My dear there is no more Benin moat to protect you and your masters are now irrelevant in the present scheme of things and no igbo tribe is going to take your desolate land because there are still virgin forest left

So do not suffer paranoid and stop been a disgrace to igbo nation these agbotic Benin wanna be

Between 250 CE and 1948, Jews were expelled from Europe over 80 times. That is, in 1,700 years, people in Europe expelled the Jews at the average rate of once every 21 years.

It happened in France, England, Spain, Portugal, Germany and dozens of other countries. These countries in their own characteristic ways rose up one day to declare that they were tired of hosting Jews and tolerating their behaviors and accepting their attitude that whatever land they lived in was no man’s land. These Europeans claimed they were more charitable, hospitable, accommodating and generous to the Jews than any other nationality, but the Jews abused it. They demanded that all Jews leave or be vanquished. They said they tried but they could not see any good Jew to make them change their minds.

Historians who have studied the phenomenon came up with the usual explanations given as the reason why Jews were expelled. Here are six typical reasons (from history books and online sources) as expressed in popular quotes used during each expulsion, massacre and persecution. 1.) "We hate Jews because they possess too much wealth and power." 2.) "We hate Jews because they arrogantly claim that they are the chosen people." 3.) "Jews are a convenient group to single out and blame for our troubles." 4.) "We hate Jews because they killed Jesus." 5.) "We hate Jews because they are different than us." 6.) "We hate Jews because they are an inferior race."

Historians have examined these reasons in order to see if they were causes of the hatred or the excuses for the hatred. Historians propound that if they are causes, once the cause is taken away, the hatred will vanish. But if the cause is taken away and the hatred remains, then, it is mere excuse.

On the economic reason which says that Jews possess too much wealth that causes envy and resentment, historians found out that the Polish and Russian Jews of the 17th -20th century were “dirty poor” yet, they were hated. When the Jews are doing well, the myth that they have a plan to rule the world by controlling governments and financial establishments took shape in the fictional work called, The Protocols of the Elders of Zion. Though it has been debunked as fiction, it remains a bestselling book in the world.

On the idea that the Jews were claiming to be the chosen ones, historians noted that the Jews of Germany in the 19th century denied the concept of being the chosen ones. Many of them assimilated with mainstream Germans, abandoning their language and culture and ways of life. Yet, when the holocaust started, it did not save them. And the Larry Kings of America, who changed their names to hide their identities and those who are not practicing Jews like Madam Albright, have not been spared as objects of hate. Surprisingly, in today’s world, it is the Christians and the Muslims who openly claim that they are the ones chosen by God and nobody can get to God except through their intermediaries- Jesus and Muhammad. But they don’t get the kind of hatred that the Jews get.

The scapegoating of the Jews, especially in difficult economic and political times, is not a cause but rather an excuse. To scapegoat, you must first of all hate. Hitler conveniently used Jews as scapegoat because the hatred was already there. It made it easy for Germans to believe that Jews were the reason they lost World War I and why the German economy was fluttering. The fifth reason, that the Jews killed Jesus, falls flat when the Christian Bible says that the Romans killed Jesus with the help of Jews but the hatred was reserved for Jews alone. The Roman Catholic Church, in its Second Vatican Council in 1963, had to officially exonerate the Jews, but the hatred continued.

The idea that the Jews were outsiders should have waned with the increase in Jewish assimilation over the years. But it didn’t. Instead, the complaint changed. In Germany, it turned into: "We hate you, not because you're different, but because you're trying to become like us! We cannot allow you to infect the Aryan race with your inferior genes."

The final reason is that “we hate the Jews because they are an inferior race.” The Jews are not a race, to begin with.

This is how Rabbi Kalman Packouz put the dilemma of the Jews. “Every other hated group is hated for a relatively defined reason,” he wrote. “We Jews, however, are hated in paradoxes: Jews are hated for being a lazy and inferior race - but also for dominating the economy and taking over the world. We are hated for stubbornly maintaining our separateness - and, when we do assimilate - for posing a threat to racial purity through intermarriages. We are seen as pacifists and as warmongers; as capitalist exploiters and as revolutionary communists; possessed of a Chosen-People mentality, as well as of an inferiority complex. It seems that we just can't win.”

In 2005, Okey Ndibe wrote a piece he called, "Thou Shall Not Rent to Igbo." In it he brought to the fore the discriminatory challenges Igbo tenants were facing in finding apartments to rent in Lagos. In a rejoinder titled, "Igboman can be a good Tenant,” Kola Akomolede's argued that it was not only Yoruba landlords who do not want the Igbo tenant but landlords of other ethnicities, including some Igbo landlords. He suggested that the real problem was the nature of the Igbo man and not the discrimination against Igbo tenants which he made every effort to justify. He suggested that Ohanaeze should advice Igbo men to "change their attitude and behave like gentlemen."

European intellectuals, including some Jews, made similar appeal to Diaspora Jews across Europe before Hitler came. Many Jews bought into it. They changed their names and many abandoned their religion all together. Some intermarried with Germans. But when Hitler came, it did not save them.

Instead of finding practical structures based on law and order to deal with universal issues between tenants and landlords, Akomolede made flimsy arguments like the one about the Igbo with "good background" being good tenants. Property consultants and owners, he suggested, should care about good background of tenants. He finally fell back on the popular refrain that the Yoruba are the most accommodating nation in Nigeria.

We have heard that line before. And we are hearing a lot of it today. Some have observed that beneath the issue of discrimination against Igbo tenants is the bigger and subtle issue - the battle for Lagos.

That battle for Lagos has actually come out in the open.

Common with all things Nigeria, Akomolede's greatest failure was in subscribing to the predominant Igbo stereotype on the basis of which he demanded a change in the nature of the Igbo. "Stereotypes are not necessarily malicious," once cautioned Chinua Achebe. "They may be well meaning and even friendly. But in every case they show a carelessness or laziness or indifference of attitude that implies that the object of your categorization is not worth the trouble of individual assessment." That’s how the action of a man or a group of people in Nigeria is often ascribed to the action of an ethnic or religious group.

The old conventional wisdom was that of Samora Machel: 'For the nation to live, the tribe must die.' The new conventional wisdom is that, the tribe can live as long as it wants. But for the nation to live, impunity must die; citizens’ rights must be respected; law and order must be established and enforced, irrespective of ethnicity, religion or creed.

On the one hand, since 1914, the primary question of Nigeria has been the Igbo question. There are other important questions, but in the answer to the Igbo question comes the understanding of all the other questions. On the other hand, the primary tragedy of the Igbo is that they are living in a Nigeria that is yet to come, if it ever comes.

The innocence of the Igbo ended long time ago. It ended before 1945 when some Northern elements in Jos first rose up and massacred Igbo people. When it was repeated in 1953 in Kano, the British inquiry reported that, "No amount of provocation, short-term or long term, can in any way justify their (Northern Nigerians) behavior." The British report went further to warn that "the seeds of the trouble which broke out in Kano on May 16 (1953) have their counterparts still in the ground. It could happen again, and only a realization and acceptance of the underlying causes can remove the danger."

Of course, it happened again. It happened in all of northern Nigeria in 1966, Kano in 1980, Maiduguri in 1982, Jimeta in 1984, Gombe in 1985, Kaduna & Kafanchan in 1991, Bauchi, Kastina, & Kano in 1991, Zango-Kataf in 1992, Funtua in 1993, Kano in 1994. Since 1999, over 10,000 people have been killed in more than a dozen incidents of religious/ethnic conflicts. And since 2009, over 4000 people have died in Boko Haram attacks. The dispossession and displacement of Igbo people once desired by the leaders of the Northern House of Assembly in the 60s have now been achieved by Boko Haram in the 2010s. In places like Maiduguri only death-defying Igbo stayed put. Even those types have sent their wives and children home.

Usually, before Igbo bloods were spilled, it was customarily preceded by arguments in several quarters, official and unofficial, in the media and in secrecy, about the disdain of the very nature of the Igbo and the need for Igbo to change. In Northern Nigeria of 1964, there were calls in the Northern House of Assembly to revoke forthwith all Certificates of Occupancy from the hands of the Igbo residents in the region. Lawmakers stood up in the assembly and promised to find ways to do away with the Igbo. Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gashash, O.B.E and Minister of Land and Survey, told the assembly in March of 1964 the following:

"Having heard their demand about Ibos holding land in Northern Nigeria, my ministry will do all it can to see that the demands of members are met. How to do this, when to do it, all this should not be disclosed. In due course, you will all see what will happen. (Applause)".

The Northern People's Congress, NPC, followed Alhaji Gashash's promise by issuing a booklet called SALAMA: Facts must be faced. This booklet portrayed the Igbo in a very bad light and gave the masses in the North the sense that the Igbo were the source of all their problems. At the same time, the government of Western Nigeria also issued their own booklet called UPCAISM in which the Igbo, called "strangers," were depicted as land grabbers who must be removed from Western lands and government positions. The booklets also displayed pictures of shops and stores owned by the Igbo and indulged in undue character assassination.

The military coup of 1966 presented a pretext to carry out a plan that had been laid out years before. It was a plan that aimed at a total extermination of the Igbo or, at least, their containment. The pogrom and the brutal war that followed was the final solution to the perceived Igbo problems in Nigeria. When Anthony Enahoro traveled round the globe arguing that starvation was a weapon of war, he was following the script for the total extermination of the Igbo. When Benjamin Adekunle boasted to foreign reporters, "I want to see no Red Cross, no Caritas, no World Council of Churches, no Pope, no missionary and no UN delegation. I want to prevent even one Ibo from having even one piece to eat before their capitulation. We shoot at everything that moves and when our troops march into the centre of Ibo territory, we shoot at everything even at things that do not move...," he was following the same script.

Just like the once accommodating and charitable and hospitable and generous Germany became a graveyard of Jews when Hitler came, Nigeria became a graveyard of Igbo when Gowon came. And, equally, like Germany, Nigeria failed to accomplish the final solution plan. The only difference was that the Jews learnt from that horrible Holocaust experience and formed their own country while the Igbo failed in that struggle for Biafra and returned to embrace Nigeria as if nothing had happened. Thomas Sowell, a Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution of Stanford University and a renowned scholar on Races and World Economies wrote that, "Most of the great mindless slaughters of the 20th century -- whether of the Armenians in the Ottoman Empire, the kulaks in the Soviet Union, the Jews in Germany, the I[g]bo in Nigeria or the Tamils in Sri Lanka -- have been slaughters of those who dramatically eclipsed the accomplishments of others."

The kulaks were liquidated. The Armenians, the Jews and the Tamils are struggling and still fighting to keep the memories alive and stop it from ever happening again. The Igbo on their part, forgot what happened and why. But the Nigerian elements, disappointed in their unfinished job, have not forgotten. Instead, they are busy preparing for the final battle. Those in doubt should listen when they remind the Igbo openly that “history will repeat itself.” In ways subtle and covetous, they are laying the ground work for what we all know must come. They are making public and closed door speeches in which they are promising that "how to do this, when to do this, will not be disclosed." The seed of the trouble, as far as these Nigerian elements see it, is in the nature of the Igbo. As long as Igbo will not denounce their Igboness, it will happen again. And this time, it may be a total annihilation, from Port Harcourt to Lagos on to Gusau via Abuja.

Acknowledged, it has been difficult, and will always be difficult, for the rest of Nigeria to interpret the Igbo life and worldview. There is a big difference between what the Igbo think and what others think the Igbo think. This misunderstanding, in many quarters, has continued to be transformed into inert hatred. The myth of the Igbo constantly in the face of Nigerians everywhere, has proved very difficult for many to decipher.

In a 2005 Igbo Day keynote speech titled, The Primacy of Political or Economic power: The Igbo Dilemma, Professor Anya O. Anya noted that:

“There is an inherent paradox and contradiction in the lgboman's place in Nigeria. On the one hand given his industry, his intelligence and his enterprise, the Igboman is a desirable gift to Nigeria and the stuff of which great nations and great civilizations can be built. On the other hand, given his presumptive confidence in his abilities and his unabashed hunger to succeed at whatever cost, he engenders fear and unwelcome visibility amongst his compatriots. His lack of subtlety, his drive to overcome and his insatiable "greed" for material progress engenders resentment and often inexplicable, and perhaps, undeserved hostility in the host communities. His "loud" style of Life and the facility with which he can adapt to and adopt new ways can also be unsettling to foreign cultural formations that have come in contact with the lgbo including the colonial masters. There is thus an underlying sense of conflict in the lgbo presence in Nigeria.”

For those who care but do not know and those who know but do not care, the Igbo are not perfect. Like so many other groups, the Igbo have those uncommon human frailties and foibles as well as unique virtues and wisdoms. When their sense of vanity is heightened, their sense of modesty is diminished. When their sense of belonging is enhanced, their sense of variance is lessened. The Igbo know that things others did to them were many but the things they did to themselves were more. (Apologies Prof. Chieka Ifemesia). But the Igbo history warrants that the Igbo must keep eternal vigilance – chasing away the prey while scolding the chick.

In trying to find an answer many observers of negativity in Igbo life seek, I stumbled on "The Focus of Igbo Worldview," a paper presented by Prof. Donatus I. Nwoga. In it he wrote:

“The opportunity which the present times have given for the predominant attributes of the Igbo to blossom into the ugliness of materialistic indiscipline, and lack of grace and finesse, must not be taken to represent the all-time behavior of the Igbo. A characteristic which could have been favorable and positive in one phase of the history of a people, which could again be positive and beneficial in another phase, could present the greatest negative consequences in a transitional phase. In practical terms, the attributes which make the Igbo appear vulgar and materialistic at this phase, could be the same attributes that made them achieving and titled people in the past. The present could merely be revealing the impact of new, uncharted times to the chaotic instinct in those who had been restrained by the limiting structures and facilities of the ordered past. And it is important to retain then the diachronic consciousness that transitional people have the handicap of having lost the grace and poetry of their past, without yet acquiring the grace and poetry, or at least the discipline and sanctions of the modern.”

The duty those who believe in Nigeria owe to this transitioning Nigeria is to give her a structure. In a structured Nigeria where there is law and order, people will be treated as individuals according to the laws of the land. Those who currently take advantage of the disorder in Nigeria would have to get in line or face the letters of the law. In a just and equitable society, those who are industrious, honest and creative will soar. Until then, those who dream of changing the nature of the Igbo or any ethnic group for that matter are confounded with many paradoxes.

The fundamental truth is that the Igbo, as part of humanity, have the right to live anywhere - with or without Nigeria. Let it be known that the original sin of the Igbo has not changed and will never change - it is the sin of being Igbo. It is from it that all other sins emerge and get magnified. The Igbo have nothing to prove and must not begin a defense of that right or a discussion of their Igboness on the terms of others. It is a matter of expediency for the Igbo to know this and for the Igbo to understand its implication in their final battle for survival.

If the Igbo had not embraced western education in the mid-1930s and overtaken the rest of Nigeria thirty years after; if the Igbo had not accepted Nigeria and emigrated from their tropical rain forest of the east to all corners of Nigeria; maybe, the pogrom would not have happened.

For many, a good Igbo is one who is only Igbo in his home; who is not Igbo everyday and everywhere; who is apologetic for being Igbo, and who wears the following expression on his forehead: "how dare you assume I am Igbo?"

Though my last name is as Igbo as they come, I’m sure that I’m not a good Igbo man. I do not conform to every man’s definition of an Igbo, including definition by the Igbo themselves. But that should not be a problem, unless you are Femi Fani-Kayode and his like.

There are serious people vigorously dedicated to the search for a good Igbo man or woman. I enthusiastically applaud them. And I must add, with all honesty, “Bros, Good luck with that!”

sonya4all: am sure you don't have brains to read and understand...

No Sonya4all.you are the one who has got no brains to comprehend his statements.

1. let me state that ika is a nation and a tribe of its own, and that our fore fathers have long known they were independent of any powerful tribe , and let me specifically mention both bini and igbo , and in 1930 , our fathers made a concrete resolution of their ika nation hood again, when they told the british that they are a seperate tribe of people quite different from any known nigerian tribe.
2. this was declared when bini said they owned ika area , in 1930 , and in 1967 , when igbos came with their biafra , we also rejected them ,and their claim that ika nation is part of igbo nation , and we did succceed.
3. the reality today is that ika nation has its own socio-cultural organisation called ogua/onu ika headed by mr osifo, while igbos have their ohaneze ndigbo ,
4. our close neigbhours and brothers the binis have long known that eka or ika is a seperate ethnicity , and thats why in 1930 , when the great benin historian pa jacob eghrevba wrote a book titled -a short history of benin , he mentioned the eka tribe , and how they migrated ,and how they later got mixed with people that migrated from igbo area , and he specifically believed that ika was bini people in diaspora.
5. however like , i have also said in many write ups , ika also has igbo migrants , and so the landscape of ika is also dotted with igbo culture too, but the problem with the igbos is that , they are bent on claiming ika , which is not going to work , because ika has a seperate identity different from igbo , and cultural differences .
6. those who started biafra knew that ika was not part of biafra and they did not consult our fathers and they did not even included ika area in their biafran declaration, so that is it , .
7. when our ika ancestors where building great kingdoms and an organised society , your igbo ancestors where living in a disorganised setting with no visible rulers or organised society , but thanks to the british and the coming of nigeria , igbos now have kings or igwes and ezes who rule , so that means that monarchy is a more civilized system of rulership? and if you say igbos dont nned kings , why is it that all igbo communities now have kings ?
8. i have often said it my family is a proud ika family that has history and culture and it has been passed from father to son to us for the past 700 years , and i am from the lineage of owa kings , starting from my ancestor obi igbedigin which means , i seek refuge in the great and powerful man , he was the second agbogidi of owa , now refered to as the obi of owa , so i am quite aware of owa/ika history.
9. to answer one of the respondents , ika has always maintained her independence since the creation of nigeria,and to win any election , you need the support of all the ethnicities in delta state , and ika has always been a political stronghold even in old western region or midwest or bendel or delta state ,so get that right,
1. in old western region , we had the obi of agbor james igbenoba, as a minister , and we had chief edward anuku from owa as a minister too .
2. in midwest , we had, anthony okungbowa as minister and prof. osunhon,
3. we also had osaigbovou ogbemudia as governor of midwest ,
4. in bendel state we had ivie jegbefume , edobor osaigbovou as commissioners and others,
5. in delta state , we had sam ebonka from owa as deputy governor to gov.ibru, we had prince sam obi as acting governor of delta state, we had chief martins okonta from abavo as speaker , prince sam obi as speaker too , chief ifeanyi okowa as secretary to delta government, and now he is a senator of federal republic , and we have chief okunbor as present chief of staff to delta government , and chief agbele as accountant general delta state , and others ,
6. so if you are jealous of ika nation tell us , igbo people why dont you go and mind your business and try to solve many of your problems ad leave ika alone or do you want to vote in delta state ? you spend most of your time shouting marginalization , instead of planning to get your self in power , ikas have come a long way and we will keep going higher , we have the strategy and political intelligence to go up,
7. anioma is a coming together of many people , some believe they are igbo and many believe they are not , we live in same area and we know ourselves , so mr igbo go mind your business

5.

1. war is not a tea party , yes many igbos were killed , but also many biafran igbos also killed many other nigerians, and war brings out the beast in man, war does not know brothers, in owa kingdom , some idumus or villages have fought themselves bitterly in the past , even killing each order , ife and modakeke also killed each other and they are yorubas, aguleri and umuleri also killed and destroyed each other and they are igbos, bini and ishan had fought many times, and even the british destroyed many parts of owa in 1906 , during the irede war , and we have moved on, so igbos should learn to move on.
2.but more importantly , they should learn to understand and respect others and not try to impose them selves on others, as these breeds disrespect from them.
3.however , i must also commend them for their ability to expand and excell in any fields of life ,but i am hundred percent ika,and will not give up my ethnicity

1. history can be gotten by different people , and the binis certainly have their version , the ikas have theres and the british have theres, for example , when the oba of benin visited owa kingdom in 1990 , the obi of owa addressed the oba from owa royal records oral history , which states that owa and benin had ,had a long relationship, and the benin king that ruled around the early 13th century was facing a rebellion caused by edionehan , or the agbagwala war as we call it in ika , the oba sent for ijue the king of ute okpu , and he sent his eldest son called edogun or odogun to fight in the war and odogun was confered with the title of general , and along with others the oba defeated the enemies and later when odogun migrated into owa-oyibu and met people whom he later subdued ,and he later enlarged his area to include other owa towns , the oba later supported him to become the obi , when he had a dispute with the owa-ofien people, and the obi also told the oba that owa royal records , showed that when oba esigie wanted to go to war against the idah people , he also sent people to owa to ask for the assistance of owa warriors , and the obi ruling then seems to be orghogbua ,the obi of owa, and the oba did not refute this stories , and i am sure this was never recorded in any book on benin history ,
2. before the fall of benin empire in the hands of the british , the agbor kingdom has already succeeded in taking over the trade and royalties that benin collects from the river niger area , and that was why oba overanwen sent 10,0000 soldiers to ologbo and obadan inorder to invade agbor , he sent so many soldiers because agbor was a very strong kingdom , and they had many great warriors , also do not forget that even in benin history , the war that was said to have taken place between agbor and benin around 16th or 17th century in which benin historians said bini won , was also said to be the greatest ressistance that the benin ever had and it is still recounted till today .
3. nyandel existed according to agbor oral history and he wrote down many things , whether write or wrong and he is a european , so he does not need to be hundred percent accurate , and the ancient agbor was larger than what we have today as many areas in present day edo state and some areas of delta north was part of agbor kingdom , up to igbudu akan.
nyandel did not say that agbor was founded in 17th century , he only recorded that AT THAT TIME MANY FAMILIES HAD A LARGE EXODUS FROM BENIN AND SETTLED IN AGBOR AND OBIOR, agbor is many thousand years old .
4. as for the man who said agbor or ika is igbo , i think you are just fooling your self , as ika people have spoken in 1930 and also in 1967 , when they rejected the igbo theory ,that is that , majority of ika people dont want any thing to do with igbo , all they want is ika.
5. as for the likes of ogbuefi and some ekwuoma people saying they are igbos , that is good for them as they are at extreme igbo cultural area and most of their ancestors migrated from igbo land , but there are still many igbodo people whose ancestors also migrated from benin , and the unfortunate thing is that they belong to ika nation , where majority believe they are ika and so their voice cannot be heard , ika people only attend ogua/onu ika and not ohaneze ndigbo ,so let them keep aggitating , may be we will ceed them to igbos , but majority of their town people told their obi that an igbo woman cannot give them the heir to the igbodo throne , so food for thought for igbo people .
5. i dont know why the word benin use to make igbo people go gaga,? but for you information , ika nation is different from bini nation , and igbo nation , or any other nation, ika is ika

agbotaen: 1. history can be gotten by different people , and the binis certainly have their version , the ikas have theres and the british have theres, for example , when the oba of benin visited owa kingdom in 1990 , the obi of owa addressed the oba from owa royal records oral history , which states that owa and benin had ,had a long relationship, and the benin king that ruled around the early 13th century was facing a rebellion caused by edionehan , or the agbagwala war as we call it in ika , the oba sent for ijue the king of ute okpu , and he sent his eldest son called edogun or odogun to fight in the war and odogun was confered with the title of general , and along with others the oba defeated the enemies and later when odogun migrated into owa-oyibu and met people whom he later subdued ,and he later enlarged his area to include other owa towns , the oba later supported him to become the obi , when he had a dispute with the owa-ofien people, and the obi also told the oba that owa royal records , showed that when oba esigie wanted to go to war against the idah people , he also sent people to owa to ask for the assistance of owa warriors , and the obi ruling then seems to be orghogbua ,the obi of owa, and the oba did not refute this stories , and i am sure this was never recorded in any book on benin history ,
2. before the fall of benin empire in the hands of the british , the agbor kingdom has already succeeded in taking over the trade and royalties that benin collects from the river niger area , and that was why oba overanwen sent 10,0000 soldiers to ologbo and obadan inorder to invade agbor , he sent so many soldiers because agbor was a very strong kingdom , and they had many great warriors , also do not forget that even in benin history , the war that was said to have taken place between agbor and benin around 16th or 17th century in which benin historians said bini won , was also said to be the greatest ressistance that the benin ever had and it is still recounted till today .
3. nyandel existed according to agbor oral history and he wrote down many things , whether write or wrong and he is a european , so he does not need to be hundred percent accurate , and the ancient agbor was larger than what we have today as many areas in present day edo state and some areas of delta north was part of agbor kingdom , up to igbudu akan.
nyandel did not say that agbor was founded in 17th century , he only recorded that AT THAT TIME MANY FAMILIES HAD A LARGE EXODUS FROM BENIN AND SETTLED IN AGBOR AND OBIOR, agbor is many thousand years old .
4. as for the man who said agbor or ika is igbo , i think you are just fooling your self , as ika people have spoken in 1930 and also in 1967 , when they rejected the igbo theory ,that is that , majority of ika people dont want any thing to do with igbo , all they want is ika.
5. as for the likes of ogbuefi and some ekwuoma people saying they are igbos , that is good for them as they are at extreme igbo cultural area and most of their ancestors migrated from igbo land , but there are still many igbodo people whose ancestors also migrated from benin , and the unfortunate thing is that they belong to ika nation , where majority believe they are ika and so their voice cannot be heard , ika people only attend ogua/onu ika and not ohaneze ndigbo ,so let them keep aggitating , may be we will ceed them to igbos , but majority of their town people told their obi that an igbo woman cannot give them the heir to the igbodo throne , so food for thought for igbo people .
5. i dont know why the word benin use to make igbo people go gaga,? but for you information , ika nation is different from bini nation , and igbo nation , or any other nation, ika is ika

Piggy, you have pasted this crap before. Don't you get bored of posting articles repeatedly?. Get a life you pig.

1. it is your ancestors that are pigs , you are an ozuor - fool, an ilolo- a cattle and an obolo, - a crazy person, when my ancestor igbedigin was building a great kingdom in owa in 13th century , your fore fathers were still in the bush , living an un-organised life, you son of an igbon -slave,
2. i think you have still not gotten over the shock our elders gave to your land grabbing people in 1967 , and till date have you seen any credible ika leader join your igbo ethnic organisations?
3. if you think you can insult, i will give you double double , you royaless clan ,i bet you dont even know what it is to be blue blooded, my family left a history that is over 700 years old , so what have your ancestors done ?
4. i am very proud of my ika hood, i know my history because apart from reading , our ihogbe or akanwes -scribe always tell us our history and we pass it from father to son ,

agbotaen: 1. it is your ancestors that are pigs , you are an ozuor - fool, an ilolo- a cattle and an obolo, - a crazy person, when my ancestor igbedigin was building a great kingdom in owa in 13th century , your fore fathers were still in the bush , living an un-organised life, you son of an igbon -slave,
2. i think you have still not gotten over the shock our elders gave to your land grabbing people in 1967 , and till date have you seen any credible ika leader join your igbo ethnic organisations?
3. if you think you can insult, i will give you double double , you royaless clan ,i bet you dont even know what it is to be blue blooded, my family left a history that is over 700 years old , so what have your ancestors done ?
4. i am very proud of my ika hood, i know my history because apart from reading , our ihogbe or akanwes -scribe always tell us our history and we pass it from father to son ,

Once again shut up your stinking mouth. Why didnt you repeat your copy and paste this time?. Shameless pig.

1. owa history tell us that obi ewuare who ruled between 1402 -1446 , started igue and ibiewere festival , at the time that another king called ewuare was ruling benin kingdom, food for thought ,

you are an igbo pig without history and i bet you cant even talk about your ancestors , i am a pure ika man , and i am proud of being that , and majority of ika have rejected being igbo , so go to hell ,and may ojuwu the devil push you to a place where there is no ukpe in the pit of hell , ika for life

agbotaen: you are an igbo pig without history and i bet you cant even talk about your ancestors , i am a pure ika man , and i am proud of being that , and majority of ika have rejected being igbo , so go to hell ,and may ojuwu the devil push you to a place where there is no ukpe in the pit of hell , ika for life

Pig shiit-eater, go and cover yourself in shame as you have nothing to offer. It is either copy and paste or repeating your self 10 times. First class Pig, you are the worst thing to happen to this thread. Go and jump inside a gutter, Rectum lover, anusx dweller.

oturugo:
Pig shiit-eater, go and cover yourself in shame as you have nothing to offer. It is either copy and paste or repeating your self 10 times. First class Pig, you are the worst thing to happen to this thread. Go and jump inside a gutter, Rectum lover, anusx dweller.

My man, you have time o! me i don tire for agbontaen and his wahala

foolish igbotic fools..... you will soon be deported to your village... igbon.. slaves

sonya4all: foolish igbotic fools..... you will soon be deported to your village... igbon.. slaves

This nna-boy don vexooo

I've noticed another trend among these Edo-clinging groups in tracing their lineage using Edo kings. It is quite clear that the Benin empire had a large territory, expanding all the way to Lagos and western Igboland(Anioma). Several edoid groups were also under this Benin influence such as the Afemai, Esan, Urhobo, Isoko etc. The Benin empire wielded a great influence but didn't find it imperative to spread their language or impose their language on their acquired territories like the British. It seems that Edo language remained as a royal language and was learned as a second language by subdued groups when they visited Benin to communicate with the Obas of Benin and his subjects. During the reign, the Benin empire sent out their representatives to their acquired territories to reign as kings over them, thus maintaining its influence. These benin-blooded kings brought with them the Edo-style of Kingship to the anioma areas they reigned over and they settled in their new foreign territories, only reporting to the King of Benin when necessary. And after each king reigned successfully, his own son took over. With time these kings had descendants who assimilated into the language and culture of the greater populace they found themselves in, while still retaining their Bini surnames(family name) and Igbo first names(showing they had Igbo mothers).

This, however, doesn't in no way conjure up to mean that these kings founded these anioma areas. These kings met an already existing Igbo sub group over which they wielded their influence using the Edo kingship style, given the lack of an existing Kingship structure among many Igbo sub groups.

The British people were great colonialists. They expanded their territories by acquiring more territories and sending out their people to lord over the natives. Nigeria was colonized by Britain. And we had series of British 'Kings' who ruled over Nigeria for so many years in quick succession. That doesn't mean they found Nigeria empty. And that doesn't equally mean that we should turn around and claim british ancestry through the British Kings that ruled over us for decades before independence. It would be very laughable for Nigerians to turn around tomorrow and start claiming British ancestry just because we had British Kings therefore, we are British people. It would also be very absurd to speculate that an Edo group of people arrived an Igbo-speaking area, drove away the Igbo people and settled there, yet lost their language to Igbo - the language of the people they chased away! Such logic is flawed. No matter how you try to defend that logic or come up with some imaginary explanation for that, the logic is heavily flawed because history repeats itself. And never in the annals of history has it been recorded that an invading colonial group invaded a land, chased away its natives, settled there and yet lost their own original language and started speaking the language of the natives of which they pursued away and had no contact with again after their exile. Its either there was no such type of invasion actually or that these foreign people who were few in numbers to actually subdue a greater population journeyed into a new language territory, were taken in, and with time assimilated WILLINGLY into the greater population. In history, all invading groups all maintained their language. The English people invaded America, chased away the native indians, settled there and maintained their English language. The Spanish people who led great and far-reaching conquests invaded new areas(Mexico, Uruguay, Paraguay etc) chased away many of the natives, or intermarried with them and maintained Spanish. The same goes for French, Portuguese, and German. The descendants of the Dutch people who invaded South Africa still today speak a Dutch creole, which is reminiscent of their Dutch ancestry. Why can't the same be said for any of these so-called Edo-clinging groups in Delta state? If these people claim to be from Edo, the Edo language should still be spoken somehow, even if its a corruption of Edo, in Anioma. Yet that is non-existent.

Edo kings may have ruled in some anioma areas, that doesn't negate the fact that these people were and still are an original igbo stock who happened to have a foreign king from the Benin empire.

bigfrancis21: I've noticed another trend among these Edo-clinging groups in tracing their lineage using Edo kings. It is quite clear that the Benin empire had a large territory, expanding all the way to Lagos and western Igboland(Anioma). Several edoid groups were also under this Benin influence such as the Afemai, Esan, Urhobo, Isoko etc. The Benin empire wielded a great influence but didn't find it imperative to spread their language or impose their language on their acquired territories like the British. It seems that Edo language remained as a royal language and was learned as a second language by subdued groups when they visited Benin to communicate with the Obas of Benin and his subjects. During the reign, the Benin empire sent out their representatives to their acquired territories to reign as kings over them, thus maintaining its influence. These benin-blooded kings brought with them the Edo-style of Kingship to the anioma areas they reigned over and they settled in their new foreign territories, only reporting to the King of Benin when necessary. And after each king reigned successfully, his own son took over. With time these kings had descendants who assimilated into the language and culture of the greater populace they found themselves in, while still retaining their Bini surnames(family name) and Igbo first names(showing they had Igbo mothers).

This, however, doesn't in no way conjure up to mean that these kings founded these anioma areas. These kings met an already existing Igbo sub group over which they wielded their influence using the Edo kingship style, given the lack of an existing Kingship structure among many Igbo sub groups.

The British people were great colonialists. They expanded their territories by acquiring more territories and sending out their people to lord over the natives. Nigeria was colonized by Britain. And we had series of British 'Kings' who ruled over Nigeria for so many years in quick succession. That doesn't mean they found Nigeria empty. And that doesn't equally mean that we should turn around and claim british ancestry through the British Kings that ruled over us for decades before independence. It would be very laughable for Nigerians to turn around tomorrow and start claiming British ancestry just because we had British Kings therefore, we are British people. It would also be very absurd to speculate that an Edo group of people arrived an Igbo-speaking area, drove away the Igbo people and settled there, yet lost their language to Igbo - the language of the people they chased away! Such logic is flawed. No matter how you try to defend that logic or come up with some imaginary explanation for that, the logic is heavily flawed because history repeats itself. And never in the annals of history has it been recorded that an invading colonial group invaded a land, chased away its natives, settled there and yet lost their own original language and started speaking the language of the natives of which they pursued away and had no contact with again after their exile. Its either there was no such type of invasion actually or that these foreign people who were few in numbers to actually subdue a greater population journeyed into a new language territory, were taken in, and with time assimilated WILLINGLY into the greater population. In history, all invading groups all maintained their language. The English people invaded America, chased away the native indians, settled there and maintained their English language. The Spanish people who led great and far-reaching conquests invaded new areas(Mexico, Uruguay, Paraguay etc) chased away many of the natives, or intermarried with them and maintained Spanish. The same goes for French, Portuguese, and German. The descendants of the Dutch people who invaded South Africa still today speak a Dutch creole, which is reminiscent of their Dutch ancestry. Why can't the same be said for any of these so-called Edo-clinging groups in Delta state? If these people claim to be from Edo, the Edo language should still be spoken somehow, even if its a corruption of Edo, in Anioma. Yet that is non-existent.

Edo kings may have ruled in some anioma areas, that doesn't negate the fact that these people were and still are an original igbo stock who happened to have a foreign king from the Benin empire.

bigfrancis21: I've noticed another trend among these Edo-clinging groups in tracing their lineage using Edo kings. It is quite clear that the Benin empire had a large territory, expanding all the way to Lagos and western Igboland(Anioma). Several edoid groups were also under this Benin influence such as the Afemai, Esan, Urhobo, Isoko etc. The Benin empire wielded a great influence but didn't find it imperative to spread their language or impose their language on their acquired territories like the British. It seems that Edo language remained as a royal language and was learned as a second language by subdued groups when they visited Benin to communicate with the Obas of Benin and his subjects. During the reign, the Benin empire sent out their representatives to their acquired territories to reign as kings over them, thus maintaining its influence. These benin-blooded kings brought with them the Edo-style of Kingship to the anioma areas they reigned over and they settled in their new foreign territories, only reporting to the King of Benin when necessary. And after each king reigned successfully, his own son took over. With time these kings had descendants who assimilated into the language and culture of the greater populace they found themselves in, while still retaining their Bini surnames(family name) and Igbo first names(showing they had Igbo mothers).

This, however, doesn't in no way conjure up to mean that these kings founded these anioma areas. These kings met an already existing Igbo sub group over which they wielded their influence using the Edo kingship style, given the lack of an existing Kingship structure among many Igbo sub groups.

The British people were great colonialists. They expanded their territories by acquiring more territories and sending out their people to lord over the natives. Nigeria was colonized by Britain. And we had series of British 'Kings' who ruled over Nigeria for so many years in quick succession. That doesn't mean they found Nigeria empty. And that doesn't equally mean that we should turn around and claim british ancestry through the British Kings that ruled over us for decades before independence. It would be very laughable for Nigerians to turn around tomorrow and start claiming British ancestry just because we had British Kings therefore, we are British people. It would also be very absurd to speculate that an Edo group of people arrived an Igbo-speaking area, drove away the Igbo people and settled there, yet lost their language to Igbo - the language of the people they chased away! Such logic is flawed. No matter how you try to defend that logic or come up with some imaginary explanation for that, the logic is heavily flawed because history repeats itself. And never in the annals of history has it been recorded that an invading colonial group invaded a land, chased away its natives, settled there and yet lost their own original language and started speaking the language of the natives of which they pursued away and had no contact with again after their exile. Its either there was no such type of invasion actually or that these foreign people who were few in numbers to actually subdue a greater population journeyed into a new language territory, were taken in, and with time assimilated WILLINGLY into the greater population. In history, all invading groups all maintained their language. The English people invaded America, chased away the native indians, settled there and maintained their English language. The Spanish people who led great and far-reaching conquests invaded new areas(Mexico, Uruguay, Paraguay etc) chased away many of the natives, or intermarried with them and maintained Spanish. The same goes for French, Portuguese, and German. The descendants of the Dutch people who invaded South Africa still today speak a Dutch creole, which is reminiscent of their Dutch ancestry. Why can't the same be said for any of these so-called Edo-clinging groups in Delta state? If these people claim to be from Edo, the Edo language should still be spoken somehow, even if its a corruption of Edo, in Anioma. Yet that is non-existent.

Edo kings may have ruled in some anioma areas, that doesn't negate the fact that these people were and still are an original igbo stock who happened to have a foreign king from the Benin empire.

bigfrancis21: I've noticed another trend among these Edo-clinging groups in tracing their lineage using Edo kings. It is quite clear that the Benin empire had a large territory, expanding all the way to Lagos and western Igboland(Anioma). Several edoid groups were also under this Benin influence such as the Afemai, Esan, Urhobo, Isoko etc. The Benin empire wielded a great influence but didn't find it imperative to spread their language or impose their language on their acquired territories like the British. It seems that Edo language remained as a royal language and was learned as a second language by subdued groups when they visited Benin to communicate with the Obas of Benin and his subjects. During the reign, the Benin empire sent out their representatives to their acquired territories to reign as kings over them, thus maintaining its influence. These benin-blooded kings brought with them the Edo-style of Kingship to the anioma areas they reigned over and they settled in their new foreign territories, only reporting to the King of Benin when necessary. And after each king reigned successfully, his own son took over. With time these kings had descendants who assimilated into the language and culture of the greater populace they found themselves in, while still retaining their Bini surnames(family name) and Igbo first names(showing they had Igbo mothers).

This, however, doesn't in no way conjure up to mean that these kings founded these anioma areas. These kings met an already existing Igbo sub group over which they wielded their influence using the Edo kingship style, given the lack of an existing Kingship structure among many Igbo sub groups.

The British people were great colonialists. They expanded their territories by acquiring more territories and sending out their people to lord over the natives. Nigeria was colonized by Britain. And we had series of British 'Kings' who ruled over Nigeria for so many years in quick succession. That doesn't mean they found Nigeria empty. And that doesn't equally mean that we should turn around and claim british ancestry through the British Kings that ruled over us for decades before independence. It would be very laughable for Nigerians to turn around tomorrow and start claiming British ancestry just because we had British Kings therefore, we are British people. It would also be very absurd to speculate that an Edo group of people arrived an Igbo-speaking area, drove away the Igbo people and settled there, yet lost their language to Igbo - the language of the people they chased away! Such logic is flawed. No matter how you try to defend that logic or come up with some imaginary explanation for that, the logic is heavily flawed because history repeats itself. And never in the annals of history has it been recorded that an invading colonial group invaded a land, chased away its natives, settled there and yet lost their own original language and started speaking the language of the natives of which they pursued away and had no contact with again after their exile. Its either there was no such type of invasion actually or that these foreign people who were few in numbers to actually subdue a greater population journeyed into a new language territory, were taken in, and with time assimilated WILLINGLY into the greater population. In history, all invading groups all maintained their language. The English people invaded America, chased away the native indians, settled there and maintained their English language. The Spanish people who led great and far-reaching conquests invaded new areas(Mexico, Uruguay, Paraguay etc) chased away many of the natives, or intermarried with them and maintained Spanish. The same goes for French, Portuguese, and German. The descendants of the Dutch people who invaded South Africa still today speak a Dutch creole, which is reminiscent of their Dutch ancestry. Why can't the same be said for any of these so-called Edo-clinging groups in Delta state? If these people claim to be from Edo, the Edo language should still be spoken somehow, even if its a corruption of Edo, in Anioma. Yet that is non-existent.

Edo kings may have ruled in some anioma areas, that doesn't negate the fact that these people were and still are an original igbo stock who happened to have a foreign king from the Benin empire.

Great piece bigfrancis21.This is what this thread should be-a platform for intellectual discourse.I enjoin the rest of nairalanders to put a stop to the mudslinging,brickbat throwing and cursing.I expect a counter arguement from another intellectual.

whyteone:

Great piece bigfrancis21.This is what this thread should be-a platform for intellectual discourse.I enjoin the rest of nairalanders to put a stop to the mudslinging,brickbat throwing and cursing.I expect a counter arguement from another intellectual.

And you are?.
Anyway, where is your own contribution.

1. we know where majority of ika people started or migrated from , it is not in doubt as all our villages and families have a well kept record, agbor , was previously called ominijie in ancient world , and agbor was ruled by ogiso and ogeles in ancient world about some thousands years ago , before the obi or dein dynasty of 12th century , as some of the kings that ruled agbor before the obi era went by the names of ohunmagho , 2. agbonzegbe, uwangue, edebiri, and others , and these were clearly edo related names and people , and most of the towns and vilages in agbor also go aby edo names such , as
1. ihogbe
2. uvbere
3. ozanogogo,
4. alizomor,
5. omumu
6. obiolihe,
7. idumuoza,
8. owuwu and others,


2. the first migrants into owa kingdom , moved in from benin , via , ikoha in ovia local government area of benin , led by adagba ,and founded owa- ofien as the first and oldest owa community, and later ugasogun from benin , founded owa- ekei, all around 6th and 7 th century and in 11 th, century benin and ishan people founded owa- oyibu led by a man called oyibu, and it was not untill later 12th century that edogun or odogun migrated into owa from ute-okpu kingdom, . when odogun came to owa , he met a ruler at imenoyibu called edo aigbedion and he deposed him and took over rulership, there was also migration from abavo kingdom into owa-oyibu , in idumuzugbo area, and idumuesah returnees in ogbeohun all in oyibu.
owa-alero was founded by a prince from agbor kingdom , named omi eborwise , and later others came from uronigbe in edo , otolokpo , ute okpu and ute ogbeje all in ika areas ,while owa-alizomor was founded by people from obazagbon nugu , and ozomor the brother of edogun from ute okpu , and so owa people came from many places to form owa kingdom,
and that is why today , owa has villages like idumu ogbe, iru, idumu ile, idumu eki, idumu ezomor , idumu usuma, and others , like alegwe, amika , and others ,
in owa the nri migration can be traced to ute okpu kingdom , and that is where owa got the igbo migrations from , as ute was already a mixed kingdom in the 12th century , where igbo migrants and benin migrants have started mixing ,
3.abavo was initially called avbabvo , it was an edo name , and the town was founded by prince avbabvo in the 12th century , but the name was changed in 1906 by the british to abavo , and later other people came from other places in both edo and delta state,
4. mbiri was founded thousands of years ago by airen , a prince of king ogiso from benin, and later others came ,0
5. umunede was formerly called ukpehoro kingdom and was founded by prince ede and iye , before others came ,
however this we have always repeated , but igbos will not let us rest , ika cannever be divorced from benins, or ishan, as we share blood ties and cultural ties , we also acknowledge our ties with igbos too ,just like itsekiri acknowledges both her ties with bini and yoruba , but itsekiri is a tribe of its own , isoko and uhrobo are related , and benin and ishan are related but are seperate tribes , so also ika is different from bini and also different from igbos, ika is a tribe of its own, and in history ika has always dissappointed those who want to take over ika tribe , i.e. igbos in 1967 and binis in 1930, let that be a lesson .
6. i am proud of my ika , ancestory and i know what my father told me , he told me , i was ika , and thats what i will always be , as some people on this web were told by their parents that they were igbos and so igbo they are.

1. real ika when spoken is a mix of edo and igbo , unless , the igbos are telling us that there are no edo words in ika , language , as i speak owa dialect of ika , i mean proper ika and not pidgin ika , and i am still amazed as how our language got both igbo and edo mixed , and that made me to do research on ika , even our language has many yoruba words too such , as
1. keke is yoruba for bycicle , in ika it is ikeke,
2. bottle is igo in yoruba , in ika it is ogorh,
3. jaw is agbon in yoruba , in ika it is agban,
4. a ruffian is ikpata in yoruba , it is ikpatah in ika,
5. ogberi is novice in yoruba in ika , it is ogbori,
and we have many things with edo too like ,
1. okpan , plate in both benin and ika,
2. ihian , human in both edo and ika,
3. ukpe or orukpe is light in ika and edo,
and many more ,
if i say, dodo wehe nim urukpe or ukpe hun ri elu agara ni , it means get me that lamp on the chair , you can see both edo and igbo mixed,
2. okenyeni ka shiani m eri , this man will bear witness for me,
3. iyenren ni eyin jenkorde shime imen ogwua idumu , ke edionma ile ri ogbe enyin,ke gi kokome ebon eyin ile,

, 4. a ghonron ziile , ye gbeke ikponmor , do not brag ,and you waste too much time ,
the ogua /onu ika is trying to bring back ika language to , its normal status , and correct many things spoken as ika language , especially when people change ika words and replace them with words that were not originally ika , due to influence from our neighbours or the fact that we want to speak like our neighbours , words like dibie, efere, madu, chinyere, chioma, ogbuebulu , akalaka , were not original ika words as we have our words , and ika people should also be careful in naming their children , names that do not reflect ika culture or language , i know it might take a little time , but we shall restore ika language and culture

agboaten write a book for goodness sake....ah ah your writings na wa ..

I understand agbotaens stance here! The ika having benin influence and nri influence too! What he fails to understand is tht igbo isn't a tribe. Its a cutlure thts engendered and assimilated by various groups of ppl. Its no big deal tht what we knw as ndoki abariba etc have ijaw and ibibio influences,onitsha was not an igbo enclave in 15th century but igalas edos etc! These ppl decided (not forced) to engender igbo traditions names titles and celebrations a s way of life and automatically they became igbo. There's hardly any part of the south east tht can claim pure nri status as @ 15century. My grandfathers surname was durabaro! I dnt knw wht language tht means but my granddad left his original hometown(probably ijaw efiketc) settled in present IMO, studied bevame wealthy, bought one of the evil forests built on it and the rrmainin part he allocated to new sets of adopted family members!lest I forget he changed his surname too. Nosiri. I'm from mbaitoli in imostate today. So tracing ika history is worthless here cos we all can trace our kindred histories. What matters most is the ika nation has assimilated so much of igbo culture to become nwafors! Its not a war of dominance its simply adaptation. Reversing it as ure tryn to do is impossible! Your igbo part is here to stay..

1. ika has never been nwafors or any other tribe , ika nation has always been vigilant and we have always succeeded in ressisting any attempt by any big tribe be it bini or igbo to colonise us into their fold , and i praise our ancestors for putting up such defence ,in 1930 , ika rejected being benin and wrote to the british and ika stood as a seperate nation, and in 1967 during the civil war , the igbos wanted and claimed that ika was part of igboland, but our fathers rejected and put up a ressistance , and the rest is now history , and ika stood again as a nation, and not an appendage to igbo ,
2. we have strengthened our resolve by founding our own socio-cultural organisation called ogua/onu ika , and 99 percent of ika people are not members of ohaneze ndigbo or any igbo ethnic organisation,what proof do you want again ,
3. let me restate the great ika universal declaration made in 1930 , to the british and it goes like this - ika is not a part of any ethnic group in nigeria, end of story , and on this majority of ika people stand ,but we still have some ika people in igbodo and ekwuoma who say they are igbo , we wish them good luck , but they cannot sway the 99 percent of ika people who believe and say they are ika.
4. i also wish the internet igbo tigers good luck , but when critical desitions will be taken , ika will remain ika , while igbo will always remain igbo
5. tracing ika historical patterns in for academic and historical purpose , but the reality is that ika is a seperate nation , that is different from igbo nation or any other nation

1. in ancient nigeria before the colonial times , and just after colonial times , most nigerian tribes had tribal marks to distinguish them , from their neighbouring tribes ,and i have taken time to study many ika people who are 100 years and above or 80 years plus , and i found out that they had a tribal mark called igu, performed by the osigu or okawina and those who had idinwina ,our traditional nurses and midwives , while in benin , they called it iwu also perfomed by owinas, and they are strikingly similar , but that is not to say ikas are benins, and this igu goes clearly to show that ika has always been a different tribe ,unlike igbos that also have their different tribal marks, when i asked a relative of mine who has an igu mark , he said , it also enabled them to be able to move freely in ancient ika/ edo kingdoms and as such they wuold not be kidnapped for sacrifice:{ese}
2. ika now has a new testament and may be later this year , they will print out the old testament , and ogua ika is wrtting many books on ika language /culture, and one man has written a book like a small dictionary of ika words , but not yet a dictionary , but soon we will have dictionaries of ika , so that others will not teach us our language any more,
3. if i say ojuwu as satan, some one will not say it is ekwensu, if i say obu, some one will not say dibie, if i say ighonghai , some one will not say ajo nmo, if i say igbeikponmo , some one will not say igbu ogen, if i say honron, some one will not say ngangah, if i say ehi , some one will not say chi, if i say agah or agara , some one will not say ocho, if i say mkpuodu or igbe idayi some one will not say igunefan,

Akuko ifo. *Yawns*

keep yawning. hungry bigFOOL... IGBON

bigfrancis21: I've noticed another trend among these Edo-clinging groups in tracing their lineage using Edo kings. It is quite clear that the Benin empire had a large territory, expanding all the way to Lagos and western Igboland(Anioma). Several edoid groups were also under this Benin influence such as the Afemai, Esan, Urhobo, Isoko etc. The Benin empire wielded a great influence but didn't find it imperative to spread their language or impose their language on their acquired territories like the British. It seems that Edo language remained as a royal language and was learned as a second language by subdued groups when they visited Benin to communicate with the Obas of Benin and his subjects. During the reign, the Benin empire sent out their representatives to their acquired territories to reign as kings over them, thus maintaining its influence. These benin-blooded kings brought with them the Edo-style of Kingship to the anioma areas they reigned over and they settled in their new foreign territories, only reporting to the King of Benin when necessary. And after each king reigned successfully, his own son took over. With time these kings had descendants who assimilated into the language and culture of the greater populace they found themselves in, while still retaining their Bini surnames(family name) and Igbo first names(showing they had Igbo mothers).

This, however, doesn't in no way conjure up to mean that these kings founded these anioma areas. These kings met an already existing Igbo sub group over which they wielded their influence using the Edo kingship style, given the lack of an existing Kingship structure among many Igbo sub groups.

The British people were great colonialists. They expanded their territories by acquiring more territories and sending out their people to lord over the natives. Nigeria was colonized by Britain. And we had series of British 'Kings' who ruled over Nigeria for so many years in quick succession. That doesn't mean they found Nigeria empty. And that doesn't equally mean that we should turn around and claim british ancestry through the British Kings that ruled over us for decades before independence. It would be very laughable for Nigerians to turn around tomorrow and start claiming British ancestry just because we had British Kings therefore, we are British people. It would also be very absurd to speculate that an Edo group of people arrived an Igbo-speaking area, drove away the Igbo people and settled there, yet lost their language to Igbo - the language of the people they chased away! Such logic is flawed. No matter how you try to defend that logic or come up with some imaginary explanation for that, the logic is heavily flawed because history repeats itself. And never in the annals of history has it been recorded that an invading colonial group invaded a land, chased away its natives, settled there and yet lost their own original language and started speaking the language of the natives of which they pursued away and had no contact with again after their exile. Its either there was no such type of invasion actually or that these foreign people who were few in numbers to actually subdue a greater population journeyed into a new language territory, were taken in, and with time assimilated WILLINGLY into the greater population. In history, all invading groups all maintained their language. The English people invaded America, chased away the native indians, settled there and maintained their English language. The Spanish people who led great and far-reaching conquests invaded new areas(Mexico, Uruguay, Paraguay etc) chased away many of the natives, or intermarried with them and maintained Spanish. The same goes for French, Portuguese, and German. The descendants of the Dutch people who invaded South Africa still today speak a Dutch creole, which is reminiscent of their Dutch ancestry. Why can't the same be said for any of these so-called Edo-clinging groups in Delta state? If these people claim to be from Edo, the Edo language should still be spoken somehow, even if its a corruption of Edo, in Anioma. Yet that is non-existent.

Edo kings may have ruled in some anioma areas, that doesn't negate the fact that these people were and still are an original igbo stock who happened to have a foreign king from the Benin empire.

chai Nna e ma akwukwo..... see write up. Eziokwu bu Ndu
I dont know why some of my igbo brethen in delta state like have baked stories.

Funny thing is, I can pick any of the frontier Igbo groups: Nsukka, Ezza, Ohaozara, Afikpo, Abiriba etc, and by using the same kinds of arguments Agbontaen is using, I can 'demonstrate' that they too are not Igbo.

But I have long learnt to keep off arguments like this. They are just fruitless, and energy-sapping.

Radoillo:

Funny thing is, I can pick any of the frontier Igbo groups: Nsukka, Ezza, Ohaozara, Afikpo, Abiriba etc, and by using the same kinds of arguments Agbontaen is using, I can 'demonstrate' that they too are not Igbo.

But I have long learnt to keep off arguments like this. They are just fruitless, and energy-sapping.

Its better you keep off your silly arguments here. No particular group is Igbo but collectively, they are all Igbo.

Ngodigha1:
Its better you keep off your silly arguments here. No particular group is Igbo but collectively, they are all Igbo.

Why do people keep misunderstanding my comments on Nairaland?

If u had read my comment carefully, u would have seen we are actually on d same side on this.

By pointing out Nsukka and Ezza, etc, I was only trying to make a point that there are other Igbo groups who have been heavily influence by non-Igbo groups (like Ika was influenced by Benin) and yet are classified as Igbo. Putting Ezza and Nkanu and Ngwa under the Igbo generic umbrella, but keeping Ika outside it, is like saying the Lion, the Tiger and the Cheetah are Big Cats, but the leopard is not.

Maybe I should try making my comments a bit less cryptic. Seems lots of folks here don't get me most times.

Radoillo: By pointing out Nsukka and Ezza, etc, I was only trying to make a point that there are other Igbo groups who have been heavily influence by non-Igbo groups (like Ika was influenced by Benin) and yet are classified as Igbo. Putting Ezza and Nkanu and Ngwa under the Igbo generic umbrella, but keeping Ika outside it, is like saying the Lion, the Tiger and the Cheetah are Big Cats, but the leopard is not.

Maybe I should try making my comments a bit less cryptic. Seems lots of folks here don't get me most times.

. I understood your allegory perfectly well brother. Yea, some people don't read to understand the meaning of sentences well before jumping into conclusions. That doesn't mean you should become less cryptic in your writings. Keep it up. It spices up your essays.