agbotaen:

     I  HAVE JUST POSTED THE PICTURES OF THE ENACHIOKEN OF ABIRIBA KINGDOM IN ABIRIBA, WHEN HE WAS CORRONATED ,AND WHEN PERFORMING THE EKPE FESTIVAL ,AND WHILE ON OFFICIAL DRESSING.THIS OUTFITS SIMPLY SHOWS EKOI STYLE DRESSING FOR KINGS AND CHIEFS AND ABIRIBA NOBLE MEN . IT IS VERY CLEAR THAT ABIRIBA BEARS EKOI MARKS OF KINGSHIP, MIGRATION AND WAY OF LIFE , BUT ANOTHER MARK ABIRIBA BEARS IS THE IGBO CULTURAL MARK ,AS SOME ABIRIBA PEOPLE CAN ALSO TRACE THEIR ORIGIN TO IGBOLAND.,BUT THIS AMALGAMATION OF EKOI AND IGBO HAS CRERATED ABIRIBA ETHNIC GROUP .IT DEFINES OUR CULTURE AND WE ARE NEITHER IGBO NOR EKOI , BUT WE ARE SIMPLY ABIRIBA PEOPLE. OUR FORE-FATHERS HAVE BATTLED EKOI,YAKUR AND EJAGHAM FOR COUNTLESS YEARS TO PROTECT OUT IDENTITY AND WE WILL NEVER BE SUBJECTED BY TRICK OR INTIMIDATION TO  BECOME IGBO, WE ARE SIMPLY ABIRIBA. AND WE ARE VERY PROUD OF WHO WE ARE. I  DO AGREE THAT THERE ARE STILL SOME ABIRIBAS THAT SAY THE ARE IGBO, THAT IS THEIR FREE RIGHBUT FOR THE VAST MAJORITY OF ABIRIBA  PEOPLE , AND  100 PERCENT OF ABIRIBA ,PEOPLE WE ARE ABIRIBA , SOME PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT ABIRIBA ,ALWAYS TRY TO TELL US OUR HISTORY ,BUT THAT IS VERY ABSURD.,

To prove how silly you sound I had to substitute Ika with Abiriba and Benin with EKOI.I can as well do the same with every Igbo sub group.

If you say Ika is not Ukwuani or Ngwa is not Ikwerre or Isuama is not Nri or Item is not Ezza,then you are absolutely right.combining Abiriba,Ngwa,Isuama,Oru,Egbema,Ezza,Izzi,Ohafia,Etche etc as one Igbo and singling out Ika as the only one with peculiarity is quite biased and a fallacy."Midwest Igbo is not Eastern Igbo" is a correct statement but "Midwestern Igbo is not Igbo" is a very wrong statement.

Abagworo:

To prove how silly you sound I had to substitute Ika with Abiriba and Benin with EKOI.I can as well do the same with every Igbo sub group.

If you say Ika is not Ukwuani or Ngwa is not Ikwerre or Isuama is not Nri or Item is not Ezza,then you are absolutely right.combining Abiriba,Ngwa,Isuama,Oru,Egbema,Ezza,Izzi,Ohafia,Etche etc as one Igbo and singling out Ika as the only one with peculiarity is quite biased and a fallacy."Midwest Igbo is not Eastern Igbo" is a correct statement but "Midwestern Igbo is not Igbo" is a very wrong statement.

Well done Abagworo. The guy has been disgraced in all the sites he has made same claims. His own immediate Ika people have pissed on him severally and denounced him as Ika. Do you remember?.

@andre.Yes in NBF one Ogbuefi from Ika engaged him in a complex,intellectual and very revealing argument.

Here is a link on Abiriba.Anyone who reads it will understand why Abiriba has no identity crisis.No Igbo will argue about the next town's origin.



http://jigbani..com/

well for those igbos who are still deluded , that ika is igbo or that ika will go with igbo in times of critical decisions should wake up and admit the truth , i have challenged any person to mention one ika king that is a member of ohaneze ndi igbo ? and you all know the answer ,none is a member .
2. please stop deceiving your self , kingship is a very recent event in igbo history ,and the type of kingship operated in ika land is very different from the one operated in igbo communities , can you simply tell me how old the kingship in abiriba or whatever community you claim ? the one most igbos will mention is nri or igbo uku , and it has ended long time ago and it is not even the type or concept of kingship that we have, nri is a priestly kingship. the only kingship that is near the type of proper monarchy practiced is onitcha and we know why it is because of benin influence.
3. compare agbor , abavo, owa, umunede, ute-okpu kingship that has spanned almost 1,000 years . compare it with any igbo kingdom, and how many kingdoms did the whole of igboland have ? many of you dont even know what constitues a kingdom , you equate a town with kingship, and the federal government have really tried for igbos , they have created many kingdoms for you with igwes this and that . you think royalty is gotten by money , any rich man becomes king. a son will be a king and the father will be a chief , that cannever happen in ika land.
4. for your information i am a bonafide ika person whose family lineage can be traced to the thirteenth century ,we are not new commers like some people whose family line in ika is only 200 years, i am a descendant of the great owa king , obi igbedigi ,who uses the blood of other kings to wash his leg, my ancestor was a giant amongst men and one of the people that helped develop owa kingdom .i am of the royal blood line of owa king , and a member of idumu-ezomor royal village in owa -oyibu , headquarters of owa kingdom, i am a descendant of prince omigie and osuhon.so i know my history , thoes who dont know theirs should buzz off.
5. the vast majority of our people know that they are ika people ,while some tiny few believe they are igbos that is their right, and they are usually ika people from igbodo or ekwuoma ,these are communities that are at the eastern fringe of ika land and near aniocha areas ,so we can understand them they also speak ika language and aniocha language .but you will never see a core ika person like my self or others from agbor, abavo, igbanke , owa, umunede , idumuesah and others claiming that they are igbos.
i am a proud ika son with a proud ancestory ,and i remain ika.those who dont like it should buzz off.
6. if you claim ,i am making up the story , why is prince nduka obaigbena an owa prince always telling the world he is an ika person ,why does he not tell the world he is igbo. the interview he granted to newyork times last year ,he described himself as an ika man from a minority tribe in nigeria. am i still making it up, why is chief fortune ebie ,the head of ika socio-cultural organisation ,saying he is ika, he is almost 80 years old and he was the first nigerian director of survey after the british or am i making that up?
7. my advice to most igbos is that they should be very careful of making ungarded assumptions that this tribe is igbo ,without asking the people ,because in times of critical moment they will shock and abandon you .
8. let me remind you that ika is a seperate ethnic group and we have in no time in history aligned with igbos, we always take decision and never will any proper ika person want to follow any igbo person, even if nigeria is to split in pieces ,God forbid that ikas will not follow igbos.

any body can speak any language , sam loco is bini and he speaks many languages , i am ika ,but i have translated books from yoruba to english and i know my yoruba is impeccable . hanks father was a former minister in western region government , they are from idumu-izomor in owa- oyibu , while his mother is from some where in the east.

agbotaen:

well for those igbos who are still deluded , that ika is igbo or that ika will go with  igbo in times of critical decisions should wake up and admit the truth , i have challenged any person to mention one ika king that is a member of ohaneze ndi igbo ? and you all know the answer ,none is a member .
2. please stop deceiving your self , kingship is a very recent event in igbo history ,and the type of kingship operated in ika land is very different from the one operated in igbo communities , can you simply tell me how old the kingship in abiriba or whatever community you claim ? the one most igbos will mention is nri or igbo uku , and it has ended long time ago and it is not even the type or concept of kingship that we have, nri  is a priestly kingship. the only kingship that is near the type of proper monarchy practiced is onitcha and we know why it is because of benin influence.
  3. compare agbor , abavo, owa, umunede, ute-okpu  kingship that has spanned almost 1,000 years . compare it with any igbo kingdom, and how many kingdoms did the whole of igboland have ? many of you dont even know what constitues a kingdom , you equate a town with kingship, and the federal government have really tried for igbos , they have created many kingdoms for you with igwes this and that . you think royalty is gotten by money , any rich man becomes king. a son will be a king and the father will be a chief , that cannever happen  in ika land.
4. for your information i am a bonafide ika person whose family lineage can be traced to  the thirteenth century ,we are not new commers like some people whose family line in ika is only 200 years, i am a descendant of the great owa king , obi igbedigi ,who uses the blood of other kings to wash his leg, my ancestor was a giant amongst men and one of the people that helped develop owa kingdom .i am of the royal blood line of owa king , and a member of idumu-ezomor royal village in owa -oyibu , headquarters of owa kingdom, i am a descendant of prince omigie and osuhon.so  i know my history , thoes who dont know theirs should buzz off.
5.  the vast majority of our people know that they are ika people ,while some tiny few believe they are igbos that is their right, and they are usually ika people from igbodo or ekwuoma ,these are communities that are at the eastern fringe of ika land and near aniocha areas ,so we can understand them they also speak ika language and aniocha language .but you will never see a core ika person like my self or others from agbor, abavo, igbanke , owa, umunede , idumuesah and others claiming that they are igbos.
     i am a proud ika son with a proud ancestory ,and i  remain ika.those who dont like it should  buzz off.
6. if you claim ,i am making up the story , why is prince nduka obaigbena an owa prince always telling the world he is an ika person ,why does he not tell the world he is igbo. the interview he granted to newyork times last year ,he described himself as an ika man from a minority tribe in nigeria. am  i  still making it up, why is chief fortune ebie ,the head of ika socio-cultural organisation ,saying he is ika, he is almost 80 years old and he was the first nigerian director of survey after the british or am i making that up?
7. my advice to most igbos is that they should be very careful of making ungarded assumptions that this tribe is igbo ,without asking the people ,because in times of critical moment they will shock and abandon you .
8. let me remind you that ika is a seperate ethnic group and we have in no time in history aligned with igbos, we always take decision and never will any proper ika person want to follow any igbo person, even if nigeria is to split in pieces ,God forbid that ikas will not follow igbos.

Dude we get it you are not Igbo. Can you define who exactly the 'Igbo' are? I find the bolded pretty confusing, that is why i'm asking. One thing that comes to mind at the comment that is bolded is the "Ekumeku War",to say the least; but, this depends on who exactly you are calling the Igbo and why you are calling them such. Your response is really appreciated. And by the way, i'm Ukwuani.

agbotaen:
even if nigeria is to split in pieces ,God forbid that ikas will not follow igbos.

I agree.

I think the best way to solve this "I am not Igbo" argument is for people like Agboetan to tell us who Igbo people are and how they are different from Ika and other people disclaiming Igbo.

afam4eva:

I think the best way to solve this "I am not Igbo" argument is for people like Agboetan to tell us who Igbo people are and how they are different from Ika and other people disclaiming Igbo.

Thank you

it is not my duty to tell you who is igbo or who is not igbo, but i know who an ika person is ,and this are some of the criteria for knowing an ika person ,or as we say nwaebon .
1. if your community shares the three levels of chiefthancy , the palace, town and hereditory chiefs.
2. if your community has an obiship that is by primogeneiture (father to eldest son)
3. if your kings are crowned in the uselu and edaiken style.
4. if your ancestors believed in GOd as oselobue or osenobue .
5. if your ancestors believed in the guardian spirit as ehi.
6. if the heavenly world is refered to as erinmi
7. your ancestors believed in olokun -as the god of the ocean and wealth.
8. if your ancestors believed in the worship of idigun as god of iron.
9. if your ancestors performed the igue ceremony to mark the end and begginning of the new year.
10. if your towns are divided into ebon( umune), idumu and ogbe .
11. if you speak the ika language.
finally majority of ika people have a linkage and bond that is from benin , while we also have bond from igboland
.but if you dont share any of these attributes then am afraid you are not ika,but if you share all these then you are ika.
ika people also believed in the ancient times in matrilineal and patrilineal marriage .

I curled this from wiki:

The Ika people are a subgroup of the Igbo people commonly called the Western Igbo. The Ika people number around 240,000.[1]The Ika people are found in north west Delta State. They share borders linguistically in the west with the Edo speakers, in the north with the Ishan speakers, in the East with the Anioma language speakers and in the south with the Ukwuani speakers

Agboetan, Hoe come you're the only person that does not think Ika is an Igbo sub-group.

In as much as i have decided to keep mute on this topic,simply because no persuavive evidence can make meaning 2 u guys,i want 2 state categorically dat am proud of agbontean(eworo kiwu),who has caried on with dis important but negleted due to ignorance argument,also i want 2 state that no amount of verbal,political,or developmental intimidation can can make we the ikas concede that label of igbohood,am frm umunede,and some guys say agbontean who is from owa oyibu is alone in dis argument,but i want 2 make it knw dat,we the umunedians are not igbos and can never be,dis goes to other ika nations who knws d importance of being an ika,so be informed dat agbontean is not alone here.Thanks

Where is Obiagu to disclaim this I always told you guys to let things happen naturally. If the Ikas say they are not igbo, please let them be! If they say they are igbos, let them be!!!
The other day, an Owerri woman was asking Andre about her language, instead of Andre to teach her or say he does not know, he simply told her to learn Igbo. What sort of Neo-colonisation is this??
This sort of colonisation of the ethnic minorities in the East will not go down well if care is not taken. Why do you want to force Igbo down their throats
If indeed, they are/were Igbo, you simply have to wait for them to realise their mistake and rectify it themselves.

[b]STOP NEO-COLONISATION!!![/b]Enough said!!!

jason123:

Where is Obiagu to disclaim this I always told you guys to let things happen naturally. If the Ikas say they are not igbo, please let them be! If they say they are igbos, let them be!!!
The other day, an Owerri woman was asking Andre about her language, instead of Andre to teach her or say he does not know, he simply told her to learn Igbo. What sort of Neo-colonisation is this??
This sort of colonisation of the ethnic minorities in the East will not go down well if care is not taken. Why do you want to force Igbo down their throats
If indeed, they are/were Igbo, you simply have to wait for them to realise their mistake and rectify it themselves.

[b]STOP NEO-COLONISATION!!![/b]Enough said!!!

A di nye nkporonu nye ke na? *ñña liile anoo jii* Nnaa liala hnwe ojoo. A didigh nye nkporonu gh'.

I doubt if Igbos are trying to colonize anyone.The difference between Ika and Aniocha is also the difference between Ohuhu and Ngwa or Isuama and Orsu or Oratta and Ikwerre.

Agbotaen's problem stems from the fact that he is trying to create a homogenous Igbo( which does not exist) in order to feel important or different.The Bini style Kingship is practised in many Igbo communities and is not exclusive to Ika.Many Igbo communities have mixed origin comprising Igala,Bini and Nri.

In order to address the issue I tried to bring in Abiriba and also show their origin,culture and type of Kingship.

@jason123.Read up my thread on origin of various Igbo tribes.

Abagworo:

I doubt if Igbos are trying to colonize anyone.The difference between Ika and Aniocha is also the difference between Ohuhu and Ngwa or Isuama and Orsu or Oratta and Ikwerre.

Agbotaen's problem stems from the fact that he is trying to create a homogenous Igbo( which does not exist) in order to feel important or different.The Bini style Kingship is practised in many Igbo communities and is not exclusive to Ika.Many Igbo communities have mixed origin comprising Igala,Bini and Nri.

In order to address the issue I tried to bring in Abiriba and also show their origin,culture and type of Kingship.

@jason123.Read up my thread on origin of various Igbo tribes.

thanks, I will.

Here are my two cents: I do not intend or expect ad hominem attacks from anyone but the facts are that Delta state government considers Ika, Aniocha, Oshimili, Ukwuani a/k/a Anioma as Igbo.  For many years they have been classified at various times as Ika Igbo, Western Igbo, Bendel Igbo and now Delta Igbo. They now prefer to be called Anioma people!

If anyone chooses to be called any other tribe within this enclave, that person is going against the grain. Even the Obi of Owa has stated clearly that Owa migrated from Nri. The fact that Anioma people have Bini influence is also a truism. This was reiterate by a famous Anioma man in the 1700s. Olaudah Equiano a/k/a Gustavo Vassa from Essaka i.e. modern day Ashaka in Ukwuani talked about the Bini influence on Anioma people but proclaimed proudly: "I am Eboe."  It is pertinent to mention that the influences from Bini are miniscle compared to that of the Igbo.

I am from Anioma specifically Enuani/Aniocha and I am comfortable in my Igbo skin but some of us are not.  To each his own though.  For those Anioma people who feel nostalgic about Bini, it would be imperative that I remind them that the modern day Benin massacre occurred in 1967 with the blood of Anioma people flowing like a river in Benin. The crime of Anioma people? They are Igbo and it was an open season on the Igbo in Nigeria. The Bini are yet to atone for this atrocity

Please don't delude yourself and think that it won't happen again if the Binis are given a chance to annihilate Igbo. 

Currently we have some Anioma people in Edo as natives-The question is how has Bini treated Igbanke and Ekpon? They are generally called Igbo by other Edo people to the point that they want to be extricated from the yoke of the Binis and joined with their kith and kins in Delta-Anioma people.

You would have thought using the logic of some people here that Igbanke would have felt at home in Edo since as Ika people they are more Edo than Igbo. Nevertheless, they feel unwanted and unassimilated and they now want to go back to their roots-ANIOMA!  On my part I will do what I can to bring my people from Edo back home to where they belong.

I would enjoin any right thinking Anioma person and perhaps our brothers accross the Niger to join the crusade to free Igbanke and Ekpon because they are yearning for freedom! Thinking that Anioma people are Bini will not help the Igbanke cause. Igbanke people have seen and heard that they are so close to home and yet so far away from freedom. It is now up to us to bring them home!

omonuan:

Here are my two cents: I do not intend or expect ad hominem attacks from anyone but the facts are that Delta state government considers Ika, Aniocha, Oshimili, Ukwuani a/k/a Anioma as Igbo. For many years they have been classified at various times as Ika Igbo, Western Igbo, Bendel Igbo and now Delta Igbo. They now prefer to be called Anioma people!

If anyone chooses to be called any other tribe within this enclave, that person is going against the grain. Even the Obi of Owa has stated clearly that Owa migrated from Nri. The fact that Anioma people have Bini influence is also a truism. This was reiterate by a famous Anioma man in the 1700s. Olaudah Equiano a/k/a Gustavo Vassa from Essaka i.e. modern day Ashaka in Ukwuani talked about the Bini influence on Anioma people but proclaimed proudly: "I am Eboe." It is pertinent to mention that the influences from Bini are miniscle compared to that of the Igbo.

I am from Anioma specifically Enuani/Aniocha and I am comfortable in my Igbo skin but some of us are not. To each his own though. For those Anioma people who feel nostalgic about Bini, it would be imperative that I remind them that the modern day Benin massacre occurred in 1967 with the blood of Anioma people flowing like a river in Benin. The crime of Anioma people? They are Igbo and it was an open season on the Igbo in Nigeria. The Bini are yet to atone for this attrocity

Please don't delude yourself and think that it won't happen again if the Binis are given a chance to annihilate Igbo.

Currently we have some Anioma people in Edo as natives-The question is how has Bini treated Igbanke and Ekpon? They are generally called Igbo by other Edo people to the point that they want to be extricated from the yoke of the Binis and joined with their kith and kins in Delta-Anioma people.

You would have thought using the logic of some people here that Igbanke would have felt at home in Edo since as Ika people they are more Edo than Igbo. Nevertheless, they feel unwanted and unassimilated and they now want to go back to their roots-ANIOMA! On my part I will do what I can to bring my people from Edo back home to where they belong.

I would enjoin any right thinking Anioma person and perhaps our brothers accross the Niger to join the crusade to free Igbanke and Ekpon because they are yearning for freedom! Thinking that Anioma people are Bini will not help the Igbanke cause. Igbanke people have seen and heard that they are so close to home and yet so far away from freedom. It is now up to us to bring them home!

May the peace of our Lord be with you. Happy Easter.

jason123:

Where is Obiagu to disclaim this I always told you guys to let things happen naturally. If the Ikas say they are not igbo, please let them be! If they say they are igbos, let them be!!!
The other day, an Owerri woman was asking Andre about her language, instead of Andre to teach her or say he does not know, he simply told her to learn Igbo. What sort of Neo-colonisation is this??
This sort of colonisation of the ethnic minorities in the East will not go down well if care is not taken. Why do you want to force Igbo down their throats
If indeed, they are/were Igbo, you simply have to wait for them to realise their mistake and rectify it themselves.

[b]STOP NEO-COLONISATION!!![/b]Enough said!!!

It is only a no-brainer that will go about asking where to learn Owerri, Agbor, Mbaise, Isinweke, Rebisi language etc. How do you feel when a Yoruba person starts asking where to learn Ibadan, Oyo, Ede, Offa and Egba languages. How about an Hausa person asking where to learn Kano, Rano, Gusau, Katsina and Zaria languages?.
Why do some people feel it is cool when it comes to Igbo language?.

Andre Uweh:

It is only a no-brainer that will go about asking where to learn Owerri, Agbor, Mbaise, Isinweke, Rebisi language etc. How do you feel when a Yoruba person starts asking where to learn Ibadan, Oyo, Ede, Offa and Egba languages. How about an Hausa person asking where to learn Kano, Rano, Gusau, Katsina and Zaria languages?.
Why do some people feel it is cool when it comes to Igbo language?.

hehh. . .

sonya4all:

In as much as i have decided to keep mute on this topic,simply because no persuavive evidence can make meaning 2 u guys,i want 2 state categorically dat am proud of agbontean(eworo kiwu),who has caried on with dis important but negleted due to ignorance argument,also i want 2 state that no amount of verbal,political,or developmental intimidation can can make we the ikas concede that label of igbohood,am frm umunede,and some guys say agbontean who is from owa oyibu is alone in dis argument,but i want 2 make it knw dat,we the umunedians are not igbos and can never be,dis goes to other ika nations who knws d importance of being an ika,so be informed dat agbontean is not alone here.Thanks

Be bold to tell me what you require to enable you relocate from Igboland. Why do you find it difficult to name your price?. At a time when responsible NdiIkaIgbo are exploiting opportunities for unification and progress, you are here drawing them back. What a shame.

Andre Uweh:

It is only a no-brainer that will go about asking where to learn Owerri, Agbor, Mbaise, Isinweke, Rebisi language etc. How do you feel when a Yoruba person starts asking where to learn Ibadan, Oyo, Ede, Offa and Egba languages. How about an Hausa person asking where to learn Kano, Rano, Gusau, Katsina and Zaria languages?.
Why do some people feel it is cool when it comes to Igbo language?.

Andre, I have never been to the North (except Abuja) but I have stayed long enough in Nigeria to know about some people or groups.
Now, not all Ijebus speak the conventional yoruba you and I are accustomed to but you do not hear the,lets say Ekiti people forcing them (Ijebus) to speak the conventional yoruba. Even Benin republic women, some speak the conventional Yoruba, some don't. You have to realise that people have different dialects and[b] respect[/b] it. A typical yoruba man will not understand a person from Ekiti or Kwara or even the Awori dialect and then it draws the question, what then is an ethnic group, what is Yoruba (in your case, what is Igbo)? It is a mixture of vastly different sub-groups that were under an Empire that stretched to Eastern Ghana called the Old OYO empire. The Hausas to had theirs but the Igbos are republican in Nature, so they did not but they are all Igbos. Now, some Dahomey and/or Ewe people are saying they are not Yorubas but do you hear Yorubas forcing it down their throat What about the NUPES (who are now called Tapas in Lagos because they have accepted to be called Yorubas) Do you see the Yorubas forcing the Nupes to say they are Yorubas even though Nupe was part and parcel of the Oyo empire?? Exactly.
I hope you get my point. I do not mean any harm or rivalry but I am simply saying the truth. People should have freedom of choice. If some say they are Igbos, then fine, if not then FINE! If they need to know their language in their DIALECT, teach them. If you do not know it, then do not teach them. But do not try to teach them Igbo because you will simply force them to dislike Igbo. Minorities see acts such as yours an NEO-COLONISATION and they will surely resist it.
If indeed, they are Igbos, GIVE THEM TIME to retract back their steps to the Ndigbo community. I bet with time, most will realise the mistake they may or may not have made and will hopefully come back to the fold but trying to teach them your dialect or what you think is acceptable is simply colonising them and they will certainly reject the Igbo tag even more.

omonuan:

Here are my two cents: I do not intend or expect ad hominem attacks from anyone but the facts are that Delta state government considers Ika, Aniocha, Oshimili, Ukwuani a/k/a Anioma as Igbo.  For many years they have been classified at various times as Ika Igbo, Western Igbo, Bendel Igbo and now Delta Igbo. They now prefer to be called Anioma people!

If anyone chooses to be called any other tribe within this enclave, that person is going against the grain. Even the Obi of Owa has stated clearly that Owa migrated from Nri. The fact that Anioma people have Bini influence is also a truism. This was reiterate by a famous Anioma man in the 1700s. Olaudah Equiano a/k/a Gustavo Vassa from Essaka i.e. modern day Ashaka in Ukwuani talked about the Bini influence on Anioma people but proclaimed proudly: "I am Eboe."  It is pertinent to mention that the influences from Bini are miniscle compared to that of the Igbo.

I am from Anioma specifically Enuani/Aniocha and I am comfortable in my Igbo skin but some of us are not.  To each his own though.  For those Anioma people who feel nostalgic about Bini, it would be imperative that I remind them that the modern day Benin massacre occurred in 1967 with the blood of Anioma people flowing like a river in Benin. The crime of Anioma people? They are Igbo and it was an open season on the Igbo in Nigeria. The Bini are yet to atone for this attrocity

Please don't delude yourself and think that it won't happen again if the Binis are given a chance to annihilate Igbo. 

Currently we have some Anioma people in Edo as natives-The question is how has Bini treated Igbanke and Ekpon? They are generally called Igbo by other Edo people to the point that they want to be extricated from the yoke of the Binis and joined with their kith and kins in Delta-Anioma people.

You would have thought using the logic of some people here that Igbanke would have felt at home in Edo since as Ika people they are more Edo than Igbo. Nevertheless, they feel unwanted and unassimilated and they now want to go back to their roots-ANIOMA!  On my part I will do what I can to bring my people from Edo back home to where they belong.

I would enjoin any right thinking Anioma person and perhaps our brothers accross the Niger to join the crusade to free Igbanke and Ekpon because they are yearning for freedom! Thinking that Anioma people are Bini will not help the Igbanke cause. Igbanke people have seen and heard that they are so close to home and yet so far away from freedom. It is now up to us to bring them home!

Your understanding of the events of 1967 is very strange.

You seem to think that the invasion of 1967 was not a Midwestern Igbo (including Ikas) takeover of Benin and all of the Midwestern region. What was it? Is occupying and looting a place a propos of nothing, just fine because you say so?

As for atoning for the atrocity, if you or anyone else has names of those who committed the massacre and those who were victims, then you could get some atonement, but in the absence of that, using the fact that a group responded violently after occupation as some sort of proof of the particular hatred that group has for those who occupied them is ludicrous.

I have to ask, regarding the Igbos and Benin:

"He was a major when he was appointed Military administrator of Midwest state on September 20, 1967 following the liberation of state from the secessionist {Brafia} occupation and was later promoted Lt. Colonel and military governor of the Midwest state.

He embarked on a process of reconciliation, reconstruction, and rehabilitation aimed at ameliorating the ill-feeling and mistrust that had been sown amongst the non-Igbo of the state by the secessionist invasion. This policy of reconstruction, reconciliation, and rehabilitation help greatly to restore confidence and trust between the Igbos and non-Igbos of the region.

With three months of his administration, much was already, being achieved in the restoration of mutual confidence and understanding between the various ethnic groups. Houses and other landed property left behind by fleeing persons, during or after the occupation of the state, were enumerated and accorded necessary protection in the interest of their rightful owners. Not only did the rightful owner repossess this property, but they were also paid the rents, which had accrued on them. Igbo-speaking civil servants who had fled their posts on the approach of the federal troops were reinstated on their return"


http://www.edoworld.net/Ogbemudiabiography.html



Is all of that above about Ogbemudia completely and utterly false? If it is, then what have you done in real life to correct the injustices? If it isn't, what did you want besides that? A cookie and a big "thank you for helping invade and occupy the region"? I also wonder, if the Binis are such naturally loathsome, blood lusting, anti-Igbo individuals, why are Igbos in Benin in no very small number to this very day? I also wonder why the political history of Benin, between 1897 and 1967, contradicts this anti-Igbo theme? Or was aligning with Igbos (those who the Binis supposedly loath to the point of wanting to annihilate) all just a fluke?

What makes you think the Binis, now or in the future, would be so concerned about Igbos as to want to "annihilate" them? You're really a delusional individual. For all the contemptuous statements I've heard from people from different Nigerian ethnic groups about other ethnic groups in Nigeria, this idea that any Southern Nigerian group wants to "annihilate" any other is ridiculous and ranks among the most patently absurd propaganda I've seen posted on this board by any member. Ika are Igbo, but this campaign of making Binis into some group who would desire to annihilate Igbos at the drop of a hat is a sign of really deep delusion.  You actually think that everybody, even those who are of no real relevance to you and who you are not particularly relevant to, is out to get you. Fix this mentality.

As for Igbanke, let them first decide what they are.  They seem to actually believe that this "Ika" ethnicity exists as distinct from Igbos and are rejecting claims from both Binis and Igbos over them, so clearly they are highly confused. Had they always acknowledged their Igboness, we wouldn't even be having this discussion and Igbanke and Ekpon would have gone straight into Delta state with their Anioma brethren. The claims about marginalization from Igbanke, from all I've read, seem to be that the other people and the government in Orhionmwon LGA speak Bini and won't speak their language (Ika) and that their area has been ignored by the government (lots of places in Edo state have been ignored by the relevant governments, is this out of the ordinary?  ). It's not as if they are actually somehow being deliberately oppressed for being Igbanke.

Your attention would be better focused on Port Harcourt, where some of your Ikwerre and Ijaw-Igbo cousins are owing your people property. There is no outstanding problem between Igbos and Benin, except that which exists in your imagination.

@jason123 you are going off topic.The issue here is not like Ewe-Yoruba.It is more like Ijesa-Yoruba,Egba-Yoruba or Oyo-Yoruba.An Ijesa man can argue that he is not Egba.An Ika man can as well argue that he is not Aniocha or Ukwuani but when the term Igbo is used they fall under the same umbrella.

While it is right for an Ika man to claim exclusivity,he should also give others their freedom of exclusivity as well.He cannot group every other people as Igbo.His Oba wrote a book in which he stressed that their Kingship is purely of Nri(purest Igbo) and has nothing to do with Bini.He however admitted the migration of some people from Bini which is universally acceptable across Igboland. Agbotaen however disagrees with their King and claims to know Owa more than the Obi.

Better still you can read up their history from Ndi-Owa official website.

http://www.ndi-owa.com/index.php/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=66:origin-of-owa&catid=4:owa&Itemid=9

http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=144727948885977&topic=341&post=1725

jason123:

Andre, I have never been to the North (except Abuja) but I have stayed long enough in Nigeria to know about some people or groups.
Now, not all Ijebus speak the conventional yoruba you and I are accustomed to but you do not hear the,lets say Ekiti people forcing them (Ijebus) to speak the conventional yoruba. Even Benin republic women, some speak the conventional Yoruba, some don't. You have to realise that people have different dialects and[b] respect[/b] it. A typical yoruba man will not understand a person from Ekiti or Kwara or even the Awori dialect and then it draws the question, what then is an ethnic group, what is Yoruba (in your case, what is Igbo)? It is a mixture of vastly different sub-groups that were under an Empire that stretched to Eastern Ghana called the Old OYO empire. The Hausas to had theirs but the Igbos are republican in Nature, so they did not but they are all Igbos. Now, some Dahomey and/or Ewe people are saying they are not Yorubas but do you hear Yorubas forcing it down their throat What about the NUPES (who are now called Tapas in Lagos because they have accepted to be called Yorubas) Do you see the Yorubas forcing the Nupes to say they are Yorubas even though Nupe was part and parcel of the Oyo empire?? Exactly.
I hope you get my point. I do not mean any harm or rivalry but I am simply saying the truth. People should have freedom of choice. If some say they are Igbos, then fine, if not then FINE! If they need to know their language in their DIALECT, teach them. If you do not know it, then do not teach them. But do not try to teach them Igbo because you will simply force them to dislike Igbo. Minorities see acts such as yours an NEO-COLONISATION and they will surely resist it.
If indeed, they are Igbos, GIVE THEM TIME to retract back their steps to the Ndigbo community. I bet with time, most will realise the mistake they may or may not have made and will hopefully come back to the fold but trying to teach them your dialect or what you think is acceptable is simply colonising them and they will certainly reject the Igbo tag even more.

The Nupes were not part of Oyo. Nupe was independent.

Jason, maybe once you understand that no one has a problem with Agbotaen wanting to maintain Ika, exclusively, but rather with his persistence in grouping every other culture-group into one category, because anyone with any real knowledge of the 'Igbo' knows and understands that to do so is just plain wrong and inappropriate,

Abagworo:

@jason123 you are going off topic.The issue here is not like Ewe-Yoruba.It is more like Ijesa-Yoruba,Egba-Yoruba or Oyo-Yoruba.An Ijesa man can argue that he is not Egba.An Ika man can as well argue that he is not Aniocha or Ukwuani but when the term Igbo is used they fall under the same umbrella.

While it is right for an Ika man to claim exclusivity,he should also give others their freedom of exclusivity as well.He cannot group every other people as Igbo.His Oba wrote a book in which he stressed that their Kingship is purely of Nri(purest Igbo) and has nothing to do with Bini.He however admitted the migration of some people from Bini which is universally acceptable across Igboland. Agbotaen however disagrees with their King and claims to know Owa more than the Obi.

Better still you can read up their history from Ndi-Owa official website.

http://www.ndi-owa.com/index.php/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=66:origin-of-owa&catid=4:owa&Itemid=9

http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=144727948885977&topic=341&post=1725

Okay, I will read up on that too. Thanks again.

PhysicsMHD:

The Nupes were not part of Oyo. Nupe was independent.

The point is, I was trying to drive home a message.

ChinenyeN:

Jason, maybe once you understand that no one has a problem with Agbotaen wanting to maintain Ika, exclusively, but rather with his persistence in grouping every other culture-group into one category, because anyone with any real knowledge of the 'Igbo' knows and understands that to do so is just plain wrong and inappropriate,

Okay, point taken.

I got this from fb


"I dont like this Benin this or that being over stressed particularly by Ika people.The legacy of this attitude is why the Benins have held on to Igbanke.When I say that the Anioma are of Igbo stock, I donot categorically insist that they are of Eastern Igbo stock.The two are different.However, it must be borne in mind that as much as we Anioma(Western Igbo) are distinct from the Eastern population, the basic fact that we are of the same linguistic background makes the that collective grouping reasonable.In India for instance that is what it used .That country is diversed just as Nigeria and they donot group people ancestry since people can become assimilated with tme to become who or whatever ever they want to be.Among the Ijaws of Rivers State , the vast majority of them are actually of Igbo stock but they are Ijaws by the virtue of the process of assimilation that have occured in the past.Napoleon the great French leader is of Italian origin.Even among the Edos, they have their own share of assimilated peoples.The present ABBEY family of Benin was originally called Iweluani and they came from the Anioma town of Abbi.The Obaseki family of Benin came from Nsukwa, Ehiosu and Balogban families of Benin came from Akumazi, the Oruan family,,,a priestly family came from Eastern Igboland(possibly Nri), the family that traditionally inter any Queen mother of Benin came from Igala.They were said to have been captured from Igala after a war.

Identifying oneself with a major ethnic group brings with it an aura of confidence and respect.The fact that since after the civil war, the Igbo have not been restored to their rightful status ei as prior to the civil war does not make the option to identify oneself as Igbo less attractive.If you are observant you will notice that the non-Igbo peoples of the state will give you more respect if you identify yourself more as an Igbo.If you do otherwise they want to fragmentate us into pieces and bits and this had served them well in the politics of the state and have kept us to this present situation we have found ourselves politically.The Anioma identity canot be compromised.I always say this that the Aniomans are like Austrians while the Eastern Igbo are like Germans but Austrians know when and how to project their Germanic identity.

Bro, you need to more research on your history.Ijue was the founder of Ute Okpu and a relative of Ogbeje , the founder of Ute Ogbeje.When Adaigbo , the founder of Ogwashi Uku left Nri on account that he slept with his father's youngest wife, many of his relatives accompanied him down to Aniomaland where they founded many towns.Baratchi founded Utchi from which one of his sons Okpam founded Okpanam(originally called Okpam) while the founders of Ute kingdoms moved further west and settled in Ikaland.An account by a colonial officer say they left Ogwashi Uku to the site of their towns(which were hunting camps) after the yams they left behind had sprouted and grown luxuriantly.About a generation, the people of Ute Okpu were invaded by Benin warriors who had cajoled the Obi, Ijue to send his sons to war since they were fighting with the Yorubas of Owo and Akure at that time.After the war, the sons of the king, Odogwu, Izomor and Igbegidi came back to see that their father had died and the youngest of his sons had been made king, they left Ute Okpu and founded Owa.Owa means he has parted away.When Owa broke off, Ute Okpu was formally renamed Ute Okpu from the original name Ute Ijue after the new king and to differentiate her from her kinsfolk at Ute Ogbeje and Owa.This is not to say that there are no Benin elements in Ute Okpu.with time people of Edo origin gradually began to settle on the land and they founded such communities such as Ute Alohen, people from Esan founded Owerre while Odah people came from Ora in the Afenmai area.The Idumuezeaja people was founded by an Nri priest and Aja is the principal deity of Owa and Ute Okpu.From Ute Okpu arose the satelite towns of Ute Enugu and Ute Erumu"

From: Agbotaen(before it was spambotted)

those who claim to be igbo should be igbo and those who say they are ika should be left to be ika , and for your information , the large majority of ika kingdoms did not participate in ekumeku war , it is only some ika communities that were near the aniocha area that engaged in the war and they are very few and in minority,the major ika people like agbor , owa, umunede, abavo, igbanke, ota, oligie, ake, igbontor, ute-oheze,igbogiri, idumuesah, ute-okpu, ute-ogbeje ,did not engage in ekumeku war , and these towns and kingdom constitute the greatest population of ika people.those that engaged in it are igbodo and the akumazi people who are close to aniocha and oshimili people . in owa , my fore fathers fought against the british in what we call the war of iredi in 1906- owa single handedly waged a war against the british ,and after the obi of owa , igbeoba son of obi iseh was captured and exilled in warri where he died , he was over a hundred years old during the war.
what most people on this forum do not know is that in delta north or anioma the people speak 11 languages and many othem are descendants of igala, yoruba ,edo, and others too .it is because many of the people on this site are not from delta state that is why they do not understand, even though many of these communities speak igbo , they still know where they are from.and if you go to ugbodu kingdom near ogwashi-uku , the people still speak an old yoruba called olukunmi, and in okunzu and others ,although they also speak igbo, they are mostly descendants of ondo yorubas mixed with igbos,and in evbu kingdom ,they still speak igala , in agbor two languages are spoken ika-which is a mix of igbo and bini and ozara which is purely edoid language .
you cannot live accross the river niger and thinbk you know our history , although there are also towns in delta who ancestors where purely from igboland.while others are mixed.

The Anioma Ekwumekwu commanders were:


Dunkwu Isusu (Onicha-Olona)
Ochei Nwayazia (Onicha-Olona)
Nwabuzo Olimagwo (Issele-Uku)
Mokobia Odiajo (Ogwashi-Uku)
Nwaiyogolo (Ogwashi-Uku)
Eninwizomo (Ugbodu)
Idegwu Otokpoike (Ubulu-Uku)
Monye Ukpe
Diei Nwobodo
Egbune Uza
Awunor Ugbo (Akumazi)
Abuzu (Idumuje-Unor)
Idabor (Issele-Uku)
Agbambu Oshue (Ibusa)



Some of the Anioma towns that participated were:

Isheagwu
Kwale
Ugbolu
Obiaruku
Aboh
Ebu
Ubulu-Uku
Ogwashi-Uku
Akumazi-Umuocha
Onicha-Ado (Onitsha)
Obomkpa
Ezi
Issele-Uku
Ilah
Okpanam
Issele-Azagba
Owa
Ibusa
Idumuje-Ugboko
Agbor
Igbodo
Umunede
Asaba
Ute-Okpu
Ashama
Idume-Ugbo

Mr Physics:

You are a typical purveyor of hate and oppression-It is the fault of the Anioma that they were killed in Benin, right?  Of course you can't deny the massacre because the fact speak for itself. You just resort to blaming the victim.  It is the same argument being proffered in the North for the recent riots. The mad men of the North are of the same ilk with you. You all have blood of innocent souls dripping from your hands. 

Aha-the Jews asked for their incineration in Germany, the Tutsi brought the Hutu wrath upon themselves, now southerners and christians in the North are to blame that Jonathan allegedly rigged an election against Buhari.

If you are not incorrigible, you will see the absurdity of your blame game.  When the Bini purportedly gave back properties and rents to returning Anioma people, did they give back the lives of innocent women, children and of course men killed in cold blood in the Bini period of "fleeting lunacy?"

Let us say just for argument sake that some Anioma participated in the so-called invasion of Midwestern region a purely military expedition, should that be grounds for the violence that ensued leading to the death of thousands of innocent Anioma souls in Benin? Is your guilty by association reasonable or logical? Blaming Anioma people for their massacre in Benin is simply a travesty and quite despicable.

Believe me, whether Bini atones or not, Anioma people have moved on. But unless you seek penitence, you'll continue to face the Anioma souls crying from the wilderness. And the cries are haunting you know! Do you wonder why Bini have not progressed much? Come to Anioma and see how far we've left the wicked souls.

I will not engage in back and forth banter with you.  It is unnecessary and I think a waste of time! This is the last you'll hear from me on this issue.

As for the attempted annihilation of the Anioma-it is nothing but a truism.  The truth hurts doesn't it? The Bini tried it before and given their antecedent they can do it again if the opportunity presents itself.

Don't worry about Port Harcourt and our Ikwerre brothers, the abandoned property issue has gradually resolved itself.  Over the years, the Igbo have returned to their rightful place there. Yea, many Igbo including myself own properties in Port Harcourt just like they do in Benin.  We are itinerant people and no one can kill the indomitable Igbo spirit. The Bini and their ilk tried but failed woefully!

Here is a quote from an Edo Man about the massacre of my people:

"Benin was the capital of the mid-western states with a high concentration of Asaba-born technocrats, bureaucrats, and professionals who met their untimely end at the hands of federal troops and other accomplices……there appeared a fleeting period of lunacy in which mid-westerners gladly identified Ahaba people to be shot down by federal troops on the so called liberation day in Benin…. It was the first Black On Black genocide in post independence Africa." Midwest Solicitor General, Giwa Amu, The Nigerian Observer, March 16, 1983.

Talking about delusion-Guess the people this honorable man said were deluded and were lunatics?  You guess it -those who killed innocent Anioma people i.e. the Bini! Giwa Amu was objective but you can't digest a coherent and articulated fact because you are a revisionist.

Here is another quote: "The Ahaba Man became the most vulnerable Nigerian…. It required ten positive acts of loyalty to one of the rest of the nation to prove themselves human being. Ever since the Mid-western invasion, they (Ahaba People) had been hounded, killed and considered the greatest security risks than the rest Igbos." Noble Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, The Man Died.

The Midwestern invasion was a convenient excuse for you and your Bini iredentists to engage in what your fellow Edo man called "a fleeting period of lunacy" of the first black on black genocide in post independent Africa.

Bravo!