Jethro Ibileke/Benin

The entire Benin Kingdom was agog on Saturday when the Benin Crown Prince, ‎HRH, Eheneden Erediauwa, took a historic step which marks the final activity leading to his coronation as the new Oba of Benin, with a procession from his Edaiken palace in Uselu.

Dressed in royal white top and a golden wrapper decked a red capn the Edaiken was accompanied ‎by various Palace Chiefs and different traditional groups and societies.

Residents of the City, both old and young, lined almost the entire length of the roads right from Uselu to 5 Junction and Iyaro, to catch a glimpse of the historic event.

Also, commercial activities within the areas were temporarily grounded, as many of the residents were seen dancing in jubilation.‎

The Crown Prince who began the procession from his Uselu palace at about 3.45 pm, walked the through New Lagos Road to 5 Junction where he performed some rites.

He made a brief stopovers at Ikoha, where the Uselu Chiefs bade him farewell before taking their leave of him for the Benin Chiefs to take over‎, and also at Iyaro for some traditional rites.

Edaiken arrived at Eko-Ohae at about 6:35, where he is expected to spend three days before leaving for the Usama palace for the coronation rituals to continue on Monday.

There was a heavy presence of security operatoives, comprising of operatives of Nigerian Police, Nigerian Army, Ni‎geria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Federal Road Safety Corps, added glamour to the event.

A prominent Benin Chief, the Esogban of Benin Kingdom, Chief David Edebiri, who described the procession as a very historic and important event in the history of Benin Kingdom, said: “This is the first step of the threshold to the throne of Benin. It is very historic, very important.‎”