Introduction You may have heard of Bonny Island—a hub for oil exports and energy infrastructure in Nigeria. But nestled quietly on the island’s southern coast is Finima, a community whose rich cultural heritage, history of resistance, and legacy of environmental stewardship are largely untold. This article uncovers the unique story of Finima’s past, present, and future, with a special spotlight on the Buoye Omuso Brown House (BOBH), one of its most revered institutions.
The Early History of Finima Finima traces its lineage back about 1000 years to the founding ancestors of the Ibani people, the very first settlers before any other Bonny people. Oral traditions and documented history tell of the migration of the Buoye Omuso Brown lineage from Okoloba in the Isedeni Area in Central Ijaw in the present-day Kolokuma Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, eventually establishing Finima as a prominent trading outpost on the Atlantic coast. Early European visitors in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries documented its strategic maritime location and sophisticated indigenous political systems.
Colonial archives and missionary records confirm Finima’s role in regional commerce, its influence extending well beyond Bonny into the Niger Delta hinterlands. Despite the advent of colonial disruption, Finima maintained its identity through strong family structures, particularly the BOBH.
The Role of Buoye Omuso Brown House The Buoye Omuso Brown House is not just a family—it is the cultural and historical pillar of Finima. With successive generations of respected leaders, including the recently celebrated Aseme Alabo Dr. Engr. Dagogo Lambert Brown (Kongo XVII), the BOBH has safeguarded Finima’s land rights, oral history, and customary governance.
BOBH also played a major role in negotiating Finima’s interests during oil exploration in the 1950s and later LNG development in the 1990s. Its leadership continues to advocate for equitable resource distribution and environmental conservation.
Finima’s Environmental and Cultural Significance Beyond its historical depth, Finima is an environmental sanctuary. Home to the Finima Nature Park—managed in partnership with Nigeria LNG—it hosts endangered flora and fauna in a protected mangrove and rainforest ecosystem. This blend of biodiversity and indigenous stewardship makes Finima a model for community-based conservation in Africa.
Annually, the Finima Cultural Festival showcases vibrant traditional dances, masquerades, and Ibani regalia. It draws crowds from Bonny, Port Harcourt, Lagos, and the diaspora. Events such as the Amadabo’s inspection tours, ancestral shrines, and age-grade ceremonies reinforce Finima’s cultural pride and resilience.
Diaspora Links and Present-Day Relevance Finima’s influence stretches far beyond Nigeria’s shores. Many members of the BOBH and other Finima families have settled across Europe, the Americas, and the Middle East—serving as ambassadors of Ibani culture. Today, digital platforms like https://www.finima.net connect this global diaspora, preserve oral traditions, and mobilise support for local development.
Digital storytelling, photo archives, and recorded oral histories have helped revive interest among young Finima descendants born abroad. Cultural reorientation programmes and heritage tours are now a growing trend.
Conclusion: The Call to Preserve and Protect Finima’s story is one of endurance—of a people who have weathered colonialism, industrialisation, and environmental threats with dignity. As modernisation and climate change reshape Bonny Island, the heritage of Finima stands as a reminder that tradition and progress must walk hand in hand.
Preserving Finima’s culture means more than celebration—it means education, investment, and respect for the ancestral values that sustain it. Let us honour Finima’s past by shaping a future where its identity thrives.
📌 Call to Action: Support cultural preservation by following Finima.net, sharing this story, and contributing to heritage projects in the community.
In a bold and detailed press statement, the Wari-Seniapu—accredited representatives and heads of the various nucleus family units (Burusu) within the Buoye Omuso Brown Group of Houses of Finima—have issued a strong rebuttal to what they describe as a misleading and biased publication by the Tittle Citizens Assembly (TCA) of Grand Bonny Kingdom. Their release, issued under the title “That We May Preserve the Sanctity of Our Time-Honoured Unique Traditional Institution,” seeks to clarify their position regarding the recent formalisation of chieftaincy (Alawari) titles across Finima’s traditional family units.
At the heart of the statement is a critique of the TCA’s narrative, which the Wari-Seniapu claim has been shaped by subservience to the Amanyanabo-in-Council. They argue that the TCA has failed to live up to its constitutional and traditional responsibilities, having lost credibility and influence among the wider Ibani community. According to them, this failure is manifest in the TCA’s silence in the face of numerous anomalies and deviations from traditional norms within the Kingdom.
They allege that the TCA has become little more than a mouthpiece for the kingdom’s power brokers, providing justification for decisions made by the Amanyanabo-in-Council rather than representing the true interests of the people. The Wari-Seniapu refer to the abandonment of the TCA by prominent figures such as the late Amaopusenibo Aseme Frazer Dublin-Green, who reportedly distanced himself due to the assembly’s perceived failure to meet its objectives.
The statement commends the swift and intelligent responses of Finima’s Asawo and Ogbobiri-Asawo to the initial communique issued by the Bonny Kingdom Ogbobiri-Asawo and the Bonny Youth Federation. These rebuttals are described as both articulate and necessary and indicative of a conscious effort to educate the youth of Finima on their cultural and historical identity.
Regarding the formalisation of the chieftaincy status of Finima’s family units, which took place on 25th and 26th April 2025, the Wari-Seniapu insist the process is deeply rooted in historical precedent. They cite numerous examples within Bonny Kingdom’s history, including the 1942 declaration of independence by a faction of the Manilla Pepple House, noting that these events occurred without similar backlash. The reaction to the Finima initiative, they argue, reveals a short-sighted and narrow understanding of the Kingdom’s historical dynamics.
They further explain that Bonny Kingdom is a confederation of semi-autonomous communities and chieftaincy houses, each with sovereignty over its own lands and institutions. The monarch serves primarily a ceremonial role. Finima, they argue, entered into this union as a matter of convenience, not subordination, and its rights and distinctiveness must be respected.
The Wari-Seniapu raise legal concerns about attempts to redefine Bonny as a singular “Kingdom Community,” particularly in the context of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA). They point out that Finima is recognised by law and judicial pronouncements as a host community entitled to direct benefits from International Oil Companies (IOCs). According to them, efforts to collapse Finima’s identity within a larger kingdom narrative are deliberate attempts to divert these resources unfairly.
An important section of the release is devoted to correcting the “erroneous” characterisation of the Buoye Omuso Brown Major House as being factionalised. They clarify that no such division existed prior to the installation and coronation of HRH Aseme Alabo Engr. (Dr) Dagogo Lambert Brown as Chief and Head of the House. It was only after this event, they allege, that the Amanyanabo-in-Council sought to create a rival leadership by installing Evans Brown as a parallel chief in Bonny town.
This move is labelled by the Wari-Seniapu as “abominable” and contrary to Ibani customs and traditions. They express disappointment that the TCA did not act to halt or condemn this alleged breach of protocol, calling it a missed opportunity for the Assembly to fulfil its advisory role.
They argue that the phrase “faction of Buoye Omuso Brown Major House” is a political construct aimed at justifying continued control over Finima and its resources by the central Bonny traditional leadership. In their words, “the faction… only ends with them in Perekule Palace at Okoloama and not in Finima.”
The Wari-Seniapu also raise alarm over what they describe as a centralised oligarchy of chiefs and traditional heads within the kingdom. They allege that many of these leaders have abandoned the governance of their individual houses in favour of consolidating power through a central council, from which they attempt to control other communities such as Finima, Kurama, Deghma, Oguede, Kalaibiama, and the Jumbo Major House.
Nevertheless, the statement strikes a tone of resilience and readiness. The leadership of the Buoye Omuso Brown Group of Houses, the Wari-Seniapu state, is fully aware of these manoeuvres and has the capability to resist them effectively. They express appreciation for the more balanced approach taken by the Okoloama Ikpangi, whose publication called for both sides to be heard without being judgemental.
In closing, the Wari-Seniapu extend an olive branch to members of the TCA who have opted to reach out for genuine dialogue rather than propagate division. They reaffirm Finima’s commitment to preserving its cultural integrity, asserting that political expediency will not be allowed to undermine its identity.
The release concludes with solemn blessings and affirmations in Ibani, encapsulating the spiritual and cultural depth of their message.
Signed by the undersigned Wari-Seniapu of the Buoye Omuso Brown Major House of Finima:
Wari-Senibo Owuna Fenibo Esq. Owupele Chieftaincy House of Finima
Wari-Senibo Sonny Jack Brown Abobo Chieftaincy House of Finima
Wari-Senibo Henry Loving Brown Abobo Chieftaincy House of Finima
Wari-Senibo Igbiwari Prince Brown Owupele Chieftaincy House of Finima
Wari-Senibo Young Christopher Brown Goni Chieftaincy House of Finima
Wari-Senibo Josiah Sonye Brown Owari Chieftaincy House of Finima
Wari-Senibo Adaigbi Gabriel Brown Papanye Chieftaincy House of Finima
Wari-Senibo Ernest Doughbo Brown Papanye Chieftaincy House of Finima
Wari-Senibo John O. Brown Owari Chieftaincy House of Finima
Wari-Senibo Philip Samuel Brown Atamunotorudiari (Dupoyo) Chieftaincy House of Finima
Wari-Senibo Dr. Ibianga Philip Brown Atamunotorudiari (Dupuyo) Chieftaincy House of Finima
Finima Tamuno bara imim. Ori Obu se wapiri gbamsobiem. Pighi wamina ironapu bara bie wa duapamabo samangba. Akimu besa besa la. Amen.
Finima, Rivers State— In a momentous act of leadership and community commitment, the Buoye Omuso Brown Major Royal House of Finima, one of the five founding Duawari of the ancient Bonny Kingdom, donated five strategically situated plots of land along Agadappa Road, popularly known as Workers Village, to the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) on Friday, 16 May 2025. The land, totalling approximately 0.45 hectares, was officially handed over in a well-attended commissioning ceremony presided over by FRSC Sector Commander Iyange Umoh and witnessed by a host of dignitaries, chiefs, traditional authorities, security agencies, and community members. Notably absent from the ceremony were representatives of the local government, a detail that underscored the Royal House’s longstanding commitment to direct stewardship of Finima’s developmental agenda.
The event, marked by a spirit of collaboration and commitment to societal enhancement, brought together a host of dignitaries, including His Royal Highness Aseme Alabo Engr (Dr) Dagogo Lambert Brown, Kongo XVII, the Amadabo of Finima. Also present were the Asaawo chairman, Warisenibo Igbiwari Prince Brown, and other Alapu (chiefs) of the Buoye Omuso Brown Group of Houses. The attendance of the Nigerian Army, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), and local police representatives added a layer of governmental support to the proceedings, even as local government officials were notably absent.
Commander Iyange Umoh, in his opening address, expressed deep appreciation to the Royal House for what he described as a profound act of generosity and civic responsibility. “This is a tremendous show of goodwill and an embodiment of community spirit. The land will provide a crucial space for the establishment of facilities aimed at enhancing road safety, which is essential for the development of Finima and the Local Government Area at large,” he said. He emphasised that with the new facilities, the FRSC expects to significantly reduce accident response times and improve safety standards across the region. The proposed structures to be developed on the land include a full FRSC sector command office, driver education and training facilities, an emergency response centre, and a community-based road safety education hub.
His Royal Highness Engr. (Dr) Dagogo Lambert Brown, in his remarks, reflected on the historical responsibility of the Royal House as custodians of the land and the people. “Today marks another chapter in our relentless commitment to not only preserve but also enhance the living standards in our community. By partnering with the FRSC, we are taking a stand in protecting our people and ensuring that they are better equipped to navigate the challenges of road usage,” the Amadabo said. He described the collaboration with the FRSC as a strategic alliance that aligns with the House’s enduring mission to balance heritage with development.
Warisenibo Igbiwari Prince Brown, the Asaawo Chairman, affirmed the decision of the Royal House to ensure that the construction phase would prioritise the use of local contractors and labour, creating both employment and skills-development opportunities within the Finima community. “The donation of this land goes beyond bureaucracy; it speaks volumes about leadership that is willing to make sacrifices for the betterment of its people,” he said. He also reiterated that the initiative would strengthen the socio-economic fabric of the community through engagement with local businesses, vendors, and services that will emerge around the new FRSC facility.
The strategic location of the land along Agadappa Road adds to its significance. This corridor is a vital transport link used daily by commercial and private vehicles, as well as pedestrians, linking Finima to other parts of Bonny Island and beyond. It has long suffered from traffic congestion, poor signage, insufficient regulatory presence, and frequent accidents. Residents and community leaders have often voiced their concerns regarding the condition and safety of the route, pointing out a lack of awareness around road safety protocols and minimal law enforcement visibility. The new FRSC command centre is expected to address these challenges directly, bringing a sustained regulatory presence to the area and reinforcing public education on road safety practices.
The wider community greeted the development with a wave of optimism and appreciation. Local residents, many of whom were present at the ceremony, praised the move and expressed their support. “It fills my heart with joy knowing that there are people out there who care about our well-being,” said one attendee. Another noted, “This development should serve as a template for future collaborations between community leadership and the government. It reflects the proactive steps that our royal house is willing to take in safeguarding our people. We need more of such initiatives across different sectors.”
The presence of the Nigerian Army, NDLEA, and Nigeria Police at the event signalled a broader commitment to inter-agency collaboration in ensuring the holistic safety and security of Finima’s residents. With their involvement, the vision for the FRSC command goes beyond just traffic management. Awareness campaigns, educational programs, drug and alcohol prevention training, and safety drills aimed at vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists are already being discussed as part of an integrated public safety agenda.
Despite the event’s high profile, the absence of local government officials did not go unnoticed. It highlighted a persisting disconnect between traditional institutions and elected administrative structures. Organisers from the Royal House reiterated their commitment to self-determined development, noting that they had deliberately chosen to work directly with federal and security agencies, in line with a historical precedent that upholds traditional autonomy in matters of land stewardship and community advancement. This autonomy has often been tested and defended through both legal channels and community consensus, reinforcing the Royal House’s status as a central pillar of Finima’s social and political fabric.
The potential impact of this donation extends well beyond the immediate scope of road safety. Once completed—an outcome targeted for the final quarter of 2025—the new FRSC command centre is projected to become a hub for training, coordination, and public engagement. Preliminary planning documents suggest that the complex will also serve as a base for community outreach initiatives, including road safety awareness drives in schools, market spaces, and religious institutions. It will provide a venue for FRSC-led workshops, townhall sessions, and safety inspections, thereby embedding public education into everyday life.
In addition to reducing accident rates and increasing enforcement efficiency, the project is expected to stimulate economic growth. Ancillary services such as vehicle maintenance shops, food vendors, and small-scale retail operations are likely to emerge around the facility. It is estimated that more than 150 jobs will be created through the construction phase alone, with additional permanent roles available once the centre is operational. Local entrepreneurs have already begun exploring opportunities to service the incoming demand that the command centre will generate.
As the formalities ended, Commander Umoh and the Amadabo jointly unveiled a commemorative plaque, symbolising the handover of the deed of conveyance of the land to FRSC. Photographs captured the moment, with the Royal regalia and FRSC uniforms intermingling—a striking visual testament to the harmonious union of tradition and modern governance. Attendees dispersed with a palpable sense of optimism, discussing the prospect of community-driven safety campaigns, road-safety workshops in schools, and regular “Safety Days” aimed at instilling best practices among youth and commercial drivers.
The FRSC has outlined a phased implementation timeline, beginning with land surveys and design tendering in June 2025, followed by construction throughout the third quarter of the year. The official opening ceremony is scheduled for October 2025 and will feature keynote addresses from the Corps Marshal, the Amadabo, and other dignitaries. Throughout this period, monthly community briefings will be co-hosted by the FRSC and the Royal House, ensuring transparency, accountability, and continued community involvement.
Looking ahead, the collaboration between the FRSC and the Buoye Omuso Brown Major Royal House is seen as a benchmark for how traditional institutions can catalyse contemporary development. In an era where community safety, accountability, and proactive governance are more critical than ever, this initiative stands out for its clarity of vision and impact. By leveraging its heritage and influence, the Royal House has once again positioned itself as a beacon of leadership and a custodian of progress.
This donation, while rooted in tradition, is firmly directed at the future. It represents a convergence of cultural responsibility and national interest—a gesture that elevates the collective safety of a community while laying the groundwork for more collaborative frameworks between traditional authorities and federal institutions. As the dust settles from the ceremony, what remains is not just land handed over but a powerful message: that when vision meets action and leadership meets purpose, transformation is inevitable.
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