He was the son and successor of Oba Oguola, who had conquered the Ekiti and Akure kingdoms and built the first moat around Benin City.

[4] Oba Ohen had a secret affair with a woman named Elere, who lived in Ute village, across the Ikpoba River.

[5] Oba Ohen's secret visits aroused the suspicion of his courtiers and chiefs, who wanted to expose his affair and his breach of the treaty.

[7] The chiefs also used another medicine called aban, which made Oba Ohen oversleep at Elere's house and be discovered by her father, who was a powerful native doctor.

[7][6] He used the materials from Elere's house to improvise the costumes and masks, and joined the Ekoko n'Ute masquerade, which was a traditional dance of the Ute people.

[8][1] He also sought various cures for his condition, such as using crocodile heads as a symbol of protection, and founding a major Olokun shrine at Urhonigbe, where he hoped to receive healing from the water deity.

[8][9] They plotted to kill Oba Ohen by digging a deep hole under his throne, and covering it with a thin layer of cloth.

[8][9] Oba Ohen died after a reign of about 36 years, leaving four sons: Egbeka, Orobiru, Ogun, and Uwaifiokun.

[10][6] Oba Ohen was commemorated by the fish-legged Olokun-like figures that are common in Benin art, symbolising his paralysis and his connection to the water deity.

[8][1] His secret affair and his paralysis were also related to some symbols and rituals in Benin culture, such as the crocodile heads, the Ekoko n'Ute masquerade, and the annual gesture of asking "Where is the Iyasẹ?"