Though i believe that Nri is the origin of the igbos but then, which is it that AROCHUKWU people are all over the igbo speaking areas and far beyond cos i‘ve heard about Aro-Ijabu Ode! Arondizugo is from Amankwu clan in Arochukwu.
We have Aro-ikpa in umunneochi which is dominated by Utugugwu clan.
We have the Ujahs family in owere nchi ise.
We have Aro-ngwa. I know about those that are in Ajali in orumba l.g.a of Anambra.
The people of lodge in Aboh mbaise can even trace their origin from Aro.
They are still some satellite Aro towns scattered in ebonyi, abia, imo, enugu and anambra. All dis points 2 1 thing dat the kingdom of Arochukwu must really be an Ancient kingdom.
There are alot of things people still don‘t know about Arochukwu eg it is recorded in history books dat the British destroyed their legendary Oracle (long juju) but i can swear with the beard of my fore-fathers that the Oracle was not distroyed.
The relics of Ibina-ukpabi are still preserved in underground archs only known by high ranking members of de “Ekpe cult“. Someone mentioned about th musuem in Nri, when was the musium built? Lemme divulge another secret unknown 2 many igbos: they r some secret caves in Arochukwu only known by a selected few.
Where the tunnels lead is unknown 2 de current keepers. Many can not interpret de ruines on de walls of de cave.
I bet dat the caves must be an Archeological goldmine but then, de culture forbids outsiders and non-initiate 2 enter it. Nri may still be de official origin of de igbos for now but dia r still alot of secrets we r yet to know about dat Ancient kingdom called AROCHUKWU translated in english as “The Bed of The gods“!
And one more thing, Nri is de oldest kingdom in de east, how organised was dia kingdom? Unless dat de kingdom deminished during de reign of Arochukwu. It is a fact dat Aro pple played a prominent role in de egeliterian civilization of the igbos. The only organised resistance the british encountered in de east was spear-headed by Aro pple. The legend of dia Oracle was even known across de 9ija. Read ur history and u will c it chronicled in de history srolls as “The siege and finally, the fall of Arochukwu kingdom“ and “The Long Juju of Arochukwu“! I know of de raise and falls of benin, oyo and borno empires, but de only thing close to an empire in de east is “The Arochukwu Emirates“ due 2 de idea of dia satellite towns scattered all over the igboland. Until de secret caves of Arochukwu is carbon-dated, we r not yet likely 2 know de stuff Aro pple r made of.
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Aro Oke igbo

NRI is the spiritual father of northern Igbo land whose popularity went as far as Bini and igala, aro is the spiritual father and war chief of southern igbo. the middle is just both aro and nri coming together like we hear mbairi, mbaitoli, mbaise, mbano these are just the coming together or people that understood each other. my opinion

Hmmm. It may likely be true.

OMAR12:
NRI is the spiritual father of northern Igbo land whose popularity went as far as Bini and igala, aro is the spiritual father and war chief of southern igbo. the middle is just both aro and nri coming together like we hear mbairi, mbaitoli, mbaise, mbano these are just the coming together or people that understood each other. my opinion

you have a point.

To cut long story short, The igbo origin is Aguleri... no time to write epistle bro

SUPPORT THE CREATION OF ANIOMA STATE FOR THEY ARE OUR KIT AND KIN, LOVE ANIOMA LOVE IGBO.

Suffice to say; arochukwu was originally an Ibibio land. you can check it up online

OMAR12:
NRI is the spiritual father of northern Igbo land whose popularity went as far as Bini and igala, aro is the spiritual father and war chief of southern igbo. the middle is just both aro and nri coming together like we hear mbairi, mbaitoli, mbaise, mbano these are just the coming together or people that understood each other. my opinion

Nri and Aro are significant only in their enclaves. While Nri was founded mainly on spiritual and cultural ethos, Aro was simply a war-like bully who rose up to cheat others of their earnings, forcefully steal lands and inhumanly sell able bodied Igbo population to slavery.
None is the spiritual father of Igboland. Nri is just the spiritual father of Umueri and Aro the spiritual father of Aro Okigbo.

There is nothing i wouldn't see on nairaland. Aro the origin of igbos? That is ludicrous!
No Aro man living on the face of the earth claim that aro is the origin of Igbos. It appears you have no knowledge of your history.
Aros are a complex heterogenous group that pushed away the original occupants of the present arochukwu.
The original settlers of Arochukwu and the Cross river basin were the Losi,Nchai,Nchalagha,Iwerri and Ohaodu people that operated the cave complex(oracle) which was later changed to Ibit Ukpabi when Ibibios migrated into Arochukwu. Therefore,if you carbon date the caves,it will go back to when the Losi and other aforementioned groups were the original occupants of arochukwu.
Shortly before or after Ibibios settled,a few igbo groups also came from other places and they existed side by side until conflict arose and igbo forces and Ibibios fought each other.
The igbo elements engaged the services of Akpa warriors from the cross river basin,it's important to note that the Akpa people are linked to several benue valley people. Some historians believe they were igalas,others believe they came from Akamkpa in Cross river state.
With the help of Akpa warriors,Ibibios were defeated and Aro dynasty was established in the 17th century. Slavery trade had already started and aros capitalized on the popularity of the Ibini Ukpabi oracle which they called Chukwu to catch slaves for the white men.
Subsequently,arochukwu became populated and the wealthy business men needed to migrate and continue their nefarious trade.
So they migrated and set up outpost,slave markets and settlements. Some of the settlements were set up diplomatically,the rest were gotten from invasions or gifts from communities that hired their services for they were warloads and militants(ohafia and abam).
When the Europeans banned slavery,the aros kicked against it because they benefitted immensely from slave trade. So they threatned the white men and took their markets into the hinterlands where they continued their activities. Long and short of it, the Europeans got them and squashed their business.

They didn't fight because they hated the whitemen,they only fought because the white men was against their lucrative slave trade. There are other major uprising against the Europeans like the Ekumeku war. You should read up and stop making up illogical ideas.

Secondly,the Nris are not the origin of Igbos. When the Nris arrived Igboland they met igbo groups that were already settled in igboland. Most of what they claim to do in igboland was bequeated to them by the aboriginals.
I think the current trend for some igbo groups that had a sort of influence is to claim to be the origin of igbos. How conceited!
The origin of Igbos have not been established,many historians believe they are a Niger Benue confluence group that migrated down in bands/groups.

Aros that did not even identify as Igbo until the 1950s.The 'Oke Igbo' stands for 'above igbo'.They have idealisms different from core igbo and seek to protect their interests and not the generic igbo interest.Why they are found in many igbo communities and even Niger Delta and Middle Belt towns was because of the slave trade era,where they migrated as missionaries of their Oracle-long juju.

They went to all these places to propagate their belief system and win patronage to their oracle which was used for arbitration,eventually selling off the losing party to slavery through calabar.

Infact they were in Calabar province till 1967,and share a number of ceremonial features with the Efiks.

So NO they arent the origin of Igbos AT ALL

Aguleri is the origin of Igbo not arochukwu. Aguleri has younger siblings, Oraeri and NRI. Eri is there father from lsrael grandchild of Jacob.

Odo nunu?

Anyway, Arochukwu is not the origin of "Igbo" people, simply because there are now "Igbo" communities that are much much older that Arochukwu. So, that thought of Aro being the origin of "Igbo" people can end there, unless you want to explain the time discrepancy.

Anyone still claiming that Aguleri/Nri/Eri/whatever is the origin of "Igbo" people is obviously someone who refuses knowledge. Aguleri is also not the origin of "Igbo" people because, just as with Aro, there are a great many now "Igbo" communities that are older than the Eri people. So, that thought can also end there.

OMAR12:
NRI is the spiritual father of northern Igbo land whose popularity went as far as Bini and igala, aro is the spiritual father and war chief of southern igbo. the middle is just both aro and nri coming together like we hear mbairi, mbaitoli, mbaise, mbano these are just the coming together or people that understood each other. my opinion

and I guess Obi of Onitsha is the head of the western igbos

macof:


and I guess Obi of Onitsha is the head of the western igbos

Onitsha is not in the territory recognised as 'Western Igboland', and I haven't seen any classification that put them in that category.

AjaanaOka:


Onitsha is not in the territory recognised as 'Western Igboland', and I haven't seen any classification that put them in that category.

then wat geographic category do they belong as Umuezechima?

macof:


then wat geographic category do they belong as Umuezechima?

Cases like this are NOT clear-cut as some of you are wont to make it.

For example: One can make the technical argument that Asaba, Ogwashi-Uku, Ibusa among a number of other Western Igbo communites belong to Umueri Clan. But no one can make the argument that they are Northern Igbos like the other Umueri communities like Aguleri, Nteje, Agukwu-Nri, etc.

Onitsha is Northern Igbo. The culture and even the dialect have undergone transformation over the centuries to fit more closely into a 'Northern Igbo' pattern. [The Obi's attire is even less like that of his western counterparts and more like that of an Eze Nri or an Ozo titleholder complete with the tall red cap and eagle-feathers.]

As a matter of fact, ethnologists have used the term 'Onitsha Igbo' as a synonym for 'Northern Igbo', same way they've tended to use Owerri Igbo as a synonym for 'Southern Igbo'.

wow... insightful