Akengbuwa died in 1848, followed closely by the deaths of his two sons in what some felt were suspicious circumstances; as a result, for three years Warri appears to have had no leader.
The capital of Warris population was very limited because people decided to move to villages in the southern part of the Benin river, during which trade declined and the royal family dispersed.
Iye then took control of the kingdom's affairs; not only was she a member of the royal house, she was married to Omoku, a former governor of the tributary state of Bobi.
The British, fearing further destabilization in local trading circles, appeared not to welcome Iye as queen; for her part, she, too, tried to find a suitable ruler, with no luck.
[3] He planned to visit Warri to see Iye but did not go; instead he signed an agreement with Diare and Idibofun, described as the chiefs Jakpa, that they should do all within their ability to protect trade in the river.