bigfrancis21:

@Bold...do you have any proof or sources to back that up? Or you just want to twist facts to suit you?

How then did the language of the 'mallams' subdue the language of the natives? Must have been a great achievement right?

Dude, why are you wasting your time arguing with that guy. This topic has been established. Some families likely have Igbo roots, though in the minority, with some still retaining their Igbo names till date. Read the report Abagworo posted you'll find the Owujies, Diris,Uranta, Wogus.

But the big question of prefered identity is another subject.

bigfrancis21:

@Bold...do you have any proof or sources to back that up? Or you just want to twist facts to suit you?

How then did the language of the 'mallams' subdue the language of the natives? Must have been a great achievement right?

This comment clearly shows that you're ignorant to the core, but instead of seeking knowledge you guys just come here to flaunt your ignorance and insult people.

Keep dreaming about Opobo having "Igbo natives", when you wake up from your slumber, you'd discover that there are NONE. It only here on NL that the term OPOBO IGBOS exists, because as always, there are too many ignorant& uncouthed people here who make comments out of ignorance yet argue that they know what they are talking about.

Slave trade ended long before Opobo was founded by Jaja, so when & how were Igbo slaves dumped in Opobo to make the town majority Igbo?

Here is a site that educates fools like you of the composition of Opobo, and only Jaja's had Igbo ancestry but now fully Ijaw. www.opoboregatta.com/opobokingdom/about/index.html

Go to the north and see lots of non-Hausa people speaking mainly Hausa as a result of historical trading links with Hausa. The worst Hausas could do is to tag them along as ONE NORTH which most of them are rejecting and Hausa don't use the obvious prevalence of Hausa language spread to claim them as "Mixed with Hausa". It is only the Igbos who want to force their will & presence onto another man's land and heritage.

Here, knowledgable people are painstakingly educating you that the Igbo creole (not dialect) they speak in Opobo came about during slave trade in Bonny & continous relations & interaction with Ndoki Igbos because of their ancestral Ijaw ties (Ndokis are ancestrally & historically Ijaws), yet you modern Igbos prefer empty chest beating that Igbos constitute a major part of Bonny. Do you think it is by shouting loudest here on Nairaland that would automatically make Igbos majority in Opobo?

mbatuku2:

Dude, why are you wasting your time arguing with that guy. This topic has been established. Some families likely have Igbo roots, though in the minority, with some still retaining their Igbo names till date. Read the report Abagworo posted you'll find the Owujies, Diris,Uranta, Wogus.

But the big question of prefered identity is another subject.

My God, when will this stupidy by Igbos end? So Owujie, Diri and Uranta are now Igbo names? Just as you've all claimed that Amanyanabo & Amakiri are Igbo words.

Wogu may be an Igbo name but mind you, IT IS NOT A SURNAME IN OPOBO but a first name borne by someone just like Gov. Rotimi Amaechi having a Yoruba name but not related to Yoruba in any way.

If you find a name that sounds like Igbo, it would be foolish for you to conclude that it is Igbo without without seeking proper knowledge & investigation.

In Nigeria today, there are lots of words found in other languages that HAVE MEANINGS in our own languages but just mere coincidence. A name like ABIKE DABIRI would strike the curious Ijaw mind that she must be Ijaw, but upon investigation, it is found to have a completely Yoruba meaning.

You Igbos should develope 21st century reasoning and stop behaving like primitive humans by depending less on mere hunches & unguilded emotions. Seek proper knowledge and deviate from the confussionist ideology of "Prof." Kenneth Dike and their likes who have been confusing you with misinformation.

ijaw citizen: My God, when will this stupidy by Igbos end? So Owujie, Diri and Uranta are now Igbo names? Just as you've all claimed that Amanyanabo & Amakiri are Igbo words.

Wogu may be an Igbo name but mind you, IT IS NOT A SURNAME IN OPOBO but a first name borne by someone just like Gov. Rotimi Amaechi having a Yoruba name but not related to Yoruba in any way.

If you find a name that sounds like Igbo, it would be foolish for you to conclude that it is Igbo without without seeking proper knowledge & investigation.

In Nigeria today, there are lots of words found in other languages that HAVE MEANINGS in our own languages but just mere coincidence. A name like ABIKE DABIRI would strike the curious Ijaw mind that she must be Ijaw, but upon investigation, it is found to have a completely Yoruba meaning.

You Igbos should develope 21st century reasoning and stop behaving like primitive humans by depending less on mere hunches & unguilded emotions. Seek proper knowledge and deviate from the confussionist ideology of "Prof." Kenneth Dike and their likes who have been confusing you with misinformation.

The problem you have is that your brain is largely under-utilized.

Ok. Tell me their meaning before I reply you further. I have a full
Ibani dictionary, so if you lie I will catch you.
Secondly, you claim that only Jaja's have Igbo ancestry. Show me your proof.

There EXISTS Opobo indigenes who were descended by Igbos. That's final. No matter how long you write your post or rant endlessly, you're are not going to change my view or that fact.

Such people have Igbo DNA blood in them. At a time when DNA testing has become popular with african americans taking the DNA test to locate their ancestral tribes in Africa, I also challenge the Opobos to do the same. Let us marvel at the actual percentage of Opobos that are Igbos by blood.

bigfrancis21: There EXISTS Opobo indigenes who were descended by Igbos. That's final. No matter how long you write your post or rant endlessly, you're are not going to change my view or that fact.

Such people have Igbo DNA blood in them. At a time when DNA testing has become popular with african americans taking the DNA test to locate their ancestral tribes in Africa, I also challenge the Opobos to do the same. Let us marvel at the actual percentage of Opobos that are Igbos by blood.

He does not know the difference between Opobo and Bonny. Opobo was founded 140 years ago and its history is clear as day. Today Opobo can decide what they want to be called and IMHO, they seem to prefer associating with other riverine and Ijaw people than Igbos but that does not in any way alter their true and clearly known history and language.

^^

You have not answered my question. I asked a question that demands a simple answer, not what you wrote up there.

bigfrancis21: ^^

You have not answered my question. I asked a question that demands a simple answer, not what you wrote up there.

You are an Igbo man. Go and deal with your Igbo issues and leave Ijaw land alone before an Ijaw Youths council member put a hot metal in your skull. ENOUGH OF YOU IGBOS STRUGGLING TO TURN IJAW LAND TO IGBO. GO AND FIND OUT THE AROCHUKWU PEOPLE IN HAITI AND CUBA and LEAVE IJAW LAND ALONE.

killayut:

You are an Igbo man. Go and deal with your Igbo issues and leave Ijaw land alone before an Ijaw Youths council member put a hot metal in your skull. ENOUGH OF YOU IGBOS STRUGGLING TO TURN IJAW LAND TO IGBO. GO AND FIND OUT THE AROCHUKWU PEOPLE IN HAITI AND CUBA and LEAVE IJAW LAND ALONE.

Opobo is not Ijawland. You Ijaws should stop distorting history and go back to Bayelsa(Ijawland). Have you seen any Igbo claiming your Ijawland? Ijaw is Ijaw and Opobo is Opobo.

Abagworo:

Opobo is not Ijawland. You Ijaws should stop distorting history and go back to Bayelsa(Ijawland). Have you seen any Igbo claiming your Ijawland? Ijaw is Ijaw and Opobo is Opobo.

Ok enjoy your life . Opobo is not an Ijaw land and Opobo is an Igbo word that means NRI PEOPLE ARE THIEVES . THE EZE OR OBI of OPOBO IS EZE JAJA ABAGWORO EKETE KU MMIRI THE 5TH.

This 1 has gone cold wait for another igbo expansionist agenda thread by agbagowro and her people

If these are the elite posters from Ijaw, that are unable to hold objective discussions without resorting to foul language, I'm sorry to say Ijaws are really, then, a nation of fools and low-intellects. Smh

mbatuku2: If these are the elite posters from Ijaw, that are unable to hold objective discussions without resorting to foul language, I'm sorry to say Ijaws are really, then, a nation of fools and low-intellects. Smh

what is d need of asn objective discussion wen u already have a set mind. Is this the first thread opened by igbo people to claim other people ? The answer is no ! Abd there"ll yet be more so enjoy urselves

1 shortblackboy: what is d need of asn objective discussion wen u already have a set mind. Is this the first thread opened by igbo people to claim other people ? The answer is no ! Abd there"ll yet be more so enjoy urselves

How can you bring the name of a people living peacefully to an IGBO discussion play ground to make mockery of ? Did you hear of factions in OPOBO ? Did they tell any Igbo person that they have identity crisis ?
Why don't you set your village or town for discussion ? You idiots think there are no Human beings from Opobo or what / Why don't you just leave them alone to be ? They are OPOBO people and OPOBO means OPUBO spelt OPOBO by the English.. OPUBO family . JAJA was just some one adopted by the head of the family . In our culture adopted children are free with equal right and are not slaves.. SLAVES are called OMONI meaning servants . JAJA was not an OMONI but an adopted child. He therefore stopped being IGBO right from the day he was adopted. He never owns the family but a member of the family.. IBANI people speak Igbo cos they chose to and it was due to the various wars they were having especially against the Andonni. They hid the IBANI language and preferred speaking Igbo while they used IBANI as secrete language.. That was bad cos their children were deprived of IBANI. that way IBANI was lost. BUT THANK GOD today they are getting back to learning IBANI.. IBANI dialect is 95% Like KALABARI. INFACT, IBANI people were part of the same IJAW GROUP that divided itself to KALABARI and IBANI where PEREKULE HEADED THE IBANI AND AMACHREE HEADED THE KALABARI the same period and time..

Please, let's try to keep it professional in here. No cursings and exchange of words.

killayut:

How can you bring the name of a people living peacefully to an IGBO discussion play ground to make mockery of ? Did you hear of factions in OPOBO ? Did they tell any Igbo person that they have identity crisis ?
Why don't you set your village or town for discussion ? You idiots think there are no Human beings from Opobo or what / Why don't you just leave them alone to be ? They are OPOBO people and OPOBO means OPUBO spelt OPOBO by the English.. OPUBO family . JAJA was just some one adopted by the head of the family . In our culture adopted children are free with equal right and are not slaves.. SLAVES are called OMONI meaning servants . JAJA was not an OMONI but an adopted child. He therefore stopped being IGBO right from the day he was adopted. He never owns the family but a member of the family.. IBANI people speak Igbo cos they chose to and it was due to the various wars they were having especially against the Andonni. They hid the IBANI language and preferred speaking Igbo while they used IBANI as secrete language.. That was bad cos their children were deprived of IBANI. that way IBANI was lost. BUT THANK GOD today they are getting back to learning IBANI.. IBANI dialect is 95% Like KALABARI. INFACT, IBANI people were part of the same IJAW GROUP that divided itself to KALABARI and IBANI where PEREKULE HEADED THE IBANI AND AMACHREE HEADED THE KALABARI the same period and time..

Nobody has argued about Ibani but you keep bringing it on here. Bonny is a corruption of Ibani and we know that at a time Slave Igbos out populated the Bonny indigenes as it was recorded by European explorers. In such situation, your logic applies but in the case of Opobo, it was founded very recently on a land with scanty Ibibio population by a group of people that moved out of Bonny and more from Ngwa, Ndoki, etche etc to beef up the population. Opobo never spoke Ibani from the 1st day it was founded but rather retained Ibani names and leadership structure with Igbo language. Igbos have not claimed Opobo but do not lie or distort history by dismissing the role of Igbos who are infact ruling Opobo till date.

Which 1 killayut Kon dey attack me na I no be abagworo brother o ! On a more serious note abagworo I think u are d 1 distorting history. U cannot disassociate opobo history from bonny. Jaja did not gather a bunch of people from no where to found opobo he founded opobo with bonny families and what language do u think was their original language yea it had to be ibani cause opobo people were from bonny and not men that fell from d sky

1 shortblackboy: Which 1 killayut Kon dey attack me na I no be abagworo brother o ! On a more serious note abagworo I think u are d 1 distorting history. U cannot disassociate opobo history from bonny. Jaja did not gather a bunch of people from no where to found opobo he founded opobo with bonny families and what language do u think was their original language yea it had to be ibani cause opobo people were from bonny and not men that fell from d sky

If you read my contributions carefully then you wouldn't make such comments. I am a man that believes in truth even at gun point. I never claimed Opobo is Igbo nor have I claimed its Ijaw. All I say and will always maintain is that Opobo is nobody's ancestral home but a recent settlement housing Ibibios/Aros as the earlier settlement and later joined or displaced by Jaja and his crew who were a mix of Igbo and Ibani. Ibani leadership style and naming was maintained while Igbo language was maintained. Today Opobo seems to prefer identifying with riverine peoples and Ijaws more than Igbos but that does not in any way remove the place of Igbos in its origin and metamorphosis.

Abagworo:

If you read my contributions carefully then you wouldn't make such comments. I am a man that believes in truth even at gun point. I never claimed Opobo is Igbo nor have I claimed its Ijaw. All I say and will always maintain is that Opobo is nobody's ancestral home but a recent settlement housing Ibibios/Aros as the earlier settlement and later joined or displaced by Jaja and his crew who were a mix of Igbo and Ibani. Ibani leadership style and naming was maintained while Igbo language was maintained. Today Opobo seems to prefer identifying with riverine peoples and Ijaws more than Igbos but that does not in any way remove the place of Igbos in its origin and metamorphosis.

don't u think they have the right to identify whith whom they choose ? And don't u think that they have a reason for identifying whith d ijaws over the years ? All this ur arguments and positing goes to no issue as far as the opobo people themselves are concerned cause all of them I know I dentify themselves as ijaw people though they speak igbo

And again wat is this talk of opobo being nobody's ancestral home. Could it be that over a few years from now ur children will now start positing that Lagos is nobody's ancestral home? I really don't have anything against igbos but honestly I really don't get u people.

1 shortblackboy: don't u think they have the right to identify whith whom they choose ? And don't u think that they have a reason for identifying whith d ijaws over the years ? All this ur arguments and positing goes to no issue as far as the opobo people themselves are concerned cause all of them I know I dentify themselves as ijaw people though they speak igbo

I'm not arguing about what Opobo people believe but I know they align more with Ijaw today judging from my view as an outsider but this thread is about language they speak and that is Igbo. Why then were you insinuating that Igbos are claiming Opobo when all I and other Igbos have done is say the truth that Opobo speaks Igbo and was founded by people of multi-ethnic origin?

Abagworo:

I'm not arguing about what Opobo people believe but I know they align more with Ijaw today judging from my view as an outsider but this thread is about language they speak and that is Igbo. Why then were you insinuating that Igbos are claiming Opobo when all I and other Igbos have done is say the truth that Opobo speaks Igbo and was founded by people of multi-ethnic origin?

assuming but not conceeding that opobo was founded by people of multi ethnic origin what ethnicity are opobo people today ?

1 shortblackboy: Which 1 killayut Kon dey attack me na I no be abagworo brother o ! On a more serious note abagworo I think u are d 1 distorting history. U cannot disassociate opobo history from bonny. Jaja did not gather a bunch of people from no where to found opobo he founded opobo with bonny families and what language do u think was their original language yea it had to be ibani cause opobo people were from bonny and not men that fell from d sky

Bros no vex I beg. I post am at the wrong spot. These Igbo guys just dey make me vex I swear.

killayut:

Bros no vex I beg. I post am at the wrong spot. These Igbo guys just dey make me vex I swear.

no whamm. no mind dem. dem no dey tire o 2morrow dem go open another thread claiming a whole people and their territory as if the people no know who dem be

1 shortblackboy: no whamm. no mind dem. dem no dey tire o 2morrow dem go open another thread claiming a whole people and their territory as if the people no know who dem be

This your silly post is not neccessary as Igbo people have never at any time claimed people who are not Igbo.
Rather Igbo people do not deny what is theirs.

Ngodigha1:
This your silly post is not neccessary as Igbo people have never at any time claimed people who are not Igbo.
Rather Igbo people do not deny what is theirs.

my friend, u speak of people as if they are inanimate objects it is not ur place to accept or deny them they are PEOPLE with brains in their heads, with hearts in their chest with blood in their veins with a mind and with a soul. have some respect

Let's not argue here or call ourselves names. As an Opobian from the Dapu (Dappa's) war-canoe house in precise. Let me say Opobo is a complex kingdom that cannot be claim by one tribe only. Yes, some of our great-great-grandmothers, great-grandmothers, grandmothers, mothers and even wives were/are Igbos. I can also say same for Akwa-Ibom, Ogoni, Andoni,Okrika,Kalabari and the Native Bonny. All these tribes I mentioned contributed to the existence of our race (Opobo). For example, my great grandmother was an Akwa- Ibom, from Abak local government of Anaang tribe.[/size][/color][/size]

Joedrealguy: Let's not argue here or call ourselves names. As an Opobian from the Dapu (Dappa's) war-canoe house in precise. Let me say Opobo is a complex kingdom that cannot be claim by one tribe only. Yes, some of our great-great-grandmothers, great-grandmothers, grandmothers, mothers and even wives were/are Igbos. I can also say same for Akwa-Ibom, Ogoni, Andoni,Okrika,Kalabari and the Native Bonny. All these tribes I mentioned contributed to the existence of our race (Opobo). For example, my great grandmother was an Akwa- Ibom, from Abak local government of Anaang tribe.[/size][/color][/size]

Listen. No ethnic group on earth today is homogenous at this time. Opobo is an Ijaw town period and it stands on Ijaw land. The nearest Igbo land to it is miles away across Ogoni and Efik territory so I don't even know where this Igbo issue is coming from. Would a few Fulani men who marry Igbo women to make some mixed breed of people make the Fulani land an Igbo land ? The Founders of OPOBO were Ijaw people and the land at that time was already an Ijaw land owned by the ANDONI IJAWS. The JAJA led IBANI Ijaw group only left one part of Ijaw land in BONNY to another part of Ijaw land in ANDONI.

shota:

Listen. No ethnic group on earth today is homogenous at this time. Opobo is an Ijaw town period and it stands on Ijaw land. The nearest Igbo land to it is miles away across Ogoni and Efik territory so I don't even know where this Igbo issue is coming from. Would a few Fulani men who marry Igbo women to make some mixed breed of people make the Fulani land an Igbo land ? The Founders of OPOBO were Ijaw people and the land at that time was already an Ijaw land owned by the ANDONI IJAWS. The JAJA led IBANI Ijaw group only left one part of Ijaw land in BONNY to another part of Ijaw land in ANDONI.

Go through this thread and you'll notice that the issue of affiliating with Ijaw is not here as we all seem to acknowledge that in recent years that affiliation seems to have been solidified by oil politics and some other factors but the people that comprise Opobo were not basically Ijaw as they comprised of a group led by a man of Igbo roots and later got swelled by further influx of Igbos, Ijaws and Ibibios. The land Opobo itself was occupied by Aro/Ibibio groups before Jaja's entourage. Some people are trying to lie and twist history that Opobo were speaking another language then Igbos came and changed it.

Here is an Opobo guy's blog

http://cookeyforchange..com/2009/07/my-home-town-opobo.html?m=1

Anyone interested can contact him on more about Opobians and what they believe.