HISTORY AND ORIGIN OF AGBOR AND IKA PEOPLE

Chinemerem Ahanonu @
#igbohistoryandculturet
Editorial Contributions By Aroh Anthony

OBI OF AGBOR, DEIN BENJAMIN IKENCHUKWU KEAGBOREKUZI, set a global record as the youngest monarch in the entire universe at his installation in 1979, at a mere 28 months ( Two(2) years and four(4) months).

This historic event is recorded in the 1981 Edition of the Guinness Book of World Records, set in the wake of the untimely death of his father and then reigning OBI of AGBOR, JAMES OBIKA IKENCHUKU, was later to set the pace for the trail-blazing life of the unusual king.

Upon his coronation he was taken away immediately to the Palace of the Oba of Benin, Oba Erediauwa for save keeping, from whence he was taken abroad for forester care and study before coming back to begin reign at an matured age.

The Obi of Agbor returned to Agbor in 2000 at age 22 years.

BRIEF HISTORY OF IKA PEOPLE.
Geographically, Ika speaking people are found in the North-West part of Delta State. Ika shares borders with Binis, in the West with the Ishans in the North, with Aniochas in the East and with Ukwuanis in the south.

Politically, Ika people are mainly found in two local government areas, Ika North East and Ika South local Government Areas, Delta State both were created in 1991 from a single Ika Local Government Area, Delta State.

Ika South and Ika North East Local Government Areas, occupy a land area of 117.45 Square Kilometres (Delta State Government website, 1999) with a Total Population of about 240,000 people.

There are other Ika speaking people that are political outside the Ika North East and Ika South Local Government Areas.

Agbor kingdom is in Ika South, Delta State, Nigeria. The indigenes of Agbor town are Ika people. Agbor remains the largest of Ika communities with close geographical proximity to Benin City.

This proximity has been azsource of constant conflict with Benin, even uptil 1897AD when the British invaded Benin.

Agbor is considered as the “most politically and militarily powerful of all Ika clans as recorded by Chukwu Ebuka and Iwueze Awele Success. The conflict with Benin which lasted until 1897AD may have also swelled the military prowess of the community and helped to make it a force to reckon with within the Ika nation (Simpson, 1936).

The headquarters of Agbor has been moved several times until the recent in 1935 to Ime-obi. The reasons for the movement of the headquarters several times have been given as farming convenience and wars of succession. Since the Agbor had always faced threats from the Bini kingdom, it is also possible that the security of the headquarters from external invaders was an important consideration in the constant relocations of the headquarters.

IKA COMMUNITY STRUCTURE: Ika is made up of Clans, Villages (Ogbe), Quarters (Idumu) and Family Units (Nmunne).

The following are the Eleven Clans that make up the Ika community:
1. Agbor Clan,
2. Owa Clan,
3. Abavo Clan,
4. Ute-Okpu Clan,
5. Ute-Ogbeje Clan
6 Umunede Clan,
7. Akumazi Clan,
8. Igbodo Clan,
9. Otolokpo Clan,
10. Mbiri Clan,
11. Idumuesah Clan
12. Orogodo/Boji-Boji Clan

THE ORIGIN OF THE CLANS:
As most African histories is traced by oral tradition. The people of Agborand indeed the entire Ika do not trace origin to a single source; the Two prominent narratives being Nri and Benin origins.

It is possible the Nri settlers were earlier group to meet the aboriginal "Ika" dwellers and both group became fused and more in number, before the arrival of the true Benin migrants who overtime were assimilated by the larger population via language attrition to the dominant aboriginal Ika/Nri group on ground.

However, the reverse scenario played out in some villages such as Alisor, Alilehan and Ozanogogo who are no longer Ika speaking, but rather speak an Edoid language known especially to Ika people, as "Oza or Ozara”.

Its also important to note that at the earliest time Benin Kingdom was of multiethnic composition and migration doesn't imply Benin ancestry, since Benin kingdom had different tribes and people that fled from its vicinity for safety.

For instance, despite the proximity of Agbor to Benin, Agbor has largely remained an Ika community indicating an earlier aboriginal Ika and Nri footing.

The monarchy however shows features of Benin cultural influence due to proximity, migration and invasion, hence an adaptation of cultural traits and Benin monarchy by Ika aborigines.

Agbor as narrated by Chief A.E. Iduwe is an ancient aboriginal settlement. According to Iduwe “Our ancestors had long established an autonomous kingdom based on Eze title before our contact with Benin”.

There are two communities that go by the name "Owa" today: one in the present Delta State and the other in the present Edo State. Both are however of Ika-speaking dialect extraction.

It is important to note here that though the later Owa is located within Edo-speaking territory, it remained Ika in its language and other elements of its culture, like Igbanke, Ogan and other Ika-speaking communities in the present Edo State.
The market day for Agbor-Obi is Nkwọ
Chinemerem Ahanonu @
#igbohistoryandculturet

Editorial Contributions and Post By Aroh Anthony of THE OLAUDAH EQUIANO HERITAGE FOUNDATION NIGERIA.

Interesting

I love learning history

Maazieze:
I love learning history

You Wil learn more. I promise to give more.

If you enter their palace now I’m sure all the palace chiefs and the Obi will say they migrated from Benin.

U people are trying all your best to twist their History just for some political selfish interest

Even ika itself is older than nri imagine kindom that we started hearing about from 19 century

Jameseddi1:
If you enter their palace now I’m sure all the palace chiefs and the Obi will say they migrated from Benin.

U people are trying all your best to twist their History just for some political selfish interest

Again, if you are a Nigerian, you will know that leaders, chiefs and politicians are not the mouthpiece of the people.

Again, if you listen to them speak, you will see that that their language is nothing but the one spoken in South East, even though they are near the Bini people.

Again, as much as many of them believe they are Bini, some of them believe that the are Igbo.

Again, 70% of the names they answer is the same with the names that are answered in South East.


Again, if you listen to their proverbs, you will confirm that they are brothers with people of South East.

Again, if you see their foods and how the prepare them, you will know that they are one with people of South East.

Again, the same early Europeans who wrote positive things about Bini kingdom, also called these people "IBO"

Again, Ajayi Crowther( who was Yoruba) who made several research in their land almost two centuries ago, called them nothing but "IBO"

Again, many centuries ago( before the days of distortion of history) Bini people refer to these people as "Igbon"

Jameseddi1:
Even ika itself is older than nri imagine kindom that we started hearing about from 19 century

Owa one of the clans that make up Ika made it official for the literate to read and know that they are from Nri.


"Never heard of something" doesn't mean the thing doesn't exist.

If you started hearing about Nri from 19 century, it is because you were born in 19 century. You weren't around in the centuries before 19 century to know that Nri was "then unexisting"

You yourself you started hearing about your people and tribe from after you were born. You didn't know nothing about it when you haven't formed in the womb.

ChangedMan1999:


Again, if you are a Nigerian, you will know that leaders, chiefs and politicians are not the mouthpiece of the people.

Again, if you listen to them speak, you will see that that their language is nothing but the one spoken in South East, even though they are near the Bini people.

Again, as much as many of them believe they are Bini, some of them believe that the are Igbo.

Again, 70% of the names they answer is the same with the names that are answered in South East.


Again, if you listen to their proverbs, you will confirm that they are brothers with people of South East.

Again, if you see their foods and how the prepare them, you will know that they are one with people of South East.

Again, the same early Europeans who wrote positive things about Bini kingdom, also called these people "IBO"

Again, Ajayi Crowther( who was Yoruba) who made several research in their land almost two centuries ago, called them nothing but "IBO"

Again, many centuries ago( before the days of distortion of history) Bini people refer to these people as "Igbon"

Ika were never igbon, Ika people are called by Edo people as Ika, even in 16 century an Ika man called obo from obuluku killed one Edo woman name Adesuwa for calling
him igbon, it is people from across river Niger that are called igbon today corrupted to Igbo by whitemen

mr1759:

Ika were never igbon, Ika people are called by Edo people as Ika, even in 16 century an Ika man called obo from obuluku killed one Edo woman name Adesuwa for calling
him igbon, it is people from across river Niger that are called igbon today corrupted to Igbo by whitemen

Look, it may be true that some Ika don't identify under the name Igbo or Igbon, but it is false when you try to suggest that they are not biologically and linguistically one with people of South East.


Pa Iduwe that was mentioned in this thread is an Ika man who was born in the beginning of last century, and his conscience and positive reasoning made him know that although they Ika people are close to Bini, they are more related to people of South East.

Please try to read Pa Iduwes manuscript on Ika history.

You can't tell me that Ika man killed a Bini woman because she called him "Igbo" and there Ika is not Igbo. It is error in reasoning.

My good friend, I am not trying to tell you Ika people identity under Igbo; what I am trying to say is that Ika people are biologically, linguistically and culturally more related to the people of south east

ChangedMan1999:




Look, it may be true that some Ika don't identify under the name Igbo or Igbon, but it is false when you try to suggest that they are not biologically and linguistically one with people of South East.


Pa Iduwe that was mentioned in this thread is an Ika man who was born in the beginning of last century, and his conscience and positive reasoning made him know that although they Ika people are close to Bini, they are more related to people of South East.

Please try to read Pa Iduwes manuscript on Ika history.

You can't tell me that Ika man killed a Bini woman because she called him "Igbo" and there Ika is not Igbo. It is error in reasoning.

My good friend, I am not trying to tell you Ika people identity under Igbo; what I am trying to say is that Ika people are biologically, linguistically and culturally more related to the people of south east

There is a reason Ika people that know their history will not identify as Igbo. The reason lies in the ancient Benin empire word itself Igbon later corrupted as Igbo used to describe the people of South East. Igbon/Igbo is an old Benin word for South East people.

During the 1800s, a large Igbo population migrated from the south east into Ika land as recorded by Ajayi Crowder in 1875. Until recently even Onitsha traditional elites didn't identify as Igbo, see Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe 1970 autobiography.

Ignorant people shouldn't be twisting history. The Slav people of Eastern Europe don't deny their history.

The old Benin empire true meaning of Igbon/Igbo has faded away but people should not twist history. If you are interested in the ancient Benin meaning of Igbon/Igbo, you have to do the research yourself.

samuk:


There is a reason Ika people that know their history will not identify as Igbo. The reason lies in the ancient Benin empire word itself Igbon later corrupted as Igbo used to describe the people of South East. Igbon/Igbo is an old Benin word for South East people.

During the 1800s, a large Igbo population migrated from the south east into Ika land as recorded by Ajayi Crowder in 1875. Until recently even Onitsha traditional elites didn't identify as Igbo, see Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe 1970 autobiography.

Ignorant people shouldn't be twisting history. The Slav people of Eastern Europe don't deny their history.

The old Benin empire true meaning of Igbon/Igbo has faded away but people should not twist history. If you are interested in the ancient Benin meaning of Igbon/Igbo, you have to do the research yourself.

Ika is not Bini see Pa Iduwe an Ika man's manuscript on the history of Ika people.


Stop leaving in fools paradise; "Igbo" is not corruption of "Igbon".
"Igbon is corruption of "Igbo"


What has Slav people of Europe got to do with this?

Just like some Yorubas( excluding Oyo people) didn't identity under Yoruba ethnic group in the past, many Igbo people didn't identity under Igbo.


Try to understand that it doesn't matter whether the call themselves Igbo or not; what that matters is that the more biologically, culturally related to people of South East.