Tsuede happened to be the one who reform/ resuscitate the Nupe kingdom after he assassinated/killed his maternal Uncle.
Tsuede’s father who is (being) called Ayegba was the one who left Idah community to tour the world and settled in Nupe kingdom whereas/ while Nupe people were already established settlers in Nku community.
When he arrived in Nku community, the Nku community leader known as Tsunku received him warmly for being a prince.
Upon his accommodation, the King betrothed his daughter, Maman to Tsuede’s father because, she was then widowed from Tafyan. After sometimes, Maman was pregnant and already, there was a message from IDAH requesting Ayegba to return home because of the loss of his father, Atah Idoko I (Atah Gara).
At the eve of his departure, he gave a ring, a necklace and a piece of cloth to his wife; Maman ordering her to put the baby on the cloth after delivery if it turns to be a boy. He then left for Idah.
The baby boy was named Tsuede. As he was growing, his mates were mocking him to be a bastard. If they beat him, his mother will scold them to leave her “Edegi” for her.
Perturbed, the mother sent “Edegi” to Idah together with the slaves transported that year.
Reaching Idah, Edegi’s father, Ayegba, saw what he gave his wife to hang on the unborn baby and easily recognised him. When other slaves are assigned a work, “Edegi” would be exempted and that surprizes the children of Atah Ayegba born in Gara.
One day, realizing the old age accosting the Idah and his non-recuperating sickness, the Herbalists tried to heal him but were hopeless. Thereupon, one of the herbalists said, “if any of the Atah Gara’s children can catch this fruit nut without touching ground, the Atah will be healed.
All the children tried and failed but Edegi said he will try. He was put to trial and was able to hold the fruit nuts without touching/reaching ground but was injured. All his face was scared and that is the reason for naming all those born with lip-hole “Edegi.”
As God will have it, Atah Gara was healed. And that was how Edegi was envied and hunted by the enemies; his half brothers.
One faithful day, they planned evil against him but Atah got to know about it and secretly ordered Edegi to go back to his Mother’s village NKU to settle there and not to return again. Edegi complied. Upon leaving, his father gifted him; sword, trumpet, drum and small silver cup for fetching water into the small kettle.
When his brothers came back home, they met his absence. They traced him but couldn’t sight him. They promised to wait patiently and attack him when he will come back to become the king of Atah Gara.
On reaching the river, Edegi entered with his father’s gifts. After crossing the river, he asked one man on a stone to show him the route to take so as not to be seen by the enemies behind.
The Fisherman pointed to the right direction and he picked the race. That was how he escaped and got to NKU unharmed.
Unfortunately, upon reaching his mother’s village, he was told that his mother has passed away and his uncle Manzhi or Maza was the incumbent King of Nku.
He lived with the King for some months until he migrated to Nupeko. Upon reaching there, he realized he has become of age and strength, he summoned all the village heads of Nupe settlements from Nku, Essan, Ewu, Tafyan, Yessa, Kpandzuru, Gbara, Gaba, Kusogi, Towagi, Yida and Bida.
All of the above village heads came except the King of Nku who was boastfully saying “he is too small to call him as his uncle and must be joking.”
Instantenously, there appeared a stranger all shrouded with a white cloth which made everyone present agapeic. They inquired and the village people roared, saying, “it is one Ndako Gboya from KUSOGI.” That was a great day, albeit, lugubrious because, Edegi instructed them not to, henceforth, answer being called a king. And that he is the overall king of NUPE Kingdom as his father was the overall Atah Gara kingdom.
Twenty one days after that meeting, Tsuede prepared his battalions and went to confront the king and conquered him (Tsunku Mazhi).
Seeing that from the entire Nupe kingdom, no other place is as rooted as Nku, Tsuede relocated from Nupeko because of the river’s over-float disturbing them.
Reaching Nku, he ordered the invitation of the fisherman sitting on the stone, the day he escaped the plot of his enemies in Idah. Upon arrival of the fisherman, he honoured the fisherman with the title, KUTA, and was greeted “Takun” in reminiscence to the stone he sat on that day of escape.
Some days after, Tsuede married Kakpi Dingi. His first child was a boy and subsequently, Kakpi continued putting to bed more bouncing baby boys up to four. When the first son became of age, he posted him to Mokwa. He is by name, Ishaba. As he arrived at Mokwa, he met Gbede clan at the graveyard. He instructed them to submit to his kingship or fight them. They obediently submitted themselves to him. He then crowned himself as Lile of Ishaba as his grandfather bore the Atah of Gara, and his father, Tsuede. But the name was later adulterated by Nupe people as “Lile Shanba”
He was the one who elevated the title of Shanba to the second rank on the hierarchy of Nupe kingdom since then.
All the four sons of Tsuede or Edegi dynasty are; Ishaba, Zagula, Jigba, Manman Wari, ascended to the highest rank of being a king after the demise of their father.
*Adamu Idris Manarakis niw,is a Nupe Language Professor Honourary, and Tashiru Nupe & Founder / Director ILLEC
