinya (sectional lineage head) called ebi-emen-ogbologbo, a pattern of religious beliefs and practices, and a timeless principle of peace and protection. Today Unyeada is still christened as 'Land of Peace and Protection'.

Originally, Unyeada Territorial Kingdom stretches from Andoni Flat (Agba-Ula) North of Bonny River to Imo River (Okwan Obbu) in the East, it occupies contiguous geographical territory in Niger Delta environment which now houses the Opobo and Nkoro communities and other Obolo communities. Oral forklore in (Obolo) Andoni tradition describes Unyeada Kingdom as a refuge for migratory groups who generally fled their original settlements due to sanctions and civil war.

Thus, the withdrawal of  King Jaja and his followers from Bonny into Unyeada (Andoni) territory in 1869. This event was recorded by many historians, according to Jeffery in his Intelligence Report, he asserted that Andoni war canoes barred Bonny military forces from recapturing fleeing Jaja and his men. Unyeada traditional war dance and folklore seem preserved this event till date.

By the end of the eighteen century, the English had become firmly established on the Rio Real(Bonny River), the Dutch having been completely displaced from the trade in this region. The estuary of the Rio Dony (Andoni River) had became, through geological processes, completely non-navigable to the deep-draughted ships of the English traders. Bonny thus became the major trading centre on the coast and the main point of shipment of produce and slaves obtained from hinterland markets.

According to Dr. Silas Eneyo, By this time, Asarama and Ilotombi had lost their prominence in the trade to Old Unyeada. Little or no trade went on during this period at the Andoni port of Ilotombi. During this period a transitional phase seems to have characterized the oversea trade center at Bonny. Greater attention was gradually shifted from slave trade to palm-oil. This period witnessed concomitant industrial changes in Britain.

The industrial revolution in Britain was beginning to be felt in West African region as the new industries springing up in Europe required raw materials to feed their mills. At the same time campaigns against the trade in human cargos were increasingly intensified. The gradual shift of emphasis from trade in slaves to plam-oil excited interest groups to seek specific markets in the hinterland.

The major Andoni trading centre strategically located to control the trade routes to the hinterland markets was Old Unyeada. Long involvement of oversea trade

King Otuo Ogbolakon the great, founded the New Unyeada in 1827, after the fall of Old Unyeada.

Unyeada Town is the ancestral and administrative headquarters of the kingdom. Other towns and villages which madeup the kingdom are:

• Isiodum Town
• Egbormung Island
• Dema City
• Ibot-irem Town
• Samanga Town
• Ajakajak Town, Others are;
• Agbakoroma
• Otuafa
• Owot-okwan
• Nkanlek
• Isiobiama
• Okwan-york,
• Udungama-Iyo
• Udungama-Joshua
• Oronaja
• Udungama - Onyemeribe
• Afaradigi
• Ogboidim
• Agbadam
• Ama-Gabriel
• Olukama
• Ajarikiri
• Okponile
• Otuafu
• Otunria
• Okukpo
• Okuka
• Otuokponuka
• Otuokolokolo
• Ogbonte
• Ama-Ernest
• Olukama
• Emenoru
• Ofunkrika
• Ama-Omuso
• Okwanjijor
• Okama
• Polokiri
• Inyongnchicha
• Ama-Paul
• Ama-Ekpu
• Galilee
• Nmungama.

• Andoni

[1]

•  
• Suit No. P/32/1949. Also, WACA No. 155/1953: Chief Aaron Nwizuk and others versus Chief Waribo Eneyok and others (Complete record of proceedings, Supreme Court Registry, Lagos) p. 106.
• Ejituwu, in Ujama Magazine (1979), p. 26.
• Silas, S. Eneyo, Otuo Ogbolakon and Leadership of Pre-Colonial Obolo (Andoni) (Ibadan, 1979), p. 26.
• Suit No. P/32/1949. Also, WACA No. 115/1953: Chief Aaron Nwizuk and others versus Chief Waribo Eneyok and others (Complete record of proceedings, Supreme Court Registry, Lagos) p. 106
• Loveday, S. Itatat, 2003 Itatat, Loveday, S. (2003). The Golden Key to the Development of Unyeada Kingdom. Port Harcourt: Celwill Nigeria Limited. pp. 1–9. ISBN 978-37379-3-7..
• Silas Eneyo, (1991) Andoni Monarchy (An Introduction to the History of the Kingship Institute of the Andoni People). Eneyo, Silas., S. (1991). The Andoni monarchy : an introduction to the history of the kingship institution of the Andoni people. Port Harcourt: Riverside Communications. pp. 18–24. ISBN 978-31226-0-6. OCLC 29327839.CS1 maint: date and year (link)
• SUPREME COURT OF NIGERIA, Nteogwile VS Otuo 2001 JELR 44336(SC)