Uyilawa Usuanlele

5. The ‘No Fiancé, No Baptism’ Episode of 1953 The ‘No fiancé, no baptism’ episode of 1953 was not the first time the RCM in Benin denied individual Benin girls the sacrament of baptism. Princess Oronsaye claimed that she was denied baptism four times in the 1930s. She further averred that some elderly ladies interceded on her behalf and she had to promise to marry in the church before she was finally baptized (Usuanlele 2005).

The Portuguese visited West Africa at a time the Edos had an empire that was very largely in control of a very part of West Africa. The empire of the Edos spread from today’s Nigeria to Ghana. The Oba of Benin, back then, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo Orhogbua was represented in Portugal by an Ambassador and the King of Portugal, back then; King Emmanuel was represented in Edo Empire’s administrative capital Benin city by an Ambassador sent from Portugal.