The Ibini-Ukpabi while acting as the last place of worship for requests from God, was also a court of the highest jurisdiction in the entire region under Aro influence. In famous, unrepentant or recalcitrant and disputations in individuals, who have developed such evil and commanding influence in their community that they were a threat to peace and order, were sequestered through the functions of this supreme court and surreptitiously “exiled”. Because justice was very readily seen to be done, Ibini-Ukpabi was highly recommended and resorted to by non-Aro communities.

Its influence was based on more than superstitution. Its counseling was instrumental to the decisions of King Jaja in the establishment and administration of Opobo. It also determined the successor to Karibo Amakiri III of Nembe in 1863, and was appealed to for assistance by Bonny in 1898, then a British colony for redress against piracy by their neighbours. The resident of Owerri Province, as late as December 1921, reported “that people still preferred its (Ibini-Ukpabi) decision to those of the established courts.