Igboid: Yeah. Nris were very widespread. In many parts of Igbo land, even in deep Imo and Abia, places you can argue that Nris never held strong influence over, dwarves are still called "Akanshi".
I learnt this was because Nri priests welcomed and trained dwarves all over Igboland who were discriminated against and used them as their Messengers.
So in Igboland, dwarves became synonymous with Nri Messengers.
By the way, I am guessing our ancestors met some dwarve race in this rainforests when they arrived here? I guess we breed with them and slowly replaced them. Then the dwarve trait was eliminated by natural selection. The Nri and the Umudiokas were responsible for Ichi marks, right?
NRI people relied on Adama, Awka and Umudioka to perform certain functions for the NRI hegemony. These clans are not NRI people but have auxillary and critical roles they perform.
Adama are the king makers and are the servants of Eze NRI.
Awka blacksmiths forge the various ritual objects used for NRI divination and title taking.
Umu-di-oka. DiOka basically means the master carver, purely referencing their mastery in ICHI carving. There is a town in Anambra named Umudioka. But there are also a number of villages in various towns that bear that name. In days go e by, they all involved themselves in Ika ICHI.
As priests, NRI people don't touch blood, and as igbu ICHI requires drawing blood, for over a thousand years, Umudioka people performed the carving while NRI priests dedicated the initiate.
The MGBURU-ICHI men always had the reigning Eze NRI as their leader, and most Igbo towns would normally have a few MGBURU-ICHIs. They acted as judges and arbitrators. They pass sentence in civil and criminal cases. They also mediate when towns are at war.
The MGBURU-ICHIs were a major factor in the power the Eze NRI wielded over Igboland and Igodomigodo and Igala lands. They were extremely noble and couldn't be bribed.
There was also the Nze and Ozo society in various towns, initiated by the Nris, but the MGBURU-ICHIs were on a totally different class
peleson1: You that your forefathers started going to school and just knew what education was after 1930s now want to tell people who started going to school in 16 and 17 century their history ? Are you normal at all?
John Adams, Captain crow and Dr. Baikiie were not Igbos. Their forefathers started getting involved in education over a thousand years before yours.
Oga, the dude literally said that he was born in the Eboe part of Bini kingdom. In other words, he said that the entire Igboland was under Bini. He didn't mince words there.
Such blunder is not acceptable in any serious discussion. The dude is modern day Caricature.
Cut him some slack. He was just a small boy when he was kidnapped.
As someone who just emerged from slavery, he was trying to attach to what he saw as greatness, and Benin fulfilled that role for him. If he had been up to 20yrs of age before he was kidnapped, he would have been aware of the all-encompassing Nri-Igbo influence over Benin, and his tales would have been more authentic
Igboid: My problem with Ashaka is that he spoke of the Mberenchi marks (Mgburichi marks of the Nri). These marks are not present in Ashaka area.
Any Igbo town with an Eke, Oye, Afor or Nkwo before Nigeria came into existence, was familiar with the MGBURU-ICHIs.
I can even guarantee you, your granddad must have come across them, but when the Europeans started installing warrant chiefs in Igboland, and forced the then Eze NRI Obalike to break the cultural ties binding Igbo towns to the NRI clan, the MGBURU-ICHI men started disappearing from the Igbo and Igodomigodo consciousness. Thank God Northcote Thomas took pictures of the few that were left then.
Many modern NRI people don't even know of MGBURU-ICHIs
GreatBoss: They are Ibani Ijaw people. Ndoki was Aminadokiari meaning we were looking for our relations. The white couldn't pronounce it and called it Ndoki. Today Ibani dialect will still say Waminadokiari. Meaning same thing. The relations they had missed and we're looking for was Bonny people.
If they want to find their relatives, they can head to Gbaramatu.
Anyway, show us a historical record from neutral observers, where theses neutral people claim that Ndoki was AMINADOKIARI?
You think we Igbos are fools. Trying to link an Igbo clan to Ijaw.
Also show us proof of earlier writings where Ndoki people referred to themselves as AMINADOKIARI. Or are you just trying to tell us that it was only the Ibani people who could pronounce the name of the Ndoki people, and that Ndoki people couldn't even pronounce their own name.
Show us anthropological proofs. No tales by the moonlight, by idiotic Ndoki hungry people that you paid to write trash.
We need to see a pre-colonial record of this AMINADOKIARI trash.
AlexBells: I'm compelled to make this post on a crucial issue that had boxed me to a Corner and no matter how much I try to avoid it people drag me to it, this could be a long read.
This situation is really important to me, I made a post earlier concerning Opobo and Bonny hinting that at sometimes in history the Ijaws sold the Igbos to slavery many Igbos came for me in a very brutal way using so much heavy language on me, I thought it was good to stay out for a while by spending more time in the romance session but people keep dragging me to these posts, the fact is that apart from being an aspiring politician and Strategist, I'm human.
I wanted to let the issue slide but it is hurting my credibility it is really hurting me, I had to speak to one of my mentors about it and below is my complaint to him and his reply
My Message to My Mentor: Good Day Sir, something is quite affecting my popularity and it got a bit to do with history,
The Igbo nation has two contested territories of Opobo and Bonny, my movement had been a lot careful that between the two towns I included 1 of them in the bonafide territory of AlaIgbo while leaving the second one out for now to avoid unneeded tension since my province can work just fine with one of the two territories as we are still in Nigeria and if Nigeria is not dividing anytime soon there is no need to get fighting for territories.
These two territories are very significant as our other rivals are supporting the other nationality that we are contesting the territories with in a bid to limit our sea access as the two territories in question have ample sea access but to us, this issue is beyond access to the sea as the two towns have serious history with Igbos and huge presence of indigenous Igbo, in fact, Igbo language and culture is the most prominent there.
But I made an assertion that the Ijaw people (the nationality that we are contesting the territories with) by virtue of the fact that they had earlier access to the outside world sold our people to slavery as we are further interior, my people thought that my statement was derogatory in saying that the Ijaws aided in kidnap and sold our people to slavery,
But accounts can relate to someone like king Jaja of Opobo who was a formal slave and Olaudah Equiano, the fact is that trying to prove these points back to the Portuguese slave merchants seems to me like washing our dirty lining in public but my people is making me look less credible and historically unfit,
The whole defence account they are using is the more recent accounts by British colonialists but that's not the reliable accounts of slavery as during the British influence, slavery had declined and subsequently abolished and most accounts were on trades,
I don't know if I should dig deeper, I don't quite want to dig up hate inspiring memories but my own credibility is in line and they are making me question my own sanity as people who had been opposed to me now use it to insinuate that I'm anti Igbo
I, however, prefer compromise to confrontation that's why I need truth, I can't understand Portuguese nor know much about their accounts but I need to dig deeper and much later sponsor an archeological research to ascertain the earliest settlers on the two towns.
My Mentor's Reply: Whilst it will be interesting to find out the historical truth this is often not entirely possible. You end up doing a lot of work, find out a lot of things but come to no satisfactory conclusion as precise evidence is missing. Part of my own background is like that. We were `galloglas', that is Scottish soldiers who served Irish kings in the medieval period. The role of galloglas is disputed as they are either seen as Scottish interlopers in Ireland or Scottish guarantees of continued Irish independence. We have a saying `you pays your money and makes your choice'. I have no opinion on the matter other than that people had to make a living as best they could in those days.
It might not be worth following this issue through if it causes you other difficulties. Historical slavery is a horrible issue to deal with in politics and I don't think anyone has found a satisfactory way of resolving the resentments it causes. It is truly an issue best left to the academic historians to examine in fine detail to establish a context which everyone can work with. It is an issue which can easily leave you with egg on your face.
Might I suggest you establish a narrative which accommodates the main points on which everyone is agreed. Yes, bad things happened but not everyone wanted these things to happen and it was only done by foolish people. Something like that. A case for political dissimulation; you obscure to achieve clarity. I know it sounds daft, but in politics your integrity is more important. Try to put yourself in the shoes of your critics. This will help you to find the best way forward.
Many years ago when I was younger than you are now a major political figure in the UK gave me some sound advice. The first was to do your own research and the second was when you find yourself in a hole stop digging any further. You have done the first and I applaud that, but the conclusions have tipped you into a hole. Find the best way to climb out of it and move on.
Now The Situation is Such that I had found myself in a hole so I have to get out by presenting valid arguments Now like you know I'm a young politician and the majority is always right so I am not presenting these accounts to discredit or challenge anybody but to get myself off the hole.
I will start with the account given by 9Pluto which happened to be the most recent, the account was written by Captain Hugh Crow of Liverpool (1765-1829), the first contact with Portegues by the Benin and other more coastal people especially the Ijaws was as far back as 1484 over two centuries before Captain Hugh Crow was born, the portegues João Afonso de Aveiro arrived the shores of what is today known as Southern Nigeria, we need to understand that the Portuguese wielded influence in the Nigerian coastal towns long before the British arrival.
While the Aros raided slaves in the hinterland, the Aros was not trading directly with the whites rather they exchanged the salves with Ijaw merchants which in return for their supplies, why I opined that the Ijaws was more in control of the Bonny slave port. There were three major slave ports within the Eastern corridor 1. Itsekiri 2. Calabar 3. Bonny The Itseiri was used mostly by Benin, Calabar by the coastal people of Akwa Ibom and Cross River and Bonny Mostly by Ijaws, the Aros supplied these people leveraging the huge population of Igbo land so the Aros never sold Directly to the Portuguese, this fact would be corroborated later by king Jaja because, in the true sense of it, Jaja was transacting in the business of his Ijaw buyers although he later regained his freedom, found his own territory where he became king.
The Bight of Biafra was named by the Portegues and not the British so long before the British arrived things had been going on, The issue of Opobo and Bonny can't be fixed by mere history it is either compromise or the exhibition of might and while I would advocate that Opobo is undeniably Igbo, Bonny is a hybrid town which would require a referendum or full-scale invasion, Opobo, however, won't be debated as it is as Igbo as Orlu.
Having clarified myself, I wish to concentrate more on politics, strategy and solving real problems, however, I am an Igbo man and it is quite really hard to debate along because sometimes we are too ashamed of some aspect of our history that we seem to attack anyone that brings such reality to light but everyone in their history has some terrible times and it was the call of the time, I hope people also understand that using strong words on me would make me eventually withdrawn this is because I'm Igbo and disagreeing with my own people which happen to be my support base would hurt my politics and the support of my people is not what I want to trade to win flimsy arguments.
Putindbutt: They should have simply bought some sea food and take their leave rather than make a guess and leave us a distorted version of Africa history. The Portuguese had a more believeable account and they came much earlier than the British.
Africanus Horton did not make a guess. To him, Ubani was Igboland as a matter of fact.
Putindbutt: Once again, John Adams was beclouded by the sheer number of freed ibos he may have encountered in Bonny. which underscores his bias as being inaccurate. Saying it is " VERY PROBABLE"/ LIKELY" that ibos were original inhabitants of Bonny, underscores his bias as being inaccurate and works as unreliable and easily disprovable. A more detailed account would have been referred than mere guesses. It shows John Adams was far removed from the realities surrounding Bonny. He wasn't even sure of his own accounts.
But John Adams, captain Crow and Dr. Baikiie were sure of the fact that the ruling family of Ubani was of Igbo ancestry..
Secondly none of them even guessed that Ijaws were the first settlers in Bonny. All of them guessed the Igbos were the first settlers in Bonny.
SlayerForever: Those are Nembe youths. In other clips they enter the rooms. You can just make out pictures of royally dressed people in the wreckage. But it appears too briefly for many to catch.
GreatBoss: The map the Aminadokiari (Ndoki) leaders brought to the Ijaw Republic Liberation Movement Militant Forces.
Anywhere that bears Igbo name will remain in Igboland. Any of the Ndoki elders betraying Ndigbo, after collecting money from Ijaw landgrabbing organisations, will be exiled to Gbaramatu, at the appointed time
GreatBoss: The map the Aminadokiari (Ndoki) leaders brought to the Ijaw Republic Liberation Movement Militant Forces.
Anywhere that bears Igbo name will remain in Igboland. Any of the Ndoki elders betraying Ndigbo, after collecting money from Ijaw landgrabbing organisations, will be exiled to Gbatamatu, at the appointed time
GreatBoss: Yeah. They are all ijaw people. Ndoki leaders, have met with my boss General Ditari saying they are Ibani-Ijaw people and saying since they share borders with other Ijaws, they want to come with Ijaw Republic. They brought map of Aminadokiari (Ndoki) land too. The new Central Ijaw dialect being worked on in preparation for Ijaw Republic will set all things right for all Ijaws.
God our Creator be my witness on all these things..
9Pluto: Crowther's account DIDN'T favour him. It is like Ngwa people calling Bende people Umu Ogbo, while Bende people refer to themselves as Alai, item etc Look at it carefully, including the language dictionary @Ekealterego posted from the same book. The Bonny words(number 127 on the list) as translated there were PURE igbo words.
Is none of you not surprised that in both Crow and Crowther's accounts, there hasn't been a single mention of Ijaw(the so called natives) in all those records. Perhaps they were so invisible the authors didn't take note of them.
I noticed that.
I alluded as much, in my previous response to Alabo.
Alabo7978: Don't believe Alagoa, believe PEPPLE and crowther who CLEARLY SHOWED YOU THE DIFFERENCE.
At no point in that snippet did PEPPLE claim he is not Igbo. So your argument falls flat by the way.
At no point was OKOLOMA referred to as Ijaw
Meanwhile, Crowther's account are many decades after a more reliable account from Captain Crow
Ubani and Kalabari have Igbo lineages ruling over those places, so they could be speaking the Ndoki dialect of Igbo around the time that Crowther writing
How come the Bonny numbering system written down by earlier writers showcased core Igbo numbering system?
JANK23H: You wouldn't know because you are Igbo.To the average Yoruba we are all "Omo Ibo".They know nothing about distinctions.
Stop wanking over revised history.The Europeans caused a lot of trouble to Africa and Native American history.I'm familiar with most of those texts you uploaded and there are several others that contradicts them.Hence,I'm no bothered about uploading anything.
Show us where Captain Crow or Africanus Horton or Dr. Baikie mistake Ijaws for Igbos. Don't start telling us of what Alayes call you guys.
Alabo7978: JANK23H do not mind them, I know what you're talking about. Many people in the region around Igbo land were refered to as igbos. Even in the military era in Nigeria, the northern people use to believe everybody in the former eastern region we're ibos, just as we believed everyone in the north were HAUSA, or everyone in the west was Yoruba. Heck the ibos themselves see efiks, ibibio, and every one with that sound of the language as calabar people. Same mistakes most these white men did Pluto9
We asked you for evidence where these early European writers noted Ijaws as Igbos, and you are here telling us that Hausas think Ijaws are Igbos.
Show us where Captain Crow or Africanus Horton or Dr. Balfour Baikie mistook Ijaws for Igbos.
Alabo7978: You lie nigga. The white men met hostility when they came. Infact the ordinary natives hated them. They were only friends with the king and chiefs. They were tales of white men wandering off and they were caught and eaten. Crow could identify features and know where they come from, and I too can do that. I know what a native American looks like even though they put on suits, I know how many Asians look like even though the ordinary less-analytical brain will see them and assume they are Chinese but does it make me an expert in their traditions? Do it makes me know how to speak Mayan language or some other Asian language? Okolo-ama are the original owners of Bonny. It isn't hard to see. I showed you crowthers report. The brass men in your write up were a combination of (Nembe,kula,bille,twon etc) who are offshoot of ijo but did the white man know this? No. He just made hasty generalization. Wasn't it one of those British explorers who said Nembe was Igbo? How many times has this reporters in their false thesis caused many explorers to loose their lives while looking for the source of the river Niger? They are famous for guessing and guessing and guessing just to gain stupid plaudits for some weeks in the British media. These white men rewrote African history and many Africans like you believe. Remember El Dorado and it's false reports which led alot of ship expedition to America but all was futile? Crow knows nothing and the people despised him. Crowther appealed more because he was black so he got the real information.
Didn't you Ijaws claim that Abua people were Ijaws, as recently as a few weeks ago, until the Abua excused themselves from INC?
You Ijaws already have a track record for land grabbing. Very ancient neutral non-Nigerian sources are already telling you that Ubani was, and will remain Igbo.
Why were the attackers of the palace of Diette-Spiff speaking a Brass language that sounds Igbo?
JANK23H: Ijaws,Efik,Ogoni,Ibibio etc.They still are classed under Igbos.The distinction only started recently after the NigerDelta agitations.
Please show facts.
You think white people won't be able to make the distinction by writing down the numbers and pronunciations of the various groups, to be able to deduce they were dealing with different ethnic groups.
Politics › Re: The True Identity Of Bonny/Opobo(UBANI) People Facts Versus Fiction by OfoIgbo: 9:02pm On Dec 01, 2021
