Event Summary:
On December 24, 1960, Princess (Omoba) Tanimowo Oluremi Okupe, aged 28, daughter of His Highness, the Alaperu of Iperu, Oba Samuel Adedoyin Okupe II (Agbonmagbe II), married Olu Oyesanya, aged 32, the son of a Nigerian Chief, at St. Bride’s Church, Fleet Street, London. The ceremony took place just a few months after Nigeria gained independence (October 1, 1960), making it one of the first high-profile Nigerian royal weddings to take place in post-colonial Britain.

About the Bride:

Full Name: Omoba (Princess) Tanimowo Oluremi Okupe

Father: His Highness Oba Samuel Adedoyin Okupe II (Agbonmagbe II), the Alaperu of Iperu in the Ijebu Division of Ogun State, southwestern Nigeria.

The title “Omoba” signifies “royal child” or “princess” in Yoruba, indicating her noble birth.

She was part of a generation of educated Nigerian women from royal or elite families who studied or lived in Britain during the 1950s and 1960s.

Her wedding symbolized a union between traditional Nigerian royalty and the new class of educated, cosmopolitan Nigerians emerging in the postcolonial era.

About the Groom:

Name: Olu Oyesanya

Age at marriage: 32

Background: Son of a prominent Nigerian Chief (likely from the southwest, given the surname and cultural ties).

He, too, represented the educated Nigerian elite in London during that time — many were students or professionals in law, medicine, or public administration.

About the Ceremony:

Venue: St. Bride’s Church, Fleet Street, London — a historic Anglican church often referred to as the “journalists’ church,” renowned for its striking tiered spire.

Date: Saturday, December 24, 1960 (Christmas Eve).

The ceremony attracted attention from the British press and Nigerian expatriate circles in London.

The couple’s attire likely reflected a blend of Western wedding fashion and Nigerian cultural identity, consistent with other high-profile Nigerian weddings of that era.

The event was covered by PA Images (Press Association) and has since appeared in several image archives as part of postcolonial Nigerian history in Britain.

Historical Context:

The wedding took place less than three months after Nigeria’s independence.

Many elite Nigerian families, including royal households, had close ties with Britain due to colonial education and diplomatic relations.

Such marriages often symbolized cultural diplomacy representing modern, educated Nigerians while maintaining traditional roots.

Significance:

This wedding was one of the first Nigerian royal weddings in post-independence Britain, reflecting the blending of Nigerian royalty, Western education, and Christianity.

It underscored the visibility of Nigerians in the British social landscape during the early 1960s.

The image and event are often cited in archives documenting Nigeria’s elite presence in London around independence.

King Alfred Diete-Spiff is one of the luckiest Nigerians in history. He joined the Nigerian military at 22 in 1964 and became governor just two years and 10 months later. Today, he is a king.

Here’s the summary:

– Born on 30 July, 1942, he joined the Nigerian Navy and was commissioned as a ship diving officer in 1964.

– In 1965, he became the first Commanding Officer of the NNS Quorra (later NNS Calabar).

– By January 1966, he was a member of the Wår Council and worked during the Nigerian Civil Wår era.

– On May 27, 1967, following General Yakubu Gowon’s creation of 12 states from Nigeria’s four regions, Diete-Spiff—then a Lieutenant Commander—was appointed Military Governor of the newly formed Rivers State at age 24. He was just two months away from being 25 years old at the time.

– He served for 8 years until July 1975 when Yakubu Gowon’s military regime was tøppled in 1975.

– Three years later in 1978, he was crowned king, the Amayanabo of Twon-Brass, Bayelsa State.

– He clocked 83 30 July, 2025.

Credit: Ethnic African Stories

Full Name:

Chief Elechi Amadi

Birth and Early Life:

Born on May 12, 1934, in Aluu, near Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria.

He was of Ikwerre ethnic origin, one of the ethnic groups in the Niger Delta region.

Amadi attended Government College, Umuahia, one of the most prestigious secondary schools in colonial Nigeria.

He later studied at University College, Ibadan (now University of Ibadan), where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Physics and Mathematics in 1959.

Career and Public Service:

After graduation, Amadi served as a science teacher and education officer.

He joined the Nigerian Army and served during the Nigerian Civil War (1967–1970), fighting on the side of Biafra.

After the war, he returned to public life in Rivers State, serving as:

Permanent Secretary,

Commissioner for Education, and later

Commissioner for Lands and Housing.

He was also a writer-in-residence at the University of Port Harcourt and lectured in English and Literature.

Literary Career:

Elechi Amadi is best known as a novelist, playwright, and poet who explored traditional African life, moral order, and spiritual realism. His works are often described as classical, philosophical, and ethnographic, highlighting the dignity and depth of pre-colonial African societies before contact with the West.

Major Works:

1. The Concubine (1966)

His most famous novel and considered a classic of African literature.

Set in a traditional African village, it tells the tragic story of Ihuoma, a beautiful and virtuous woman whose lovers mysteriously die because she is spiritually married to a sea god.

Themes: Fate, destiny, love, traditional belief systems, and the conflict between human will and supernatural forces.

The novel portrays a harmonious and ordered traditional society, where the supernatural world interacts closely with human existence.

2. The Great Ponds (1969)

Centers on two rival villages, Chiolu and Aliakoro, fighting over the ownership of a sacred fishing pond.

Themes: Conflict, honor, pride, superstition, and the futility of war.

It reflects Amadi’s concern with human greed and the consequences of communal rivalry.

3. The Slave (1978)

Explores issues of slavery, identity, and freedom in traditional African settings.

The protagonist, Olumati, experiences betrayal and loss, symbolizing the harsh realities of servitude.

The novel continues Amadi’s exploration of moral codes, loyalty, and the metaphysical forces governing life.

4. Sunset in Biafra (1973) (Memoir)

A non-fictional war diary recounting Amadi’s experiences during the Nigerian Civil War.

Offers a rare perspective from an intellectual and soldier who lived through the tragedy of war.

It’s one of the earliest personal accounts of the Biafran war, written with restraint and objectivity.

5. Estrangement (1986)

Focuses on the impact of modernity and alienation on traditional African societies.

Examines how individuals lose their sense of belonging when caught between old and new cultural values.

6. Plays and Poetry:

Isiburu (1973) – a verse play exploring heroism and the tragic fate of a wrestler.

Peppersoup and Dancer of Johannesburg (both 1977) – dramatic works dealing with corruption and urban struggles.

Themes and Style:

Traditional African life: Amadi’s works celebrate the integrity, values, and complexity of African societies before colonial disruption.

Fate and the supernatural: His characters often struggle with destiny and spiritual forces that shape their lives.

Moral realism: He portrays moral order and ethical behavior as central to community stability.

Simplicity and clarity of language: His prose is lucid, restrained, and elegant, focusing on storytelling rather than political agitation.

Non-political tone: Unlike Chinua Achebe or Wole Soyinka, Amadi’s works are less overtly political and more existential and philosophical.

Awards and Recognition:

Amadi received several national and literary honors, including the Rivers State Silver Jubilee Merit Award.

He was widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s most disciplined and traditionalist writers.

His works are taught in schools and universities across Africa and beyond.

Later Life and Death:

Chief Elechi Amadi continued to write and teach until his later years.

He died on June 29, 2016, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, at the age of 82.

He was buried in his hometown, Aluu, with full cultural honors.

Legacy:

Amadi’s works are often compared to those of Chinua Achebe and Cyprian Ekwensi, though his focus on pre-colonial moral order and metaphysics makes his voice unique.

He remains one of the most authentic chroniclers of traditional African life, preserving the belief systems, customs, and human values of the Niger Delta peoples.

The Concubine remains a masterpiece of African literature a story of beauty, tragedy, and spiritual mystery that transcends time.