| Ewuare II | |
|---|---|
| Oba of Benin | |
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| Reign | 2016–present |
| Predecessor | Erediauwa |
| Born | (1953-10-20)20 October 1953 (age 71) |
| Spouses | 5[1] |
| Issue | At least 4[1] |
| Father | Erediauwa |
Ewuare II (born 20 October 1953) was crowned theOba of Benin on 20 October 2016.[2] He is the 40th Oba,[3][a] a title created for theHead of State (Emperor) of theBenin Empire at some time between 1180 and 1300.
Eheneden Erediauwa,[4] as he was known before becoming Oba of Benin, attendedEdo College inBenin City (Nigeria) from 1965 to 1967 and Immaculate Conception College from 1968 to 1970. He got his A-Level Certificate from South Thames College, London. He graduated with an Economics degree from theUniversity of Wales, UK and holds a Master of Public Administration degree fromRutgers University Graduate School, New Jersey, USA.[4]
He worked at theUnited Nations between 1981 and 1982. He also served as Nigeria's Ambassador to Angola and Sweden, with accreditation to Norway, Denmark and the Republic of Finland. He was also Nigeria's Ambassador to Italy.[4][5]
Ewuare II chose his name as tribute to the 15th-centuryEwuare I.[6] Since his ascension to the throne, Ewuare II worked closely withGodwin Obaseki, a former governor ofEdo State .[7] Like many of his predecessors, he started his rule by demanding that the spiritually and historically importantBenin Bronzes that werestolen in 1897 by theBritish Empire be returned to his people.[1]
In October 2017, he celebrated his first anniversary on the throne, with great participation by the local populace as well as several officials, politicians, and visitors from other parts of Nigeria such asLagos,Calabar, andJos. TheSokoto Sultanate Council andIle-Ife's royal family also sent representatives to take part in the celebrations.[1]
In 2018, Ewuare II issued a curse against any juju priest involved in carrying outhuman trafficking within his domain, and he publicly revoked all curses used by priests to manipulate trafficking victims.[8] One analyst reported that "what the oba has done is likely to be more effective than anything the international anti-trafficking community has managed to do after millions of dollars and many years".[8]
During the governorship campaign in the Edo State 2020 election, the Oba encouraged all political players to conduct themselves peacefully, an act that accorded him praises by groups such as the Edo Equity Forum (EEF) as well as the Allied Peoples Movement (APM).[9]
In 2021, theUniversity of Aberdeen approved the repatriation of one of the Benin Bronzes, which was handed to a delegation that included representatives of Ewuare II on 28 October 2021.[10] He received it, and a bronze cockerel returned byJesus College, Cambridge, at a ceremony in the royal palace inBenin City on 19 February 2022.[11]
By the time he was crowned Oba, Ewuare was married to Queen Iroghama (Obazuaye N'erie), Princess Iyayiota (Obazuwa N'erie) and Princess Ikpakpa (Ohe N'erie).[12] He later wed more women.[1]
The Oba chose the name Ewuare II, in tribute to a predecessor who assumed the throne around 1440.
Ewuare II Born: 20 October 1953 | ||
| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Oba of Benin 2016 – present | Succeeded by Incumbent |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
