₦airaland Forum

Only “drug peddlers, cult members” and criminals doing their business in SA need to fear. (Not Nigerians, who have not been named anyway).

phygo89:
Nice one

Protest against the military dictatorship took place in the pouring rain in the evening of June 12 in YanTaung Village, ThetYetChaung Township. #WhatsHappeningInMyanmar #June12Coup #MilkTeaAlliance

Igala may not be related to everyone in southeast Nigeria, especially those of Aro and/or Jewish origin but Igala is related to Nri people considering some related cultures between us. Although, some South-easterners believe that Eri/Eli was the father of all Igbo people, while some disagree
with that.

But Eri, as a person, how was he related to Igala if actually he was? According to some Igbo historians, Atta, one of the sons of Eri was the founder of Igala people. But Igala was not founded by one person as it is popular that Igala settled in Wukari-Taraba state after coming from Egypt through Borno … and later migrated from Wukari to Idah.

In addition, Attah is a tittle in Igala land not a person as they said, and it means father. So, Attah
Igala means Father of Igala. Thus, this version does not have any truth.

Another version said that Eri migrated from Igala area to Aguleri and later married an Igala wife who begot a son called Onoja Oboli, and that the Onoja later founded Igala. This is so cyclic and very contradictory.

If Eri migrated from Igala which was already in existence before even marrying his wife or getting a son, how come the same Igala will be founded by Onoja? This also does not hold water.

The third version said that Eri came from heaven with his wife and settled near Omabala river. He later got a child called Idah who founded Igala. Again, this is very strange to many popular world historians as Idah was just a location and not the name of person.

Idah was from Ona Imuda, meaning the road has ended because the road or path they were following during their (Igala people) migration ended at the bank of river Niger and they Igala people had to settle
down there. Till date, no man or ruler or Attah Igala among the royal clan had/has Idah as his
name. This makes this version also false.

There is another version which is still different. These inconsistence versions by Igbo historians could not provide provable facts. However, all of them point to one direction, and that is; Eri or Igbo was the father of Igala people.

But considering some similar cultures between Eri people and Igala, and which are not common btw Eri and other Igbo towns, some historians believed that Eri was Igala who left Idah and settled around Omabala river many century ago just like many other Igala people across Nigeria and beyond.

▪︎ As seen in the photo, it can be seen that the Eze Nri dressed like Attah Igala, as he had Ejubejuailo (pectoral mask) on the chest. It is worthy of note here that Ejubejuailo is worn by Attah Igala and no other traditional leader in the entire world. It was taken by Igala soldiers from the Oba of Benin in 1515 during our first war with them. So, how come the Eze Nri dressed (in 1944) like Attah Igala if he was not of Igala? Recall that many Igala communities outside Kogi state have traditional titles like Attah (eg Attah of Obosi), Agaba Idu, Idu, Akor, Okakwu, Okpala, etc while some dress like Attah Igala to show their Igala identity.

▪︎From available information, it was stated that the burial of any late Eze Nri is similar or related to that of Attah Igala including the Atebo/Atama of Igala and Adama of Eri side.

▪︎But that is not all, according to Mr Lawton in 1917,[b] [b]“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 3 or 4 centuries ago. The leader 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 Umunri villages 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…”

More proofs of Eri being Igala

Below are the names of the children of Eri.

1. Agulu, an Igala name meaning “The one who stays or waits see or find it”. He was the founder of Aguleri.

2. Menri (Ume-eri). Ume means gift or given. He was the founder of Umuleri

3. Onogu (Onu-ogu), meaning warrior or leader of war

4. Attah, an Igala name meaning father

5. Iguedo, meaning he stays or resides in the middle or centre of.

All these names including Eri are still being used by Igalas till date. There is no Igbo man bearing Agulu, Eri or Attah presently from my findings.

Pls note: Eri been from Igala does not mean that all Igbos were from Igala. There are many communities where Igala people are in southeast Nigeria. In addition, the communities founded by the children or descendants of Eri are all Igalas.

▪︎Conclusion: From the above points especially that of the Nri descendant, M. C. M. Idigo, I will join my mouth with them to say that “ERI MIGRATED FROM IGALA”. That is, Eri was Igala who migrated from Idah just like many other Igala people across the 28 states of Nigeria. .. and do you know what, our reconnection will take place soon. God bless Igala Kingdom.