Because of the lack of a literary tradition, the original history of the Nigerian peoples seems to be lost in the mists of time. However, modern ethnological and linguistic studies are now making all clear.

Using genetic technology of tracing mitochondrial DNA in human samples all over the world, It has been proved without doubt, that the various oyibo races of the world ( europeans, asians arabs etc) migrated out of Africa in prehistoric times, and then populated the whole world.

Dont forget that Africa is the center of the whole world. The whole seven continents of the world (Africa, North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Australia, Antarctica) were once one giant land mass called pangea, with Africa - West Africa, at the center of this super continent. This is 100% backed by the scientific theory of continental drift. If you doubt it, just get hold of an atlas of the world. You will see that the continents can fit smoothly into each other, just like a jig saw puzzle.

What all this means is that we Africans are the parents of the races, and Africa is the mother continent. The other races - arabs, jews etc - came from Africa, not vice versa. We Africans have always been in Africa from time immemorial - no shaking. Yorubas or Igbos did not come from the Middle East, rather it is the other way round. Ethnic chauvinists are turning history and science upside down, and they must quit and desist.

More research on origins using mitochondrial dna and linguistics will shed even more light.

In liguistics, the emphasis is on the pronunciation of the words, not the way it is spelt. There are so many common words and phrases, that there could not be any other explanation. E.g


English - yoruba - Igbo
Goat - ewure - ewu

Come - wa - bia

Come here - wa ni bi - bia na eba

rock - okute - okwute

I am sure those conversant in both languages can supply even more...