9Pluto:
A lot of debates or arguments have been going on mainly between(igbos and ijaws) about the identity of Bonny and Opobo people. So much that lots of indigenes are confused about their own identity. However, I will try to be as neutral as possible while I implore you to be a little objective as we embark on this historical fact check.
Most of the arguments in my opinion has been nothing more than mere conjectures. For instance, ijaw people claim the igbo language spoke in both places is foreign while tying to force inhabitants to start learning an entirely new language different from what they learnt at home.
We have seen both igbos and ijaws trying to make their own interpretations of what they think must have happened and as such both of them twist words to have meanings in their their own language.
For example:
Ndoki-ndoki/aminadokiari
Ibani-ubani/ibani/igbani
Amanyanabo-Ama onye nabo/
It might interest you to know that the title Amanyanabo use by ijaws originated from Bonny. The igbo interpretation means, “The town/community of 2 kings/persons”.
Bonny traditionally had 2 kings as documented by Captain Hugh and he was friends with both men who held him in high esteem.
King Pepple and King Holiday were both kings that reigned in Bonny at the same time.


To understand the reality of who Bonny and Opobo people are I would be rellying on the Memoirs of Captain Hugh Crow of Liverpool(1765-1829) and I implore any true son of Bonny or Opobo to consult this book or any other one written before it to really find out their identity. If you do not much time you can read from chapter 10, however reading the whole book gives a huge insight into slavery. It is important to note that while the author confirmed Eboes/igbos as natives of Bonny, there was no mention or acknowledgement of ijaws. But I am using my discretion to assume that the ijaws were the Brass people as the author asserts that the came from the Brass country which is located North West of Bonny.

Impotant dates:
Captain Hugh Crow of Liverpool(1765-1829)
King Jaja of Opobo 1821-1891
Technically King Jaja was born 12 years after slave trade was abolished.
Slave trade was abolished in 1809 by Sir Wilberforce.
Apart from being a popular slave merchant,Captain Crow(a.k.a Play man) was very popular with Kings and Natives of Bonny. He was so popular that he was invited to crown on of the Kings of Bonny at a time and he was regularly invited to help resolve palaver in the kingdom. He was captain of the last ship that left Bonny with slaves after slavery was abolished.

The authors memoir is insightful for many reasons:
It rendered a vivid account of what trans Atlantic slave trade looks like. In his assertions, slave taking from the west African coast to America were better off than their countrymen. During the period in review, whites were also slaves and most Britons became prisoners of the French.

The author asserts that:
Bonny people are chiefly a mix of Eboe/Igbo and Brass/ijaw people.
He described/mentioned the igbo country in the hinterland and the brass country lying north-west of Bonny.
However, most of the details of daily living amongst the natives was more in tune with igbo lifestyle.
He talked about igbo native doctors know as dibia and the enormous influence they wield in justice and health administration, even the kings respect them.
He talked about the use of elephant during the commemoration of King Pepple's father 10 years after the father's death. He mention the value of elephant tusk.
Contrary to conjectures that Pepple was Europeans attempt at pronouncing Perekule, the author asserts that Bonny people derived joy in been given english names as he himself was responsible for crowning a King who he named after an English prince. He confirms that both King Pepple and King Holiday were igbos.
He described in detail the physic, including completion and character of different tribes eboes, brass, appas, quaws, ottams etc

The author described one Chief Fubara who was an acquaintance of King Pepple. He asserts that Chief Fubara was not an indigene of Bonny but a stranger who migrated from Brass country during a crisis with a false claim that he was a warrior in his native Brass.

The author proved that ijaws were not selling igbo slaves as claimed in some quarters. According to him, everyone/every tribe was sold as slave. He described instances where some igbo chiefs set people up with their young beautiful wife and victims eventually pay a fine or become slaves. He explained the reason why more igbo slaves were sold. They relatable to Europeans than most other tribes.

Captain Hugh is credited with one of the earliest attempt to create an Eboe/igbo dictionary.
The author assets that Opobo is an Igbo name for male children.
He assert that natives are often marked according to their origin and that Bonny natives often have short cupped perpendicular markings on their temple.

He confirmed the existence of Cannibalism, that Andoni was considered a dangerous place to venture, the fact that Calabar people eat dog meat, the influence of Benin empire, that some Brass people were employed to make salt during dry season under the Benin empire amongst other things.

I was planning to post pages from his write up to buttress some points, unfortunately i cannot do so on this forum as it seems to permit posting only few images at a time. But i will post some.

CONCLUSION

Bonny and Opobo people are a mix of Igbo and Ijaw in origin. This document however asserts a more igbo origin or dorminance and this perhaps explains the existence of the igbo language spoken there and the existence of igbo masqurades like nwaotam. Shalom

Zooposki:
Who are the quaws, ottams and Appas today?

oyatz:
All these aren't necessary if we understand two important facts;

1) Ethnic Identities are self-indentities.














2) Ethnic Identities , though relatively stable are nevertheless dynamic and may change over a long period of time.

OfoIgbo:
By the way, the BRECHEs are the MGBURU-ICHIs. They are a class of titled Igbos, usually from the Nri sphere of influence.

They had elaborate facial scarifications. Olaudah Equiano's father was an MGBURU-ICHI, and they were highly respected around this period.

Usually, when Igbo towns were at war, it was the MGBURU-ICHIs that mediated and made peace in those towns.

Eze Nri was the head of the MGBURU-ICHIs all over Igboland and Igodomigodo and elsewhere

cc:
9Pluto
Igboid
Slayerforever
Eastlink

dchem:
This people are racist to a fault. Imagine that one saying if Igbo women were white they would be regarded as beautiful in Europe.

SlayerForever:


A calculated guess.

Quaws, generally Ibibiod peoples Andoni etc
Ottams, some Igbo of hinterland.
Appas, Efik people.


Ekealterego come and epp me

Ekealterego:

Rev. John Clarke did a lot of work mapping the languages and people to the maps in that area. H collected multiple samples of the dialects in 1848.
This is Ottam described and the samples from different districts within Otam. From the samples of the Language, Otam is definitely Ibos that are close to anywhere around cross rivers or Akwa-ibom.

9Pluto:



Thanks for shedding more light. I could not really identify who they are/were. However, your comment is consistent with the author's assertions that the Breeches were igbos too.

Ekealterego:

Rev. John Clarke did a lot of work mapping the languages and people to the maps in that area. H collected multiple samples of the dialects in 1848.
This is Ottam described and the samples from different districts within Otam. From the samples of the Language, Otam is definitely Ibos that are close to anywhere around cross rivers or Akwa-ibom.

OfoIgbo:
By the way, the BRECHEs are the MGBURU-ICHIs. They are a class of titled Igbos, usually from the Nri sphere of influence.

They had elaborate facial scarifications. Olaudah Equiano's father was an MGBURU-ICHI, and they were highly respected around this period.

Usually, when Igbo towns were at war, it was the MGBURU-ICHIs that mediated and made peace in those towns.

Eze Nri was the head of the MGBURU-ICHIs all over Igboland and Igodomigodo and elsewhere

cc:
9Pluto
Igboid
Slayerforever
Eastlink

DitariDisciple2:
So why is Bonny and Opobo under all Ijaw socia-cultural organizations till today without leaving even one behind, but they are not even in one Ibo own till today.
Why do their Kings use Amayanabo as title, same with other Ijaw subgroups, like Nembe in Bayelsa Brass in Bayelsa Kalabari, Wakirike and other Ibani.
Both Bonny and Opobo answer Ijaw names and never Ibo own.
Is Ibim Ibiwari from Opobo Ibo names??
Is Adawari from Opobo Ibo name
Is Preye from Bonny Ibo name??
Is Ebi from Bonny Ibo name??
Is Tamuno Kpokpo from Opobo Ibo name
All una lies end here.
All those write ups u posted are all created by Ibo.
Tell me why they are in all Ijaw socia-cultural organizations without leaving even one behind, till today, but they are not even in one Ibo own.

Pass11:
Anybody with good history know this, ijaw people started the lies that king jaja is an ijaw man but we destroyed that claim with proof,they started that king jaja was ijaw salve that was letter made king in ijaw land but we destroyed that claim with proof,
They shift the goal post that king met people on ground before he became king but we destroyed that claim with proof.
They claim that opobo is part of Inc and ijaw youth council so opobo belong to them but we destroyed that claim with proof of ijaw nation constitution that state that anybody can belong to ijaw national council as long as 100 hungry people from that area come together
Now their claim is telling us to claim it physically which we will soon do plan is on ground to do that physically soon.

SlayerForever:


A calculated guess.

Quaws, generally Ibibiod peoples Andoni etc
Ottams, some Igbo of hinterland.
Appas, Efik people.


Ekealterego come and epp me

DitariDisciple2:
So why is Bonny and Opobo under all Ijaw socia-cultural organizations till today without leaving even one behind, but they are not even in one Ibo own till today.
Why do their Kings use Amayanabo as title, same with other Ijaw subgroups, like Nembe in Bayelsa Brass in Bayelsa Kalabari, Wakirike and other Ibani.
Both Bonny and Opobo answer Ijaw names and never Ibo own.
Is Ibim Ibiwari from Opobo Ibo names??
Is Adawari from Opobo Ibo name
Is Preye from Bonny Ibo name??
Is Ebi from Bonny Ibo name??
Is Tamuno Kpokpo from Opobo Ibo name
All una lies end here.
All those write ups u posted are all created by Ibo.
Tell me why they are in all Ijaw socia-cultural organizations without leaving even one behind, till today, but they are not even in one Ibo own.

Ekealterego:

The Quaws is a bit confusing. The Quaws were noted to practice teeth sharpening, which was mostly practised within the Anang, Ibibio areas. It could also be the Okua/okwa/Ukwa which was another name specifically reserved for the Asa and Ndoki.

I uploaded the Appas here.

SlayerForever:



Slow down. Not everyone identifies as Ijaw in Ubani and Opobo despite the cultural confusion there. You are desperately exaggerating.

SlayerForever:


For me the Quaws are not confusing. That has mostly been how the Ibibiod groups are referred to historically.

BKayy:

Imagine, even Racists couldn't resist the beauty of Igbo women.
No be today Igbo women started putting men into trouble, that's why today in Nigeria every thing with penis wants to kill himself on Igbo women's matter.