AGBON KINGDOM

Agbon Kingdom Isiokolo is the ancestral home of the Okpara, Kokori, Eku, Orhoakpor and Ovu people. Agbon ( Isiokolo) people have a long migrational history. Their various traditions and accounts of origins and migrations subsist. According to one of the accounts, a man called Ukonorhoro, who migrated from Udo in Benin, gave birth to Agbon. He migrated through Kwale, probably from Erhowa, settled at Ehwen and Erhivwi or Irri in present Isoko division of Delta State. From there he moved down to Utokori, close to Ughwerun; then to Olomuand through the present Ughelli territory of Ekuigbo to found Otorho r'Agbon now known as Isiokolo. In the 1940s, it had its own full-fledged Native Authority (N.A.) Elementary School in Agbon. The only other full-fledged elementary schools in Agbon in the forties, with grades up to Standard Six, were two missionary schools: Baptist Elementary School at Eku and Catholic Elementary School at Okpara Inland. There was formerly a Teachers' Training College which is now defunct, and has been replaced with a secondary school. Modern day Isiokolo has now metamorphosed intoa small town-community that has people from different parts of Nigeria. There are Ibos, Yorubas, Hausa, Itsekiri, Ijaw and Bini people living there, sothat the place has now become largely a melting pot of culture of some sorts. There are no real, tangible establishments situated at Isiokolo, except of course the local government council and the recently established African Research Laboratory. There is a market which has largely survived from the mid fifties into the modern day known as Kokori market. From ancient times, Isiokolo people too are known to celebrate certain festivals which they believe to hold immense place in their socio-cultural landscapes. These festivals were very popular into the mid 90s but it's almost dying out due to the people's strongembrace of Christianity. It would be interesting to note that the town usually wears a very wonderful look on Sundaymornings as the people set out for their different churches. Today, christiansare about 80% of the entire population. Christianity has become central to the life style of the people in the community.