A warrior. A prophecy. A kingdom's last hope. The Nigerian epic that refused to be forgotten.

A Thousand Swords for Otuo by Ohiozoba O. Ehiede

Before there were nations, there were kingdoms. Before there were laws, there were prophecies. And before there was peace, there was Otuo.

In the proud kingdom of Otuo — ruled by warriors, governed by honour, and haunted by an ancient oracle — one name has lived in the mouths of the people for generations.

Obokhuai.

Called ei ghera — one who eats fire — he is the generalissimo of the Azama warrior clan. The most feared soldier the kingdom has ever produced. A man whose name alone has turned the tide of battles. A man who has never once tasted defeat.

But even Obokhuai cannot outrun time.

And he cannot outrun the prophecy.

THE PROPHECY OF THE TWO BOATS

Generations before Obokhuai was born, the greatest oraclist in Otuo's history — a man called Idumoziren — spoke a warning to the very first Azama generalissimo:

"A small boat shall be made from a big boat. The big boat will wade through many rivers and will always get to its shores. The destiny of one separates them from being one. One day the big boat shall come back to its shores only to sink. The small boat shall go to the big boat's banks where it shall capsize and be destroyed. The two boats shall be destroyed — utterly destroyed."

Since that day, the Azama clan has done everything in their power to stop the prophecy from coming true.

They refused to eat fish. They avoided rivers like a plague. They cancelled weddings at the altar — the moment anyone whispered the word fisherman.

But a prophecy cannot be cancelled.

It can only be fulfilled.

THE STRANGER FROM BUCI

When the fearsome Ogbaga raiders breach the outer walls of the Otuo kingdom and Obokhuai is too old and frail to lead the army, the kingdom faces its darkest hour.

Then a stranger arrives.

His name is Izemuze — wrestling champion and warrior from the distant land of Buci. He has never been to Otuo. He does not know its customs. He was not born into the Azama clan.

But when he sees the kingdom in crisis, something stirs in him that he cannot name.

He walks before the Oba and the council of elders. He looks them in the eye. And he makes one demand:

"Give me a thousand swords — and I will free Otuo from the hands of the Ogbagas."

What follows is one of the most gripping campaigns in the history of the Otuo people. A battle strategy no enemy has ever seen. A warrior who fights like a man who has everything to prove — and nothing to lose.

But even as Izemuze trains the Otuo soldiers, spies on the Ogbaga camp in the dead of night, and prepares for the battle of a lifetime, a question gnaws at the edge of everything:

Why does every person in Otuo who sees Izemuze's face go pale and silent?

Why does an old man at the kingdom's gate call his name — then vanish into thin air?

Why did he instinctively strike the last river three times — a sacred act known only to the Azama generalissimo — without anyone teaching him to?

The answer will shatter everything.

And when it comes, the two-boats prophecy will finally make sense — in the most devastating way imaginable.

WHAT THIS BOOK IS ABOUT

A Thousand Swords for Otuo is a Nigerian historical epic rooted in the oral traditions, warrior culture, and spiritual heritage of the Otuo people of Edo State.

It is a story about:

⚔️ Destiny — Can a man fight the fate that was written before his birth?

🌊 Identity — What does it mean to carry another man's face, another man's blood, and another man's legend?

👑 Leadership — What does a king do when the kingdom's survival depends on placing his trust in a complete stranger?

🔮 Prophecy — When an oracle speaks, is it a warning — or a sentence?

🌍 Legacy — What do we owe to the people who came before us? And what do we pass on to the ones who will come after?

This is not just a novel. It is a rescue mission — for a story that the Otuo people have carried in whispers and memory for generations, finally written down so it can never be forgotten.

WHO IS THIS BOOK FOR?

This book was made for you if:

✅ You love African historical fiction — stories rooted in real kingdoms, real cultures, and real oral tradition

✅ You grew up hearing your grandparents tell stories and you've been searching for a book that feels the same way

✅ You are of Edo, Delta, or South-South Nigerian heritage and you are hungry for a story that reflects your world

✅ You enjoy epic tales of warriors, kingdoms, and battles — but you want one that feels like home

✅ You believe African stories deserve to be told, published, celebrated, and read — not just by Africans, but by the world

✅ You have ever asked the question: Can a person escape the destiny written for them before they were born?

If any of these speak to you — this book was written for you.

WHAT READERS ARE SAYING

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "I couldn't put it down. The prophecy of the two boats kept me reading through the night. I had to know how it ended." — Adaeze N., Lagos

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "This story feels like an ancient legend that was always meant to be written down. Obokhuai is one of the most unforgettable characters I have ever encountered in African fiction." — Emmanuel O., Abuja

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "As someone of Edo heritage, this book moved me deeply. It captures the spirit of our oral tradition and brings it to life with incredible power. A must-read for every Nigerian." — Osato E., Benin City

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "The battle strategy scene alone is worth the price of the book. Izemuze is the kind of hero African literature has been waiting for." — Chukwuemeka A., Port Harcourt

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ohiozoba O. Ehiede is a Nigerian author with a lifelong passion for preserving the cultural stories and historical narratives of African peoples. Educated across both the Northern and Southern parts of Nigeria, he brings to fiction the same scholarly rigour he applies to research — fusing oral tradition, historical imagination, and powerful storytelling rooted in the living heritage of his people.

A Thousand Swords for Otuo was first published in 2009 and has been revised and expanded in both 2018 and 2022. It is his landmark work — a novel that has quietly built a devoted readership among lovers of African epic fiction and is now reaching the audience it was always meant to find.

BOOK DETAILS

Author Ohiozoba O. Ehiede

Publisher Validity Media Ltd, Abuja

Genre African Historical Fiction / Epic Fiction

Edition Revised Edition, 2022 ISBN 978-095-047-8

Format Digital (PDF/EPUB) + Paperback

Language English

GET YOUR COPY TODAY

This is a story that has waited long enough to be read.

The legend of Obokhuai. The prophecy of the two boats. The stranger who arrived with nothing but a sword and a strategy — and changed everything.

Get your copy now. Read it tonight.

And when you finish — you will understand why the people of Otuo say it is a legend that can never be forgotten.

Ehiede Ohiozoba