Akenzua II

Oba of Benin (1933–1978)

Akenzua II

Oba of Benin
Reign	1933–1978
Coronation	5 April 1933
Predecessor	Eweka II
Successor	Erediauwa

Born	Godfrey Edokparhogbuyunmwun Aguobasimwin Eweka ^[1] (1899-01-07)7 January 1899 Lagos, Nigeria
Died	11 June 1978(1978-06-11) (aged 79)

Ọmọ n'Ọba n'Ẹdo Uku Akpọlọkpọlọ, Akenzua II (7 January 1899 – 11 June 1978) was the thirty-seventh Oba of Benin reigning from 1933 until his death in 1978.

Akenzua II was enthroned as Oba of Benin in April 1933 following the death of his father, Eweka II (r.1914 – 1933) in February that year.^[2] Oba Akenzua II was dedicated to the provision of western education for his subjects, the Edo people.^[1]

In 1936, he began the movement to return to Nigeria the Benin Bronzes looted from the royal compounds and ancestral altars in the punitive Benin Expedition of 1897. During his reign, only two of the 3,000 royal court bronzes were returned. However, two coral crowns and coral bead garment, thought to have belonged to Ovonramwen, were returned to him in the late 1930s by G.M. Miller a son of a member of the Benin expedition, who had loaned the pieces to the British Museum in 1935.^[3]

Oba Akenzua II died on 11 June 1978, when he was succeeded by his son, then Prince Solomon, who took on the title of Oba Erediauwa and duties as the traditional leader of the Edo people in Benin City, Nigeria.^[4]

Family

In 1923 his first son, Prince Solomon Aiseokhuoba Igbinoghodua Akenzua,^[5] was born. His chosen title was founded on the name Ere, relating to Oba Eresonye who is traditionally considered to be an incredibly wealthy Oba.^[1]

Akenzua's descendants include his daughter Princess Elizabeth Olowu, grandson Oba Ewuare II, Great-grandson Crown prince Ezelekhae Ewuare, granddaughter Peju Layiwola, and grandson Thompson Iyamu among others.^[6]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "The Benin monarchy". National Daily Newspaper. 22 December 2016. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
^ The Crisis. The Crisis Publishing Company, Inc. p. 161. ISSN 0011-1422. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
^ Hauser-Schäublin, Brigitta; Prott, Lyndel V. (2016-06-10). Cultural Property and Contested Ownership. Routledge. p. 139. ISBN 978-1-317-28183-2.
^ "Edo history". edo-nation.net. 20 February 2017.
^ Uche, Atuma (30 April 2016). "Life and times of Oba Erediauwa – - The Sun News". - The Sun News. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
^ Dr., Kwame Opoku. "Modernity And Tradition: Peju Layiwola". Modern Ghana. Retrieved 2017-11-11.