OBA ESIGIE Originally called Osawe, Oba Esigie was the son of Queen Idia, the second wife of late 15th-century monarch Oba Ozolua. Between 1504 and roughly 1550, he served as the sixteenth Oba to lead the Benin Kingdom.
Interesting fact: On October 20, 1516, AD, Duarte Pires, under the guidance of Oba Esigie, wrote the oldest letter known to exist in Nigeria.
It was addressed to King John Il. The second-oldest letter was sent to the Pope in 1652 AD by Anthonio Domingo, the great-grandson of Oba Olua, requesting help from missionaries to propagate Christianity throughout the Benin Empire.
