Inside Asaba’s Olinzele System: The Power, Reach & Benin Roots Of An Indigenous Order

ACROSS Asaba and its surrounding communities, the olinzele—a cadre of titled dignitaries—formed the backbone of local governance and justice in the early 20th century. Records list prominent figures in Asaba such as the Asabwa, Onirhe, Odafe, Iyase, Isabwa, Osodi, Ozoma, Odogu “Edogun,” Omu, Adaisi, and others. While some titles appeared only in particular towns, many were shared widely across the district.

The most common and influential were Iyase, Odogu (or Edogun), and Ozoma (also known as Ezomo or Esama). Their spread across multiple towns—Okpanam, Isele-Asaba, Ogwashi, Obuluku, Onitsha Olona, Ukuuzu, and Nsukwa—revealed the deep imprint of Benin political culture. Titles such as Iyase, Edogun, Ozoma and Osodi closely mirrored those used in Benin City, a connection strengthened by the longstanding practice of towns sending emissaries to Benin and seeking royal approval for new chiefs.

At the heart of this system stood the Iyase, the district’s most powerful civic officer. More than a chief’s spokesman, he mediated inter-town disputes, recovered abducted citizens, and acted as a sheriff in cases of murder—seizing property and enforcing judgments. He also supervised executions and imposed severe penalties: an adulterous wife or woman who publicly insulted her husband could be symbolically struck with the ofe by the Iyase, marking her expulsion from the community.

Though each town maintained its own hierarchy, the Asaba region reflected a fluid but interconnected political landscape—one where indigenous authority, Benin influence, and local custom blended into a distinctive system of governance and law.

– From Thomas, Northcote Whitridge, ANTHROPOLOGICAL REPORT ON ASABA DISTRICT, LAWS & CUSTOMS, 1914