TARAKIRI (WEST & CENTRAL) IBE

TARAKIRI (WEST & CENTRAL) IBE: The Tarakiri are in present day Bayelsa and Delta States. The Western Tarakiri took their name from Tara, the younger of Opu-Okun and Kala-Okun sons of Ujo at Igbedi creek  The descendants of Tara were also one of the last to leave the Agadagba-bou site along with the Kolokuma. Eventually when the Tarakiri left the site with their households, they settled within the vicinity and founded a settlement which was called Tara-kiri (the land of Tara). This settlement was the site where the town of Amatolo now stands. Through the process of time some of the descendants of Tara, through his son Ayama, migrated to the eastern delta coast and the central district of the Nun river (Obiama area) and gave birth to the Andoni Ibe and Tarakiri central Ibe.

Around about 1500 a large number of the Ijos Benin city left Benin because of the oppressive ways of the then King (Oba Esigie), who was fighting a civil war with Prince Aruaran (Prince Oruayan) He was also in the habit of confiscating private land, levying on the people heavy tolls and generally making life insecure. These Ijos moved first to Aboh, then into the Igbedi creek area, where they settled among the ancestors of the Tarakiri.

At Tarakiri settlement during the course of time, a number of lineage’s all tracing descent from Tara came into being, these include; Ekiobiri the ancestor of Isamu, the founder of Isampou (Isamu-pou), Awanran the ancestor of Ebedebiri and Anyamasa, Kolo the ancestor of Kolobiri the ancestor of the Toru-Orua and Bolou Orua, Aranma the ancestor of Aranmabiri of Angalabiri, Agbere the ancestor of Agbere, Ogbia-Agbere (in Ogbia Ibe) and Okoro-Agbere (in Urhoboland), Ogelle the ancestor of the Ughelli (Opu-Ogelle), Uduophori (Kala-Ogelle), Ofoni and Odorubu, Angala the ancestor of Angalabiri and Egbemo ancestor of Egbemo-Angalabiri and Egbediama).

An ancestor named Muluku descendant of Tarakiri was said to have been killed by other Tarakiri children. He also had a sister named Kanboye. He was to be the next ruler of the town at the death of the previous ruler. Their mother was said to be a daughter of Ogboin-ama (Ogobiri Mein). On his murder, his sister Kanboye informed their maternal relations of Mein, thus his murder precipitated a violent conflict between Tarakiri and Ogboin-ama (Ogobiri) remembered as the Tarakiri/Mein war. These events led to the Tarakiri abandoning their town in the Sagbama/Igbedi creek and moving to the Forcados branch of the Niger River on the site known as Oru-assa opposite Toru-Orua.

Because of conflict with Mein at Ogboin-ama (Ogobiri) the Tarakiri migrated to the western delta. On the site of Oru-assa opposite present day Toru-Orua they settled. It was from here that the various western Tarakiri towns and villages were founded, these include Orua (Toru and Bolou), Ebedebiri, Angalabiri, Sampou (Isamu-pou), Gbemangalabiri (Egbemo-Angalabiri), Egbediama, Agberi and Ayamasa.  The Agberi's first settled at a site opposite Kpakiama, from whence they came into conflict with the Kpakiama Mein. They first moved to Odi in Kolokuma from there to the Odoni area in Oyakiri. The Agberi's settled on virgin land within the vicinity and founded Agbere town.

Earlier on while the Tarakiri were at their old setlement descendant of the Ogisos made their way from Benin and settled upland near the main delta. Some of them made their way to the main delta and settled with the Tarakiri. This was between 1200-1400 AD.  Those that remained upland formed the Oghwoghwa section of Urhobo. The Ogelle section of Tarakiri was founded by one Ogelle who was a descendant of Tara the ancestor of the Tarakiri, and the Ogisos descendants who settled with the Tarakiri. After the dispersal from the old Tarakiri settlement living became difficult and so when the Tarakiris were at Oru-assa, the Ogelle section left and settled with their relatives the Oghwoghwa in Urhoboland. They founded the town of Ughelli (Ogbo-Ogelle or land Ogelle to the Ijo) and its offshoot communiies. It was here that they lost their Ijo language and culture due to the intermarriage and absorption with Edo speaking people. It is the ancestral connection with the Ogisos of the first Benin kingdom, that accounts for the statement made by Benin historians that Igodo the first Ogiso of Benin is the father (i.e. ancestor) of the king of Ughelli.

Due to internal conflict at Ughelli some of the people of Ogelle Tarakiri made their way back to the riverside and founded the towns Uduophori (Por Ogelle or waterside Ogelle to the Ijo), Ofoni and Odorubuo, later to be joined by other Urhobo speaking people. It is this connection with the Tarakiri that makes the Ughelli section of Urhobo people say in their general meetings that we are Ughelli Tarakiri. The Ogelle (Ughelli) has both paternal and maternal ancestral relationships with the Tarakiri Ibe.

The Tarakiri Ibe is pre-14th century. Between 700 – 1200 AD the Tarakiri were a part of the lost City of Ujo at Agadagba-Bou. After 1200 AD they founded their own settlement at the site of Amatolo. From 16th century their ancestor migrated to the western delta to the present site Opposite Toru-Orua.

TARAKIRI (AYAMA) CENTRAL: The Tarakiri Central Ibe took their name from Tara the son of Ujo, who was one of their ancient ancestors, through Ayama his son whom he left in the care of Kala-Okun.(their other name is Ayama).

“…Tarakriowei left one of his sons behind in the care of his brothers. The name of the son was Ayama and he was the founder of the Sub-Tarakri clan in the Eastern Ijo Division known as the Ayama Clan….. Ayama (Ayanma) founded the Tarakri sub clan in eastern Ijaw known as Ayanma Clan. Ayama Clan consists of Ayama, Obololi, Oweikorogha, Ogeibri, Sangama and Odobolo…..”

Ayama’s descendants went and settled at Obiama and other places. During the separation at Obiama, the Tarakiri section also went their way, back into the direction they had come. Some went to the Ogbia area; Odobio and Sangatama, while the others founded first Obololi or Obelele which being the senior, had the privilege of the Goddess Ayama-Zibaarau or Ayama Ziba. Later on Ayama, Oweikorogha, Ogeibiri, Sangama and Odobolo were founded. The foundation of Tarakiri central or Ayama Ibe is post 14th century.