History

The origin of the Epies village communities are of three categories.  The first category consist of the traditions which trace their descert to Bini.  The second is made up of those tradition which claim origin from the neighbourhood.  The third claims to have these tradition which claim to have originated from communities within the Epie territory.

Bini Origin Traditions

The village communities associated with the Bini Origin in Epie include Yenizuepie, Amarata and Akenpai.  The history of these communities point to migrations from Edo (Benin) before their arrival at the Epie territory.

According to Yenizuepie tradition, the community was founded by a man called Zue, the only son of Itom.  Zue is said to have led a team of emigrants from Bini wondering through several places including Egbelemeni and Agbagerre, before arriving the Epie territory.  He Zue founded the community together with his three sons namely Ogene, Opuruwari and Ogoni.

Another community whose history is from Edo is Amarata community.  History have it that Amarata was founded by a group of emigrants from Bini under the leadership of a man called Ogua.  The emigrants, according to history, first settled in Isoko land but they later crossed a wide river near Aboh town and wandered into the Engenni territory where they settled at Okulogua.  Following some problems, a team of migrants led by a man called Epie left for the Epie territory.

According to Akenpai tradition, the present village community was an off short of an earlier large settlement founded by three brothers namely, Pai, Wamani and Ebebeh.  The earlier community scattered because of a communal unrest during a feast but Pai returned with his two sons, Furubo and Apuke to his former home Akenpai to settle down.

Migration From Neighbourhood Community

Igbogene, Kpansia, Edepie, Biogbolo and Opolo are communities that claim that they migrated from neighbouring communities.

Igbogene and Kpansia history have it that their respective communities were founded by emigrants from Elebele in Ogbia.  According to the traditions, the people were forced to leave Elebele because of an intra-communal conflict arising from a dispute over soup during a religious festival.

Biogbolo tradition claims that the community was founded by a migrant hunter called Ogbolo and his wife Bio.  Ogbolo is said to have left Ayon in Saka (Odual) to settle in the present site as a result of a family feud.  History has it that Ogbolo procured the land from a man called Ogbologbo of Opolo.  He excharged the land for a fishing lake called Obureni.

Edepie tradition has it that the community was founded by a man called Awene from Otuasega in the Kolo territory.  Awene was asked by one Igbodo of Oruma to settle at the Edepie site as a check against intruders from trespassing.  It was in obedience of this order that Awene and his two sons Amaweri and Ebi founded the community.

History has it that the Origin of Opolo is traced to Nembe.  The founding fathers of Opolo, according to this history migrated from Ologama to settle in Epie territory.

History of Internal Migration

The village communities with traditions of internal migration include Akenfa, Agudama-Epie Etegwe and Okutukutu.  Others are Yenegwe, Yenizuegene, Okaka and Ekeki.  The first group of village communities listed here have traditions of migrations within the Epie creek but claim origin from Bini.  The second set of village communities listed are those hose migratory traditions are limited to the Epie creek.  The people of Epie engaged in various business activities in ancient times.  These include farming, hunting, the taping of palm wine, carving of canoes, and as thime want by are to civilization, the processing and of the oil palms and timber business.  The Europeans participated heavily on the oil palms business and the timber using the neighours of the Epies as middlemen.

The British involvement on palm oil business brought some impact to the people of the clan in ancient times.  Since the demand of palm oil was high in Britain, the colonial government did everything to encourage the harvesting of the oil palm that grew wild in Epie forest.  The government offered financial assistance to European firm so that these firms can establish pioneer oil mills.  The firms in response have to motivate the production of palm produce by giving their customers gifts such as cornel-beef, salt, pork and sometimes textiles as the people came to sell palm oil.  These gifts now encourage the people of Epie to put in their best in the production of palm produce, despite the fact that the trade was very labour intensive involving all the member of the family doing one thing or the other to achieve success.  The Europeans also develop the production of oil palm devising new ways of easy production through the innovation of mechanized system of palm oil production.

The British colonial rule in Epie begain in 1904.  in that year the people were forced to surrender their guns to the colonial government and there were also compelled to submit their loyalty to the colonial authority.  Despite the fact that the village government system still exists, the traditional rulers were being supervised by the colonial administrators. 

With the establishment of British colonial rule the practice of gerontocracy declined and collapsed eventually.  The status of the village in the colonial administrative system removed the autonomy which marked the political system prior to 1904.  The national province district administrative units were ahead of the village which became the fourth tier of administrative units.

In effect, the village head host his sovereignty as well as the power of life and death in the new era.  The traditional ruler and his assembly of elders ceased to act with sole responsibility to the ancestors or in accordance with the laws of the community per se.  he was required to take orders from the colonial officers.  In others words, the ultimate authority as it affected the village community was transferred to the British colonial government through various agencies.

Christianity was introduced, there was a little resistance but with the help of the colonial government, it was accepted later on.

The Epie clan comprises of 17 villages namely Igbogene, Yenegwe, Akenfa, Agudama, Akenpai, Edepie, Etegwe, Okutukutu, Opolo, Biogbolo, Yenizuegene, Kpansia, Yenizuepie, Okaka, Azikoro, Ekeki and Amarata.

Spread of Christianity

Because of the lack of information then in Epie clan, the introduction of Christianity met some resistance.  But as at now they have advanced in accepting Christianity as a way of life people have left fetish worship.  In every village except two or three of the smallest, there are churches.  The majority of the people in the clan professes Christianity and in some villages all except a few old men have given up their juju worship.