The Origin of EGbesu in Azagbene Town

Introduction

Azagbene is a community in Ekeremor Local Government Area Bayelsa State. Egbemo Egbesu is from this community. He is a deity (gods) of warfare, and the spiritual foundation for combating evil. Egbemo Egbesu power can only be used for defence or to correct injustice and only by people who are in harmony with universe Sat Egbe (2018) unpublished. First Revolution

According to Saturday Egbe Egbemo Egbesu was in a particular forest before they brought them to their respective communities (Azagbene and Egbotubu) He said, Egbemo Egbesu is made up of man and woman. The symbol for the man is red plain cloth while the symbol for the woman is white plain cloth. The man is strong than the woman. According to him, during the Egbesu revolution, when our fore fathers were in search of power to fight the white men and slave officers. Two communities came in contact with these power (Egbemo Egbesu) one of the community (Egbotubu) collected the woman while my community (Azagbene) collected the man. At first, they don’t know that, they have collected the man, until they got home and fix all the necessary things. That is when they know that they collected the strongest which is the man. He further Explain, that each of the compound in the community is entitle to a particular leave that they would used in preparing the power, and if the community is in misunderstanding, the Egbesu power will not work. So they always consult every compound before preparing the power. They must at least select seven persons from seven compounds or nine persons from the nine compounds and three extra from any compound to complete the fourteen able youths. These are some of the youths that went for the first mission. Ikpudowei, Olufini, Okia Oviri. Oviri was the smallest among them he said. After the selection, these selected people would not be allowed to touched and eat with their wives. They do fasting and use alligator pepper and calabar chalk to sanctify themselves, before going for the mission. They took the power from the forest and whenever they want to consult the deity (Egbemo Egbesu). The leader of the group will echo, Egbemo Egbesu! Egbemo Egbesu!! Egbemo Egbesu!!! (3x) and then say Asawana the rest of them will respond wana three times (3x). And sing songs and dance.

According to Passport, they (our fore fathers) took this power to one of our nearby forest. Where they could easily go and prepared their selves whenever is needed. In that forest there is one big pot and in the pot there is only little water in it. Any how the rain may fall it cannot be filled more than that. No leave can drop around the pot let alone inside the pot. These animals are also symbol of the power; Leopard, Eagle, Fox cobra, etc. Though you can eat the leopard, eagle, fox and some other ones but the cobra you do even allowed kill it and if you mistakenly killed it you must buries it like human being or else someone would die in your family. There are other egbesu powers in the community like Ikparesugha, biniere, finevinmor, etc. The is how Egbemo Egbesu came to Azagbene community.

After testing the power our fore fathers finds out that they are now bullet proves robots. They began to fight against the slave officers who came, Nigeria for slaves. The slave officers notice that their white powder could not do them anything, they going into agreement with them that would not take their children for slaves but they (my fore fathers) should help them (the slave officers) bring slaves from the neighbouring communities. Our fore fathers venture into this business. The white men would be given them some material things as gifts. Such as mirror, plate, salt, clothes etc. Until the abolishment of slave trade. According to Deibor Waremi one of the warriors then was Ozoma. He was the greatest and most notorious among the warriors. A war-boat cannot go war without him during his reign. In 1968 when Christian revolution took place in the community the after death of major warrior like ozoma, and some serious minded warriors of the time. They brought a lady to liberate the community her is Godgrace from celestial church she came and troy away these power.

Second Egbesu Revolution

After some generations, when Ijaw Itsekiri War took place in 1996 the young people of my community needed protection because they want to go for the war. They were told about where they can go and get protective power when they got there the Kareowei of that community asked them where they came from and they said they are from Azagbene. The you this power in your community is seems you want to tempt men my is woman you have the man in your village so go back and ask your elder the village. Begged him to prepare them after the preparation when they got to the village asked the elder as he instruct them. The elder told them every things how to prepare the power and what and what is involved in the preparation. These some of the people that want for the second revolution: Saturday, Amaebi, Kemefaware, Saviour, and so on. The sanctify theirselves and want to the bush and see everything as they were told. They arrange obobo and do the preparation. For seven good days they were in the forest without food. After preparation they used the power and it works effectively. Went for the war and come back safely after war some of the bad ones took some of these powers to do bad this like kidnapping, arm robbery, sea piracy, etc. Though it was a blessing but we are causing our blessings, now the power is not working for the arm robbers.