IDUWINI IBE

IDUWINI IBE: The Iduwini are in present day Delta State. The founding ancestors of the Iduwini Ibe were also part of the team headed sent to guard the coastal estuary regions. The founding ancestor is said to be one Oguru (alias Kala-Ogbo), he and other proto-Ijos (Tobu Otu) founded the ancestral settlement of Amatu. Later on they were joined by descendants of Iduwi (Idu), one of the sons of Igodo, younger brother to Ujo, and the first Ogiso of Beni (Ado). The descendants of Iduwi first lived at the quarters known as Aghoro or Ughoro (Ughonron in Benin traditions), near the royal palace of the Ogisos. In Benin tradition they are referred to as the “worshippers of the departed spirits of the Ogisos”. When the first kingdom came to an end with the flight of Ogiso Kaladiran into the delta to found the town of Igodo, named after his ancestor Igodo, the Iduwi’s also migrated and settled with their relatives at Amatu and became known as IDUWINI. Together with the descendants of Oguru and others, they founded the sub towns and villages of, Okun-Aghoro (i.e. Aghoro by the sea) otherwise known as Eghoro-Ujo by the Itsekiri, Letugbene, Odimodi, Oborotu (Eburutu or Burutu or Ofougbene i.e. to say Ofougbene was the orginal name, but became Burutu after recieving the Eburu immigrants known locally as Eburutu). Ogbotobu, Bilabiri, Agge, Ogbeintu, Amazo, and Azagbene were also founded by proto-Ijo ancestors. 

The Iduwini were also called Tobu Otu (i.e. ancient people) by other Ijo who migrated to the western delta later on, because of the ancient settlement of proto-Ijos in that area, who may have been the ancestors of the Kou and the Ogbotobu (land of Tobu). The mother settlement of the Iduwini was Amatu meaning "the origin of towns", and it was from that town that most of the other towns and villages sprang. The Itsekiri ancestors notably Prince Ginuwa  (Ogi-Nuwa) settled here for some time before moving to the Warri area. Others who also came to settle briefly with the Iduwini and Ogulagha were the Efiks (Eburutu).

When the Portuguese arrived in that region the Iduwini whom they refer to as "Jos" were the people they came into contact with. Apart from Amatu, the Iduwini founded other towns such as Okun Aghoro (i.e. Aghoro by the sea) or Eghoro-Ujo in the Itsekiri traditions, Orobiri and Kou to name a few. Foundation time pre-14th century.

At Benin divergent traditions maintain that one Idu was the grandson of Ere, the grandson of Igodo, the first Ogiso of Benin. Refer to Olaniyan R (Certificate  History of Nigeria), p63.