Queen Idia the mother of Esigie mobilized the people of Uselu backed by the Benin royal troops and Portuguese missionaries, Idah was defeated.
The Benins have a saying that "women do not go to war expect Idia the mother of Esigie".

Today she is one of the most respected woman in Benin history. An ivory mask carved in her honour {the Idia ivory mask} was the official symbol of the second world black and Africa festival of art and culture {FESTAC}.The true masterpiece is still lying captive in a British  museum.

The title of Iyoba{Queen Mother} was created by oba Esigie and was conferred for the first time on his mother Idia. He also builds a palace for her, Eguae-Iyoba (Palace of the Queen mother) is located at the lower part of Uselu.{Benin City suburban}. The Queen warrior who also exercised a lot of political influence in the administration of the kingdom. Oba Esigie started this tradition probably to forestall the conflict that would have arisen between his mother and himself over the exercise of political power. An almost independent domain of the Queen mother was therefore carved out for her.The Oba grants her a priviledge of recommending to him people who she wishes to be conferred with specific title perculiar to her palace.

Thus it has become strongly -established in Benin tradition that a year or two after the coronation of every Oba, he invests his mother with the title, lyoba (Queen mother) and sends her to reside at lower Uselu in Eguae-lyoba (Palace of the Queen mother). If it happens that the mother dies before the coronation of the son, the body is preserved for  a year or two after the coronation to enable the Oba confer the title lyoba on her and later bury her at Eguae-lyoba.