HERO WORSHIP IN ESAN
Esan people were great hero worshippers, particularly if that hero was a strong man. A man who led his people to victory in the ravaging intertribal wars. A man who sacrificed himself in order to save his village. A man who started a settlement or a man who performed great feats in his life time.
All these usually at their death, were deified and became the common juju – EBO of their respective communities. Each town of Esan had its own great men who today are represented by shrines. If not for these shrines and the yearly commemoration of their lives and feats, the history of Esan land could have passed into oblivion.
For example in Igueben and Ugboha, they had ENOWE, the great warrior. Uhiele Ekpoma Eremeinu had the man who went into Esan proverb as a man who built a house for his wife but had no roof over his own head.
Ekpoma had UDA, the builder of the Second Dynasty of Ekpoma royal family. Irrua had AMESE, the cantankerous and devilish second son, who but for the tact and foresight of his father, EKPEREUIE, could have altered the history of Irrua.
Uromi deified the warrior and self-sacrificing Ojie AGBA, who fought in Benin-Esan war. Uzea mortalized its founder, ASUKPODUDU, just as Ubiaja honoured their first ruler, OGHOMIGHON, who prided himself in attempting the impossible. He lined up men from Ubiaja to IIlushi to bring him water from the River Niger with a cup. He had wanted to dress the trunk of a tall palm tree from bottom to the top, with strings of the then prohibitively expensive CORAL BEADS, but he died before he got half-way.
Ewohimi made a god of ALLAN, the first Ojie of ORIKHIMI, and ODU, the man who gave them water. Ewu swear on OKHIANRANLEN, the great warrior who died for his people while EIGBIDIONNMON was the honoured warrior who gave everything he had to uphold the prestige of Emu and, at his death, he was buried on the road for his spirit to continue defending his people he had been separated from.
UGBEGUN deified Odohunoghie. One of the greatest warrior who ever lived.
These shrines are today the only reminder of illustrious Esan men and women who lived and died for their towns or did things which brought honour and fame to the land of their birth. Similarly, they tell the story of the very first Onojie of each town, and in fact, all the leaders deified as exemplified by Ekpereijie of Irrua, Asukpodudu of Uzea, Oghomighon of Ubiaja, Ono of Ugboha, Allan of Ewohimi, Uwagbo of Emu etc.