THE TRUE STORY OF THE HISTORY OF IGHWREKO COMMUNITY BY THE ENEBRUVWE FAMILY OF OGUN GATE AND EMOSIVWE/ESEGBA FAMILIES OF OGHWODO GATE OF OSIA, THE FOUNDER OF UGHELLI (UGHEENI KINGDOM)
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Igwhreko Community is a consanguineous community whose origin is traceable to Osia the founder of Ughelli Kingdom.Osia of blessed memory is one of the most important dignitaries that migrated together with Owhowha of blessed memory from Benin Kingdom and enroute Tarakri to Ogo-Oviri (Present day Ogor Technical College), the ancestral home of both Owhowha and Osia descendants as history vindicates. Osia later left his in-law, Owhowha of blessed memory and founded Oka and its environs now Iwhreko Community in Ughelli Kingdom, before moving to Uduophori quarters of Otovwodo to mount a formidable defence against Ogor in favour of Ovie (King) Useh. Hence the Osia Horn is washed /served before the king’s Horn (Irivwivie) during the Ihenri Ughelli Cultural festival at Uduophori-Otovwodo.
Osia lived and died centuries before the birth of King (Ovie) Oghoghovwe. Most of the people who settled and falsely mentioned to have co-founded Iwhreko came to Ighwreko Community for greener pasture. And later settled in various villages making most of the communities in Ughelli Kingdom today.
It is ridiculous to assert that some group of persons co-founded Ighwreko Community with Olotu the son of Ahoro, the descendant of Esegba from the Oghwodo gate of Osia, the founder of Ughelli (Ugheeni) Kingdom and other purported names of co-founders of Ighwreko whose genealogy can never be traced to Ughelli, let alone Igwhreko Community.Due to the assertions of notable Historians; J. Kowho Akata (from Ogor Kingdom), James, L Emekpe, Onigu Otite and others, all right thinking occupants of Igwhreko needs to be educated about the Ighwreko people, the descendants of Osia, founder of Ughelli Kingdom that Oka and its environs making up the Ighwreko Community in Ughelli Kingdom was founded by Osia of blessed memory long before the first king of Ughelli Kingdom, Ovie (King) Useh left Ogo-Oviri (Ogor Kingdom) together with the descendants of Ughelli (Ugheeni) to settle at Ovwodoawaren, Igwhreko Community in Ughelli Kingdom. It is a fact and on record that the Oghwodo (Owodo) family gate of Osia leased very large portions of land to the Colonial Government of Nigeria as G.R.A. where we have the Ughelli Central Hospital; Ughelli North Local Government Secretariat, Nigerian Courts of Law, UGHELLI Police Station, Ughelli, NITEL and Nigerian Postal Services, Ughelli in 18th December 1931 whose document clearly stated Osia of blessed memory, the founder which was dully signed by ABEBE, IGBUDU, EHRIMU, OLOTU and OMOTO who are decendants of Oghwodo (Owodo) family gate of Osia. Same is of the Igwhreko goods market land leased to the then Central Urhobo District Council, 11th May 1961 and the document was duly signed by AKPOWEVBE (AKPWEVWE) OSIOKOR, EGAGA AKPOVEYA and ERHIGHE of the Emosivwe family of Oghwodo (Owodo) gate of Osia.The judgment of John Jackson of 19th December 1940 between the Owhorode of Olomu clan and the Igwhreko people over the G.R.A. land speaks for itself where Osia was mentioned as the founder. In the same vain the appeal court judgment of 23rd April, 1993 clearly stated the Old Foot-Path-Evon and Urhe Otor-Orere, the Ogriki trees on the now Otor-Iwhreko tarred road as the boundary between the two sons of Osia, Ogun-Enebruvwe family and Oghwodo-Emosivwe/Esegba families the customary owners of same.It is settled and a notorious fact in court cases that Osia the founder of Ughelli Kingdom gave birth to two sons, Ogun and Oghwodo.
The Enebruvwe family are the descendants of Ogun gate of Osia while the Emosivwe and the Esegbe families are the descendants of Oghwodo gate of Osia.Finally, other families other than the Osia descendants are customary tenants. Settlers and occupants alike should desist from using the Ovie (King) as a source of ownership to portions of Osia land in Igwhreko and Otovwodo as Chief Justice Ogbobine of blessed memory delivered the judgment that Osia to the exclusion of the Ovie (King) Useh and his descendants is the founder of Igwhreko and its environs.
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