Some peeps on nairaland when discussing history use to point to igbo people as migrations of people of various origins. This,i doubt seriously as a person. i am not doubting the migrations of different groups but what i had always thought is that, igbo people must have existed before those migrations. If not, how can one explain the sameness of language in igboland today considering the fact that language can only be unique to the same people. Though this is my own opinion. Now i need yours. Mature comments please!

Briefly, here are some comments I have on the issue. I will be back to give more.

True, language is a good marker to discern relationship, but it is not a defining factor. At best, language can only tell you the extent to which two or more people have interacted. It won't tell you much about origin. Also, Igbo people seem to be under the impression that Igbo language similarity is inherent, which isn't actually the case. They fail to realize the impact that nearly 400 years of Igbo language studies has had on the development of the language and what seems like apparent "language similarity". What I am simply trying to get across is that people should be wary of using the "language = ethnicity" logic, because it does not buttress one's point in any way.

Afam4eva:
[size=14pt]Of course, Igbo people existed before the migration but they were not called Igbo as the term Igbo is a British creation. Some of the people that are called Igbos todays may not be originally Igbos. They were probably aculturated by the Igbos. If you look at the group called Ekpeye in Rivers state, you'd notice that they escaped been called Igbos. They were colonized by an Igbo group culturally though some of their dressing were inspired by Benin.
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an excellent response. I think that the problem is now how to know those old igbo people because everything is now mixed together and everybody claims to be original. But unitedly,we can do that,just lets throw away our ego.

ChinenyeN: Briefly, here are some comments I have on the issue. I will be back to give more.

True, language is a good marker to discern relationship, but it is not a defining factor. At best, language can only tell you the extent to which two or more people have interacted. It won't tell you much about origin. Also, Igbo people seem to be under the impression that Igbo language similarity is inherent, which isn't actually the case. They fail to realize the impact that nearly 400 years of Igbo language studies has had on the development of the language and what seems like apparent "language similarity". What I am simply trying to get across is that people should be wary of using the "language = ethnicity" logic, because it does not buttress one's point in any way.

thanks alot. But personally i think that interaction does not change language. People can interact and inter-marry for 500yrs or more and still retain their various languages and cultures. Language truly does not reflect totally the extent to which people have interacted with each other. In this case of interaction the groups involved may borrow words from each other but not the entire language.

My opinion:

Igbo people are branch of a migration of people coming from the east between 3000 and 7000 years ago. They are one of the oldest branches of a tree that went on to birth other groups that are west of them, but they probably absorbed a more ancient group of people which is why you have tales of colonisers and people who never even migrated at all. The word Igbo was used by a few Igbo groups before the industrial age, not by all or most. The Igbo are a ethno-lingustic group, and I do not believe the theory that they were born out of recent (around 1000) years of sporadic migration for the most part. There is a clear, in my opinion, definitive migration pattern starting from where would be around Abia, Imo, Enugu today and branching out in all directions that links most or all Igbo communities together through blood ties. For instance, most of the communities in Abia were founded by people from Imo State.

The individualistic nature of Igbo communities has lead to a village identity, so even these so called Igbo groups themselves have had a strengthened identity due to recent outer influence. There have been more bloody wars and skirmishes between blood tied Igbo communities or even inside these communities than there have been with any other group, perfect example is the Nri-Aguleri 500 years of hostility, even though they can point to a common ancestor, which most other groups cannot.

ezeagu: My opinion:

Igbo people are branch of a migration of people coming from the east between 3000 and 7000 years ago. They are one of the oldest branches of a tree that went on to birth other groups that are west of them, but they probably absorbed a more ancient group of people which is why you have tales of colonisers and people who never even migrated at all. The word Igbo was used by a few Igbo groups before the industrial age, not by all or most. The Igbo are a ethno-lingustic group, and I do not believe the theory that they were born out of recent (around 1000) years of sporadic migration for the most part. There is a clear, in my opinion, definitive migration pattern starting from where would be around Abia, Imo, Enugu today and branching out in all directions that links most or all Igbo communities together through blood ties. For instance, most of the communities in Abia were founded by people from Imo State.

The individualistic nature of Igbo communities has lead to a village identity, so even these so called Igbo groups themselves have had a strengthened identity due to recent outer influence. There have been more bloody wars and skirmishes between blood tied Igbo communities or even inside these communities than there have been with any other group, perfect example is the Nri-Aguleri 500 years of hostility, even though they can point to a common ancestor, which most other groups cannot.

one thing you should know is that most igbo histories on the internet are lies. Igbo people have no documented history and so every community claim what they like. Culture and language are the only factors that can be used to trace the igbo origin. But to me, 90% of igbo communities are related in one way or the other.

I believe there were aborigines of 'Igboland', such as 'Pygmies', who were displaced and absorbed by agricultural peoples. It makes sense that the Nri mythology states that their ancestors civilised a group of people, and the same for other mythologies around Nigeria, although I believe these stories, just like stories of autochthonous communities, were appropriated from much more ancient stories. Pygmies are thought to have inhabited this greater central African forest as a hunter-gatherer society before being displaced by agricultural peoples from the Sudan area.

@Ikenga Nri,have you heard about the "Adama" of Nri ?

Odenigbo Aroli: @Ikenga Nri,have you heard about the "Adama" of Nri ?

yes odenigbo, i know them. We have them in my town.

I like Ezeagu's explanation. Much of it lines up a lot with my understanding of the issue.

I usually like to respect peoples views of themselves without imposing my impression even though I have mine. Igbos to me belong to same group as Yoruba, Idoma, Edo and Igala in terms of migration but some people were living in all these area and were mixed with the migrants. Most Igbos on the fringe usually have a story of migrating from else where outside the Isuama/Nri/Awka area which is considered by many as the Igbo core. We usually say we migrated from Idu, Obiama, Itu etc but many of these stories are quite doubtful to me.

Another thing I've noticed about Igbos is that the oral history of majority of communities dates back to around 16th to 18th century and nothing more is remembered beyond those dates. Something must have happened that caused the sudden emergence of several Igbo communities around that period.

Just to be clear, Ika, as a fringe 'Igbo' community, does not claim descent from Benin. We've given too much time to random internet claims and objections. It's time we start to find out the truth.

abagoro: Another thing I've noticed about Igbos is that the oral history of majority of communities dates back to around 16th to 18th century and nothing more is remembered beyond those dates. Something must have happened that caused the sudden emergence of several Igbo communities around that period.

The slave trade, starting from the 16th century, hit the Igbo people hardest in the 18th century, which led to the break down of societies. This was also around the time guns were introduced. I know, for example, that there was a lot of infighting in Igbo groups of the south after the introduction of guns.

ezeagu: Just to be clear, Ika, as a fringe 'Igbo' community, does not claim descent from Benin. We've given too much time to random internet claims and objections. It's time we start to find out the truth.



The slave trade, starting from the 16th century, hit the Igbo people hardest in the 18th century, which led to the break down of societies. This was also around the time guns were introduced. I know, for example, that there was a lot of infighting in Igbo groups of the south after the introduction of guns.

All these history still boils down to that same period. My question is why is it that majority of our communities cannot trace their lineage beyond that era? I opened a thread earlier on origin of various Igbo clans and did my research based on the history of the towns as written from their respective oral tradition and they mostly still seem to point towards that 16th to 18th century era. This includes Arochuku and Onitsha.

abagoro: I usually like to respect peoples views of themselves without imposing my impression even though I have mine. Igbos to me belong to same group as Yoruba, Idoma, Edo and Igala in terms of migration but some people were living in all these area and were mixed with the migrants. Most Igbos on the fringe usually have a story of migrating from else where outside the Isuama/Nri/Awka area which is considered by many as the Igbo core. We usually say we migrated from Idu, Obiama, Itu etc but many of these stories are quite doubtful to me.

Another thing I've noticed about Igbos is that the oral history of majority of communities dates back to around 16th to 18th century and nothing more is remembered beyond those dates. Something must have happened that caused the sudden emergence of several Igbo communities around that period.

if so, why don't alot of yoruba people go around and write that they migrate from here or there?. 80% of the yorubas accept the oduduwa mytheology but in igbo case,each family claim what they like and go to the internet to write it as igbo history. Why not we search and find more about the history of the people that spoke the igbo language first and then find out how the language spread. Why are we claiming different origins where as a common look can point out much similarities than differences among us. Lets trace the origin of igbo language, to me ,that will give an accurate history of igbo people.

ezeagu: Just to be clear, Ika, as a fringe 'Igbo' community, does not claim descent from Benin. We've given too much time to random internet claims and objections. It's time we start to find out the truth.



The slave trade, starting from the 16th century, hit the Igbo people hardest in the 18th century, which led to the break down of societies. This was also around the time guns were introduced. I know, for example, that there was a lot of infighting in Igbo groups of the south after the introduction of guns.

you are really reasoning like a man. I like that. It's high we start ignoring all these e-histories. Lets judge ourselves by what we see within our environment.

Ikenga nri: yes odenigbo, i know them. We have them in my town.

Ofcourse,I know they have the Adamas in Agukwu and so many other places that even you don't know about,like Oraukwu,Adazi and more. I don't know how authentic this story is but I read somewhere that the Adama were there before the arrival of IFIKUANIM. Some writers refer to them as inferior people why they (Adama) claim to be the owner of "Eze Nri". They used a phrase that says " Igbo fesia Nri,Nri efee Adama". Ikenga,would you mind to shead more light on the origin of the Adama?

Odenigbo Aroli:

Ofcourse,I know they have the Adamas in Agukwu and so many other places that even you don't know about,like Oraukwu,Adazi and more. I don't know how authentic this story is but I read somewhere that the Adama were there before the arrival of IFIKUANIM. Some writers refer to them as inferior people why they (Adama) claim to be the owner of "Eze Nri". They used a phrase that says " Igbo fesia Nri,Nri efee Adama". Ikenga,would you mind to shead more light on the origin of the Adama?

ok,let me do some research.

NRI bu isi Igbo

Lilimax: NRI bu isi Igbo

adam nwanyi kedu ije?. Nri beanyi kz anyi ma bu isi igbo.

Ikenga nri: adam nwanyi kedu ije?. Nri beanyi kz anyi ma bu isi igbo.

Nwanna O di mma.

Lilimax:
Nwanna O di mma.

kedu iife melu ur other username?

Ikenga nri: kedu iife melu ur other username?

Onwero. Lilimax ka m ji ede ihe na nairaland kemgbe mbatara na ogbakoo a.

Lilimax: NRI bu isi Igbo

Dream on!

Lilimax:
Onwero. Lilimax ka m ji ede ihe na nairaland kemgbe mbatara na ogbakoo a.

mana echem na obu gi bu adanri?

Ikenga nri: mana echem na obu gi bu adanri?

Mbanu. O buro m bu Adanri.

Lilimax:
Mbanu. O buro m bu Adanri.

kedu ebe ino? Ino anambra?

Ikenga nri: kedu ebe ino? Ino anambra?

Mba, mana a bu m Onye Akamkisi Nri

Lilimax:
Mba, mana a bu m Onye Akamkisi Nri

munwa abuokwa onye agukwu .mana abum nwa nri.imana nri erika,ogwusiro na agukwu.

Ikenga nri: munwa abuokwa onye agukwu .mana abum nwa nri.imana nri erika,ogwusiro na agukwu.

Eziokwu Ka ikwuru. Akamkpisi na Agukwu bu ofu ife. O gini na-ese okwu?
Eze Nri?

Lilimax:
Eziokwu Ka ikwuru. Akamkpisi na Agukwu bu ofu ife. O gini na-ese okwu?
Eze Nri?

mana echem na akamkpisi bu village n'ime agukwu?

Ikenga nri: ok,let me do some research.

This is interesting, especially about Adama and Ifikuanim.