the itsekiris traditionally lived in a society that was governed by a monarchy (the olu) and council of chiefs who form the nobility or aristocracy. itsekiri society itself was organised along the lines of an upper class made up of the royal family and the aristocracy – the 'oloyes and olareajas' these were mainly drawn from noble houses including the royal houses and the houses of olgbotsere (prime minister or king maker) and iyatsere (defence minister). the middle class or omajaja were free-born itsekiris or burghers. as a result of the institution of slavery and the slave trade there was a third class 'oton-eru' or those descended from the slave class whose ancestors had come from elsewhere and settled in itsekiriland as indentured or slave labourers. in modern-day itsekiri society the slave class no longer exists as all are considered free-born.