₦airaland Forum

lawani:
Agbor and Onitsha were tiny villages when Arochukwu was a city state

Misterone:
story. There's no know kingdom in igbo land other than Onitsha and Agbor before the 1800s

Igbophobia:
So you never heard of Eze Aro and Eze Nri?

How does this even relate to the topic in discussion?

Misterone:
It relates to the topic such that those that had no kingdoms want to draw a map for those that were there before them just because of language!.
What you should know is that people learning or speaking a language most time is due to simplicity or ease of trade. It is not because you guys are kit and kins

Igbophobia:
I can bet this

Misterone:
Trash as usual

Whalis:
Igbos don't like Nigeria created by Lord Lugard but like the Eastern Nigeria created by the same Lord Lugard.
I remember Gabriel Okara's Book titled 'Little Frog and Little Snake's, what your mother told you my mother has also told me. Igbos have lost out their control of the South South and Nigeria. It can never be regained. That war was a very big mistake.

ElSudani:
The lower part of the map looks like it was shaded with crayon.
Can you please tell us where to find the original?

Justnation:
The writer was talking about igbuzor, the original map of if uzor includes opanam.

The problem with our youths these days is that they are lazy to read and research, they have accepted the narrative of enemies of Igbo people whose sole objective is to fragment Igboland for their selfish interest of domination through divide and rule strategy.

The writer is absolutely correct and on point, his narrative is born out of deep knowledge of historical facts and traditions. As he stated Igboland is vast and far bigger than what it has been purportedly reduced to today.

Certainly Igboland will come together in the near future.

Thank you so much OP for this wonderful historical facts you have written.

gidgiddy:
It is unfortunate that many people now believe that it is state that determines one's ethnicity. These people don't seem to remember that state creation only started in 1967 with Gowon. Before then, there were no states, only Region's and provinces.

Its like saying that Hausas are only indigenous to states in the North West when there are a lot of indigenous Hausas in Yobe and Bauchi in the North East

Its like saying that Yorubas are only indigenous to States in the South West when there are indigenous Yorubas in NC states like Kwara and Kogi. Even in Edo

So why would anyone think that Igbos are only indigenous to the South-East?

Ethnicity is not decided by state, it is decided by the indigenous language you speak, and culture you observe

I did my NYC in Edo State, if you had told before then I would find indigenous in Edo State, I wouldn't have believed it. I was shocked to find in Ohrionmwon LGA, Igbanke people who spoke Igbo. In nearby Ekpon, I bought food stuffs at Ekpon market using Igbo language. Ekpon and Igbanke spoke Igbo with a heavy Edo accent but I could understand them. They didn't speak any Edo language. I used to go to the main market of Igbanke in Olijie called "Eke Market"

When you now start to talk about the Delta Igbos, Rivers Igbos and Benue Igbos, a picture starts to emerge

There are over 1 million indigenous Igbos in lower Benue, spread across Obi, Oju and Okpokwu LGA's. These are indigenous Ezza-Igbos, the Umueze-okohia people, that should have been in Ebonyi state but were carved into Benue State just as Ekpn and Igbanke should have been in Delta State with their fellow Ika-Igbos, but were carved into Edo State.

Talk about Isobo-Igbos of Cross River, Ohaobu -Ndoki in Ukanafun, Akwa-Ibom State

As for those who are outside the South-East but deny being Igbo because of state creation. They are entitled to deny. However, the fact that you speak Igbo as your ancestral language, or a dialect of it, practice Igbo culture, isn't fooling anyone

State creation balkanised Igbos, but in the future, we shall all be united once again

lawani:
Nobody can stop Igbo unification if the Igbo themselves want it. If Nigeria breaks up today, then every ethnic group will align as they wish. State borders will obviously not be final determinant. What happens in the East does not concern the Yoruba and it will not be determined by the Yoruba who have their own issues. If people are speaking the same language then they will ultimately align. Austria and Germany will still align and etc etc. Then there is hardly any group in Nigeria that is not fragmented into different states in a way that does not benefit them

stuffs2002:
To you Igbo unification means stealing other people land, steal their crude oil and forcefully have access to the sea.

You people are very funny with you Igbo unification because it is 100% centered on oppressing the people of Niger Delta, stealing their land and oil. Niger Delta are not Igbo, have never been Igbo and will never be Igbo.

lawani:
If Nigeria breaks up, some lands outside the SE will agree to join the Igbos. If they don't, maybe they will be independent or do you think the Ikwerre will be reporting to Benin? Are you Ikwerre? Will your people be reporting to Benin? If all Igbo speaking people don't unite immediately, they will eventually unite

stuffs2002:
Why should Nigeria break up?

You only want Nigeria to break up just because Igbos are not the one ruling. Igbos never wanted Nigeria to break up when they were the ones in power and every Nigerian knows that.


Niger Delta will never ever allow themselves to be in the same country with you even if Nigeria break up because of the atrocities of the Igbos on them during the civil war

lawani:
If Nigeria breaks up, some lands outside the SE will agree to join the Igbos. If they don't, maybe they will be independent or do you think the Ikwerre will be reporting to Benin? Are you Ikwerre? Will your people be reporting to Benin? If all Igbo speaking people don't unite immediately, they will eventually unite

aswani:
I actually believe the South South can form a very stable indigenous federation, the reason being that is the only place they wouldn't be marginalised as everyone would have more or less the same numbers.

Ikwerre in Biafra will be a minority and will have little political power as there will be no one to align with politically, same as Anioma people.

esnbrutality:
The map on this platform, did it in anyway attach any region to the map? Moreover, why are you disturbed about other people and dont even utter a word when FULANI have terminated and kidnapped people from your region in their homes and businesses?

NIGERIA is broken already...

Its best ypu enjoy life outside IGBO hatred...you can't hate someone and still ask for unity. Let IGBos also hate ypu back from their own country...

Dont ypu think so?

lawani:
Any land can leave any union anytime under a fair constitution

stuffs2002:
Why would I hate dot in a circle


Pepo wey dem dey arrest for India, Malaysia, UAE and all countries all over the world but you call it hatred instead of telling your people to stop crime

esnbrutality:
Biafra...and its shouldn't bother you if they are arrested in akure of oduduwa Republic

stuffs2002:


Igbos are the most executed tribe in the world.



Go to the prisons of all these Asian countries and see how Igbos fill up their prisons awaiting their dates of execution

mandarin:
Let me be clear: There is in reality nothing called Rivers State

In reality there is a Rivers State and it is made up of several ethnic groups of which Igbo is part and also have other non-Igbo groups e.g. Ijaw.


Today, Ndi Igbo have been fragmented in no fewer than 13 states of Nigeria

You did not mention these states and where Igbo people are. Let us all also understand that for you to claim a people are your kinsmen or people, its not that you must just claim them they must also claim you and bearing similar names, is just like saying Rotimi Amaechi bears Yoruba name so Porthcourt or his hometown is Yoruba town, no, things don't work that way otherwise all Richards, Tom, Lance etc would be British.

Let's compare two groups in Nigeria; the Itsekiri and the Ikwere

The Itsekiri traced their ancestry to Ife through two routes and are saying, we are Yoruba by ancestry and language and culturally Yoruba and Bini. The Yoruba also open their arms to say, you are welcomed. Now there are even groups from as far as Ghana who have come to say Ife is their source. Now you would notice that its both ways not one group claiming the other. About 50% of Igala language is Yoruba but Yoruba has never forcefully say they are the same because Igala will have to trace its ancestry to a common beginning and shared ownerships of culture or language.

The Ikwere on the other hand and some parts of Anioma if I must say are claiming different ancestry though they may have shared names and may be some aspects of culture with Igbo. No one can separate kinsmen even across international borders e.g. North and South Koreans still see themselves as families despite all the political and military conflicts because they are by ancestry and everything. If some people are your people like the Ikwere, they will willingly come to you.

The question is, have you drawn an ancestral location that join you with all these people across these 13states? At what point did they become or accepted to be Igbo? Who was their forebears? Language can be adopted due to proximity or commerce, names can be adopted but its deeper than that, for instance, Hausa is spoken across several non Hausa Fulani states in northern Nigeria and it does not make all the people Hausa.

Technological developments and general understanding of global issues has advanced people consciousness and to want to share a common boundary with any group would have be be done by a powerful global power or show economic and cultural benefits. These are what the Igbo should be working on not just writing claims on people who do not share such vision with you.
Thank you.

gidgiddy:
It is unfortunate that many people now believe that it is state that determines one's ethnicity. These people don't seem to remember that state creation only started in 1967 with Gowon. Before then, there were no states, only Region's and provinces.

Its like saying that Hausas are only indigenous to states in the North West when there are a lot of indigenous Hausas in Yobe and Bauchi in the North East

Its like saying that Yorubas are only indigenous to States in the South West when there are indigenous Yorubas in NC states like Kwara and Kogi. Even in Edo

So why would anyone think that Igbos are only indigenous to the South-East?

Ethnicity is not decided by state, it is decided by the indigenous language you speak, and culture you observe

I did my NYC in Edo State, if you had told before then I would find indigenous in Edo State, I wouldn't have believed it. I was shocked to find in Ohrionmwon LGA, Igbanke people who spoke Igbo. In nearby Ekpon, I bought food stuffs at Ekpon market using Igbo language. Ekpon and Igbanke spoke Igbo with a heavy Edo accent but I could understand them. They didn't speak any Edo language. I used to go to the main market of Igbanke in Olijie called "Eke Market"

When you now start to talk about the Delta Igbos, Rivers Igbos and Benue Igbos, a picture starts to emerge

There are over 1 million indigenous Igbos in lower Benue, spread across Obi, Oju and Okpokwu LGA's. These are indigenous Ezza-Igbos, the Umueze-okohia people, that should have been in Ebonyi state but were carved into Benue State just as Ekpn and Igbanke should have been in Delta State with their fellow Ika-Igbos, but were carved into Edo State.

Talk about Isobo-Igbos of Cross River, Ohaobu -Ndoki in Ukanafun, Akwa-Ibom State

As for those who are outside the South-East but deny being Igbo because of state creation. They are entitled to deny. However, the fact that you speak Igbo as your ancestral language, or a dialect of it, practice Igbo culture, isn't fooling anyone

State creation balkanised Igbos, but in the future, we shall all be united once again

Igbophobia:
So Niger Delta as an independent nation would fight among themselves? So Igbo would fight against Ikwerre in your opinion? Yet Yoruba who are known to always be at each other's jugular would form their own country I
In peace?

Why do you people love lying to yourselves? Igbo have lived for thousands of years in our domain without even a unified government and have lived largely in peace with minorities in the Niger Delta. So it's now because you're applying the same divide and rule that has enabled you and Fulani to loot the country dry that you remembered Igbo cannot live in peace with them anymore.

You try sha, but try harder.

stuffs2002:
Very very funny analysis.

Do you know that there are millions of Igala people who are indigenous to Enugu and Anambra States? Going by you analogy, the two states of Anambra and Enugu should automatically become northern states

Also, there are Idoma and/or Tiv people who are indigenous to Enugu. So going by your analogy, Enugu should be taken over as northern states.


In other words, you gidgiddy should henceforth be considered a northerner because state creation balkanised the north

gidgiddy:
Millions of Igala in Enugu and Anambra State? Who told that one? The Igalas of Anambra are found in the Nzam area and are not up to 1% of the population

mandarin:
Let me be clear: There is in reality nothing called Rivers State

In reality there is a Rivers State and it is made up of several ethnic groups of which Igbo is part and also have other non-Igbo groups e.g. Ijaw.


Today, Ndi Igbo have been fragmented in no fewer than 13 states of Nigeria

You did not mention these states and where Igbo people are. Let us all also understand that for you to claim a people are your kinsmen or people, its not that you must just claim them they must also claim you and bearing similar names, is just like saying Rotimi Amaechi bears Yoruba name so Porthcourt or his hometown is Yoruba town, no, things don't work that way otherwise all Richards, Tom, Lance etc would be British.

Let's compare two groups in Nigeria; the Itsekiri and the Ikwere

The Itsekiri traced their ancestry to Ife through two routes and are saying, we are Yoruba by ancestry and language and culturally Yoruba and Bini. The Yoruba also open their arms to say, you are welcomed. Now there are even groups from as far as Ghana who have come to say Ife is their source. Now you would notice that its both ways not one group claiming the other. About 50% of Igala language is Yoruba but Yoruba has never forcefully say they are the same because Igala will have to trace its ancestry to a common beginning and shared ownerships of culture or language.

The Ikwere on the other hand and some parts of Anioma if I must say are claiming different ancestry though they may have shared names and may be some aspects of culture with Igbo. No one can separate kinsmen even across international borders e.g. North and South Koreans still see themselves as families despite all the political and military conflicts because they are by ancestry and everything. If some people are your people like the Ikwere, they will willingly come to you.

The question is, have you drawn an ancestral location that join you with all these people across these 13states? At what point did they become or accepted to be Igbo? Who was their forebears? Language can be adopted due to proximity or commerce, names can be adopted but its deeper than that, for instance, Hausa is spoken across several non Hausa Fulani states in northern Nigeria and it does not make all the people Hausa.

Technological developments and general understanding of global issues has advanced people consciousness and to want to share a common boundary with any group would have be be done by a powerful global power or show economic and cultural benefits. These are what the Igbo should be working on not just writing claims on people who do not share such vision with you.
Thank you.