The fact that the early scholars who wrote our history were not indigenous writers made it very clumsy, complicated and stultified with the attendant ambiguities and irregularities coupled with what I will prefer, false assumptions and erroneous beliefs about our history. Though some of these persons laid today what I would refer the foundation for us to build upon, that doesn’t mean their work can’t be subject to criticism; History those days were hurriedly written just for the award of a certificate, especially those written in respect of Igala deliberately underestimated, exaggerated and discredited in attempts to reduce our strength and fame as a people.


The fact remains, all Igala groups are related from one source as reflects in our dialect, ritual, Name bearing, settlement/location and many more. However, there’s Something I would like to say more today on Idah settlement.
The fact is that, the first Igala to reach Idah are the Igalaogba ( First Igala) and the Etemahis’. It’s Important to note that Igalamela is not a clan but a fusion of many clans who came to Idah at different times. Igalamela was a later identity of the earliest clans that occupy Idah and among them, Igalaogba ( first Igala), Etemahi( root) were the first. The Igala Kingdom was long-established earlier than even the 4th century. But lack of historical records was what reduced the knowledge of earlier Historians about us.


The Ooni Ife recently said in a national publication that is still on Google that Igala, the Yoruba and Igbo are the oldest races in Nigeria. However, it’s important to further note that the Igalaogba(First Igala) people have related to pre-Ife Igala from Egypt and not the present Ife Ada-Adagba/ Abutu-eje lineage.

Meanwhile, the Ada-adagba/ Abutu Ejeh and Etemahi are most probably related. This early Igala groups formed what was popularly known then as Atinolos. The Atinolos never used Ata as the title for their kings. The used Onu. And that’s why till today, they have Onu Ede, Onu Ubiogbo etc with salutation Onu Igala.


These people long had their kingship system before some other Igalas came along with their half brothers like the Agatu ( Idoma), Ebira, Egbura and others joined them in very later years.Atinọlọ, Igalamela, Igalaogba are all aboriginal Igalas whose date of existence on the soil of Idah is even almost lost. Now, the attempt at Igala unification began with Ata Ogala with the alias, Eri who was an Attah Igala
of the Igalamela clan. According to many records, Ata Ogala Eri ruled from 1371-1373


But was later chased away by Igalogba leading to the Igalaogba man, Omaji later corrupted by the European writers as Aji. Ata Omaji took over as Attah in 1373. Ogala (Eri) then left Idah with some loyal Igala soldiers and settled in the present Anambra state to establish his territory. In this location, he established all the Igala structures and started dressing like Attah Igala. When Attah Igala started wearing Ejubejuailo, his descendants ruling at that period added that to their royal regalia too. This is also confirmed thus: According to Mr Lawton in 1917, “The Nris are of Igara(Igala)stock, extended themselves southward from Idah”. “Practically all the towns north of the Onitsha-Akwa road are Nri- including Nteje, Umuleri and Aguleri”. In the Awka Division, Akwuju, Igbariam and Amanuke, Orumebo, Oreri are Nris” In 1955, an Aguleri man, M. C. M. Idigo stated that “The Aguleri people originated from Igara (Igala) and migrated to their present area about three or four centuries ago. According to him The Igala leader Ogala Eri, a warrior, took his people on a war expedition, and after long travel and many fights, established his camp at Eri-aka, near Odanduli stream, a place which lies between Ifite and Igbezunu Aguleri. Eri, with his soldiers, went out regularly from his settlement to Urada, Nnadi and other surrounding towns on war raids and captured many of the inhabitants. These were the Ibo-speaking people and by mixing with them and inter-marriage, the immigrants adopted the language”.In 1960, J. S. Boston stated that “The northern Umunrivillages say that the clan was founded by a man called Eri who came to the Anambra area from Igala country and settled at the Aguleri…”.The Igalaogba produce; Ata Agbo, Ata Agosi, ( Ogoshi bridge), Olema1, Olema11. Making Igalaogba leading with almost three ATAs before the Advent of ABUTU EJE possibly could be a reason for the altercation at least for an Igalamela to emerge again.

The refusal led to the emergence of ABUTU EJE and Igalamela supported him tacitly to weaken the continuous dominance by Igalaogba. ABUTU-EJE now domesticated the throne to his dynasty and discovered that the only open disputant will be the Igalaogba and persecution sets in at various stages and degrees. Reasons why you have the Igala ogba scattered and found in most Igala settlements today.

Another important thing to note is that the Igalamela people are not of the same heritage but igalaogba has a relationship by blood and settled in a clustered linear and uterine arrangement to date.

Take a survey of Igala land today with Idah, in particular, you will realize that the Igalaogba people owe much of the Igala land by the status of heritage before they relinquished Power to Abutu Ejeh descendants. The account of our ORIGIN lies in our settlements and role in our ritual and culture you do not need Miles, Clifford, Boston of blessed memory to know.

https://iyeyiexprex.com/igala-people-dont-need-miles-clifford-or-boston-to-tell-us-our-origin/