Just after the third junction along the Sapele Road, Benin is a spot where the dualised road cuts across a long heap of red earth. The heap is about 12 feet on the right and a little on the left hand side it is about 10.
The red earth has been covered by grasses and trees, most especially on the right. Standing by the side of the road, one could see that the heap deeps into a gully that has also been covered by grasses. There are also refuse heaps on both the heaps of sand and inside the gully.
The heap of red sand stretches and meanders out of sight into other parts of the city. It is easy to follow the stretch of red sand as it has formed a kind of green belt that envelopes a large portion of the city. For those unfamiliar with the history of the Benin people, they would think it is unusual for such a disused area to be allowed inside the city. But for those in the know, it is an important landmark of the town referred to as the Benin Moat. It is the second largest earthwork on earth, second only to the Chinese Wall, and it has been in existence for more than 700 years.
The Benin Moat was said to have been built around 1280 AD by one of the Benin oba, Oba Edo. The people of Igodomigodo, famously known for almost a millennium as Benin , had built a moat complex to protect themselves in the wars they fought. Oral history still credits the military strategy to Oba Oguola (about 1280 AD). Some two hundred years later, his descendant, Oba Ewuare the Great, a warrior king, revived the moat idea and extended what Oguola built to cover more grounds around the city.
The moat served as a protective shield for the ancient kingdom for centuries until in the late 19th century when the British imperialists breached it and invaded the kingdom.
However, after the fall of the Benin kingdom in 1894 and the advent of modernity in the 20th century, there was no longer need for the moat as protective shield round the kingdom. However, the moat became a reference point to the ingenuity and engineering acumen of the old Benin Kingdom in their effort to protect themselves and make their kingdom impregnable.
Modernization did not only render the moat useless, but also led to the expansion of the town, leading to the encroachment of the moat. Apart from building houses close to the moat, the red sand was dug and used to build houses by indigenes of the town. A part of it was also covered to make way for roads.
Dr. Joseph Eborieme was a former Director General of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) and the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM). He was once the curator of Benin Museum. He spoke on the museum.
“The moat has entered the Guinness Book of World Records and it second earthwork done by man. It is second only to the Wall of China. The engineering feat is unequalled. When asked about the current state of the moat despite its importance in history, Eborieme said: “This was the battle we fought as head of the museum commission and co-ordinator of the UNESCO heritage team, but the ordinary people don’t seem to appreciate.”
He said due to the length and size of the moat, it was difficult for the NCMM to put in place the logistic to effectively monitor and police the moat from would-be destroyers.
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