The sacred king of Nri, chosen after a long interregnum from the Umunri lineages, installed after a journey to Aguleri to receive the ofo of Eri, and bound by taboos.
He has no soldiers: his authority is cleansing, peace-making, the making of title-holders and the yam rites, carried out by his ritual agents across the towns that accept them.
Who he is
- Name
- Buife, in Onwuejeogwu's reconstruction (1159-1259, a generation estimate); on Chambers's dating no Eze Nri yet reigns (the first, Ifikuanim, about 1225)
- Title
- Eze Nri
- Since
- 1159 (Onwuejeogwu, not a real date)
- Family
- Umunri, descendants of Nri son of Eri
- Confidence
- low
What it holds
- Nri
- the ritual network of the ndi Nri
How it was acquired
Selection after an interregnum (later practice).
Allies and rivals
The Umueri towns; Aguleri, senior by descent.
How things stand that morning
Reigns at Nri if Onwuejeogwu's reconstruction is followed.
Wealth
Ritual fees and gifts.
Threats
- Disputed selection
What the year holds
What happened next, if nothing in play changes it. Each event carries what it depends on and what would stop it.
- 1200No dated event.Depends on: Not applicable Stopped by: Not applicable
Where the sources disagree
- Onwuejeogwu's dates for the early Eze Nri are generation counts (Buife's 'reign' is a hundred years).
Evidence: Reconstructed king list from oral tradition.
On the map: Ritual authority is not drawn beyond the town.
Primary sources for Nri
Chronicles, registers, sagas and inscriptions written in or near 1200 that cover this entry. Each has its own page with editions, translations and where to read it.
- Ife, Benin, Nri, the Yoruba towns and the Akan: archaeology and recorded tradition (no contemporary text; traditions written down from the 1890s). No text of any kind exists for the forest belt in 1200.
Sources and studies
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.