History

Oral tradition has it that the Isaba kingdom is founded by Isoun. He hails from Amabolu in Ekeremo in the present day Bayelsa State-Isoun is a son of Bomo. Bomo is a son to Ekere who founded Ekeremo. Ekene hails from Oporomo. Isoun begot six children. There are Akoiri, Ogbobere, Akoro, Igbile, Itukpa and Ivbiama. When Pere Isoun died, Akori became the king. Because of the hostel nature of Akori, Itukpa and Ivbiama left the kingdom. Itukpa founded Ogodo in Ogbolubiri. Ivbiama whose mother hails Agbarho founded Ivmughe. Apart of the two children that left the Isaba kingdom, Isaba was left with four children in the kingdom.

Isoun became Pere and was installed by the Oba of Benin which gave Isoun the pereship. Isaba as a kingdom settled in many places in their territory. The first place they settled after they left Amabolu is Egbamagalabiri. There after he and his children heads towards the end of the present day Isaba day creek. After settling there for some time, Isaba left to Isaba-Ituigbo which is presently in Ugheli South Local Government of Delta State. Thereafter the Isaba’s spread to other sites along the creek.

The major occupation of the Isaba’s is fishing. These account for their spread along the Isaba creek. Fishing is their predominant occupation.

Isaba kingdom has the following towns and villages: Isaba-Paniem, Isaba-Iyama, Isaba-Pereama, Isaba-Itubo, Isaba-Egbaraba, Isaba-Toubama, Isaba-Pereama is the traditional headquarters of the kingdom. Others are Ugborutobou, Isaba, Peretugbene area, Logbene, Ingoweigbene, Beribegbene, Liagbegbene, Tonbra Paghagbene, Ingobozugbene, Ofiegbene and other smaller settlements.

The only connection the Isaba’s had with the British was in 1893 when they sign a treaty with the British consul the treaty was to allow the British free movement in the Isaba region. Those who sign the treaty according to our informants were Chief Kpokpa the juju priest, Chief Nemekukumo, Chief Bonusei and Chief Oduko.

According to our source, the colonial rule has some impact on the existing rulership of the kingdom as there the colonial masters brought in the indirect rule system which fuse the Isaba’s and other Ijaws communities along with the Itsekiri’s. oral tradition has it that the final outcome of this fussion was not pleasant at all.

Isaba people had the lowest score with respect to acceptance of Christianity. The people did all they could to made off Christianity from their territory. It was just recently when the present Pere, HRM Pere Donokoromo the 2nd (JP) ascended the throne of his forefathers after the death of his father, that they became a sign of Christianity. Before that time according to the Pere, there was no single group that gather to call the name of Christ. Christianity came to Isaba kingdom in 1973 when they had their first church.

Culture

Culturally, the religious belief of the people of Isaba kingdom was 100% traditional belief or practitioners but as today, the people are of mixed religious belief. Some are Christians, while others are juju worshippers.

There is an ancestral father that is been worshipped by the Isaba’s which they reviewed as their national god. He is Isoun the founder of the clan. There are three other deities that are also worshipped namely; Tartau, Bibai, Amakirigbo. Every Isaba man who is not a Christian has firm belief in these deities. They believed what that these deities give them security and prosperity. Nobody according to oral tradition has ever defeated the Isaba’s in war at any given point of history. It is believed that this feat became possible as a result of the activities of these deities.

The people of Isaba are believers of natural spirits hence there have small gods. The believers of these gods believed that everything in existence are spiritually motivated. There believed that these smaller gods bring peace, productivity etc. the Egbesu deity, Karagba, Owieseimu, Erebrasebigha are believed to be was gods that are also worshipped from time to time.

The  people of Isaba kingdom also have believe for bush spirit and water spirit. Some of them are: Odomou, a shortish humanlike spirit with a long hair. It is believed that the spirits is very violet in its behaviour and sometimes uproot trees when in action. It is also believed that this spirit is very powerful and anybody that worships him, he bless with expertise in fishing. Aziza or Kenipara (half human, one legged being) is yet another bush spirit that it known to be in existence in the kingdom. Oral tradition has it that he is very powerful, nobody lives by his path. He kills when somebody comes across it. He bless his worshippers with prosperity. He is made happy when his worshippers he is appease with sacrifices. Bou-Okosuere is another bush spirit which is believed to be an old woman leaving in the bush. According to informants, she  is believed to be responsible for procreation, peace and care to her people. There are other many other which the people believed to be in existence both in bush and water  that plays  one role or another in Isaba kingdom.

The people have masquerades. Along them are Pomuzegebai Ikonowei, Bibai masquerade, which nobody see his face accept the priest. Oki, the saw fish masquerade dance, Amasemikomu, and these masquerades accept Bibai is for the appeasement of Tartau during the festival. Agola, Ikpaba masquerades dance are for entertainment during festive periods.

The people of Isaba kingdom have festivals that are being celebrated. One of them is the Amakirigbo festival. It is a yearly festival. During the festival, the people gathered for social gathers. It is celebrated for prosperity that have be accrued to the kingdom during the preceding year. The festival is celebrated within five days to seven days. Tartau deity festival is another festival that is celebrated. It is celebrated every three years, that is if the priest is alive but if the priest is dead, nobody celebrates it. The number of days it is celebrated must be odd numbers. Within 3,5 and 7 days. The Bibai festival is another deity feast that is being celebrated by the people. It is the most dreaded festival in the kingdom. It is celebrated only in the early evening through till dawn. That is 4pm to 6am. Finally, the Pere Ugeh festival, that is the kings festival. There is no fixed date of celebration. The date is fixed  by the  Pere and his council of chiefs and some elders  in the kingdom. It is a one masquerade festival.

The people of the Isaba kingdom have believe in the following;

1. Duama (After life):- The people believed that when somebody dies, he goes to another world to continue his life. This beliefs is strongly entrenched in their religious belief. It is generally believe that the founder of the kingdom is in Duama hence he is worshipped as god.
2. Duweikere (Ancestral Spirit):- The belief that those that have died becomes ancestors and protect the lives of the living is well accepted by the people. It is believed that some sickness say when a married woman cheats on her husband by having sex with another man is been brought by the ancestors, Duweikere.
3. Gbaboyo (Desting):- Tamara Gbaboyo is another strong belief of the people of the kingdom. That what somebody is, in terms of the way he leaves his life, or his/her financial standing have be predetermined. It is believed that when a child is born, whether he/she will be rich or poor depends on the load he/she carried in his/her canoe while to earth. If he/she come with empty canoe, then his/her life will be full of misery and poverty, but when the canoe is fully loaded, the person will live a very rich and happy life. It is also believed that when a pregnant woman is having difficult delivery, it is said that the child is still trying to load his/her canoe very well before coming to the earth.
4. Diri or Fingin (witchcraft):- The people believed that these people exist and that there use their powers to affect the lives of people either for the good or bad.

The Isaba’s have four marriages that are recognized in the kingdom. There are Teiere-out. In this type of marriage, the dowry of the girl is been paid to the mother or her people. The father is not popularly known as the small dowry, the girl is given to the bridegroom after he has given the family drinks and some little money promising to pay the remaining part of the dowry later. Since he has paid part of the dowry, he is allowed to go with his wife. In the Beie-ere type of marriage, oral tradition has it that the man will go outside his kingdom and from Ijaw to marry a non native mostly the Urhobos women. In this type, the woman is very much respected because she have left her family. Traditionally, her children is the the most respected among all the marriages mentioned above. Fe-ere slave. In this type of marriage, the woman is bought by the man so she becomes the exclusive property of the man. When she dies, she is buried in the man’s compound. Traditionally, all things being equal, the Fe-ere children is the most respected among all other children. In most cases, the children or Fe-ere are chosen to be king but when there is non, then, oral tradition has it that Bei-ere children can be. Both of these marriage Bei-ere and Fe-ere are the properties of the man. The children can inherit the man’s wealth.

The burial culture of the people of Isaba kingdom is as follows; when a man dies three gunshots are shot in the air to inform the people that a man has died while four gunshots are shoot in the case of a woman. After the casket is ready and the dead placed on it, the body will be carried and somebody will say “Birawai” turn to your left or right to go and meet your parent. It is customarily believed that the parent must die first before the children. If it is a man, the people turns left and moves straight to bury him. If she is a woman, they turn right and moves straight to bury her. After three days of bury, in case of a man, the heir of the children, wife and other extended family members that want will be shaved. If she is a woman, with two of four days, the heir of her children will be shaved. The sharing of the properties marks the end of the burial.

When a child  is born,  it is the culture of the people of Isaba to rejoice and celebrate no matter how small it is. No initiate of any cult (masquerade) will see the child, if he does see the child, the child dies. He can only see the child after the unbiblical cord (novel) falls. The child cannot enter other people house for three months after delivery. The hair of the child is usually cut-off after that time.

The kingdom of Isaba has it own ways of governing its people traditionally. With these arrangement in the place, the kingdom is peaceful with these arrangement in the place, the kingdom is peaceful with every thing going smoothly. Top on the traditional system is the Pere which is the king. He is the custodian of the culture of the people. Next is the council of chief which is been headed by the Iyasere of Isaba kingdom. Other categories of leaders include the various village chairmen, the youths, the women council. All these leaders has their individual roles they are playing.

Some leaders that have ruled the kingom in the past and present include.

1. Pere Isoun the 1st
2. Pere Akori
3. Pere Jebramu
4. HRM Pere Dinokoro  the 1st – 1897-1962
5. HRM Pere Dinokoro  the 2nd – April 25th 1883 till date
6. The people of Dinokoro  the 1st – 1897-1962