₦airaland Forum

illicit:
some years ago in the arakale area of akure ondo state, indigenes refuse to lease or rent out their shop or house to igbo traders because when they do, the igbo will aproach, convince and bribe a prodigal member of that family to sell off the property to him without the knowledge of the true owner, this caused some rife, and most yoruba believe that igbo traders do human ritual just to make money or get customers, lagosians think igbos are covetous citing the case of festac where igbos claim they are majority and so its theirs... I dont know about the hausa part

Arogba:
Those names are Igala and Idoma names! Go and read your history very well. There's a lot of Igala migrants and settlers who now claims to be Igbos. Go to Nnsukka, Enugu Ezike, Nzam , Anambra North...

Yerwa:
Can anyone enlighten me,I would like to know if igbos are found in other African countries or any African country that speaks a different dialect of Igbo other than the one spoken in Nigeria against the backdrop of that for example Yoruba can be found in Benin and Togo,Fulani can be found in Niger,Cameroon etc.
Thanks

Arogba:
Those names are Igala and Idoma names! Go and read your history very well. There's a lot of Igala migrants and settlers who now claims to be Igbos. Go to Nnsukka, Enugu Ezike, Nzam , Anambra North...

Chiwude:
I was going through the archives of the evergreen Nigeria Village Square and I saw an interesting post that tried as much as possible to clear some false misconception about the Igbos.
Tighten your seat belt and read through.

Source: Denker

In this piece, I intend to focus on the Igbo as a people. The Igbo, their culture, civilization, and their contributions to world greatness, are, perhaps, among the most little understood, taught, publicized and recognized of all human knowledge. What is sometimes upsetting is the little the Igbo themselves, including their educated sons and daughters know about themselves. Or, more bafflingly, how the educated Igbo parrot, and hold fast, without taking a second look at the false information about the Igbo, which they heard or read from scantily informed or biased sources, foreigners and natives, and, of course, the ever busy Igbo detractors.

I decided to write this article after the now familiar surprise look I get from many an educated Igbo when I begin to discuss Igbo factoids and misrepresentations. What embarrasses most of them is that certain incontrovertible, and some would say, elementary facts about the Igbo, which were always self evident, now suddenly hits them like a thunderbolt and it becomes crystal clear to them that their previous beliefs which they parroted were false. Here are a few facts in question and answers:


Question: Is Southeast and Igboland the same thing?


Answer: Not at all. Southeast is only about 3/5th of Igboland. Igboland covers the whole of Southeast, parts of Rivers, Delta, Benue, and Akwa Ibom states.


Question: Why were we taught in school that Igbo people are easterners?


Answer: It is both an unfortunate parroting by teachers and careless adoption by Igbo educated class. Igbo people come from Southern Nigeria and not Eastern Nigeria. It may be correct to say that the Igbo are found predominantly in eastern Nigeria. However, by saying that the Igbo are easterners, the implication is that the Igbo in western Nigeria, numbering about 2.5 million (Agbor, Ogwashi Ukwu, Ibuzo, Okpanam, Asaba, Orimili, Ndokwa, Anioma, etc) are not Igbos. The best known Igbo anthropologist Professor Mike Onwuejeogwu is from the western part of Nigeria, Chukwuma Nzeogwu, Dennis Osadebe, Okonkwo Adibe (the famous musician), Sony Odogwu, etc. are all from the western part of Nigeria. They are no less Igbo than those who live in the eastern part of Nigeria. The correct answer to your question is "the Igbo come from Southern Nigeria."


Question: Why do some Igbo refer to themselves as "core Igbo?"


Answer: That is clearly arrant nonsense. Nobody is core and others peripheral. All Igbo are the same. It is both arrogant, thoughtless and insensitive for anybody to regard others as marginal.


Question: Is Igboland landlocked?


Answer: Not at all. Igboland stretches from Igwe Ocha (Port Harcourt) to Agbor. The Atlantic ocean washes the shores of Igboland. Africa's second largest river - River Niger, traverses Igboland with one part of Igboland in the east and another part in the west of Nigeria. Uguta Lake has the potential of accommodating large ships and could be made a navigable port. If Igboland is landlocked, then all Nigeria is landlocked.


Question: Is there oil in Igboland?


Answer: Yes, indeed. There is a lot of oil in Imo State, Abia, Ebonyi, Rivers State and Delta States Igbo areas, and now in Anambra. Besides, Igboland has many other natural resources, including coal, limestone, etc.


Question: Are the Igbo a nation or a tribe?


Answer: The Igbo are a nation, and a very large one. There are many tribes in Igbo nation, just like you have many tribes within Israel.


Question: Why do some Ikwerre people say they are not Igbo?


Answer: First, it is not up to them to say what they are and what they are not. When God created them, He did not ask them who they wanted to be. He just created them Igbo. The only way you'll know who belongs to what ethnic group in Nigeria is the name and what language the name comes from. Anybody whose name is Amadi or Onyeri, or Eke, or Odili, Wanodi (Nwanodi) does not need to tell you who he is. He is Igbo, his politics notwithstanding.


Question: But they claim that their language is Ikwerre, not Igbo.


Answer: That is politics. Ikwerre is a dialect of Igbo language. Just like an Ngwa man speaks Ngwa Igbo, Arochukwu speaks Arochukwu Igbo, etc.


Question: Some people say that Igbo language is not complete, is it true?


Answer: No language is complete. All languages borrow from each other. Igbo language is very rich. It has inexhaustible and rich linguistic features like idioms, proverbs, aphorisms, sayings, anecdotes, riddles, folklores, etc. Igbo language is one of the major languages of the world, being spoken by millions of people.


Question: How many are the Igbo?


Answer: The Igbo are very numerous. There is educated guess that if Nigeria's census is properly enumerated, the Igbo could easily be the largest ethnic group in the country. They may number up to 40 million. Everything right now, is speculation. Nobody knows the true stratification or ethnic populations in Nigeria. The Igbo are the only ethnic group found in large numbers everywhere in Nigeria, and foreign countries more than any other ethnic group in Africa.


Question: Do the Igbo have a culture of their own?


Answer: Yes, indeed. Igbo culture is perhaps, one of the richest and all-encompassing cultures in this world. Igbo culture always observes the temporal and the spiritual aspects of cosmology. The study of Igbo culture reveals that it is extremely deep and original.


Question: Why do the Igbo wear Yoruba Agbada and Hausa babban riga but the Yoruba and the Hausa do not ever wear Igbo national dress?


Answer: Unfortunately this is the case. The Igbo have very attractive and resplendent national dresses. And they come in assortments that are extremely dignifying. The Igbo take up foreign cultures more readily than other Nigerians, and they seem not to care that nobody reciprocates their carefree attitude to life. Most ethnics promote their cultures and show off what makes them unique. Actually, it is still the same so-called educated Igbo class who behave in such disgraceful and the devil-may-care attitude.


Question: Why do the Igbo call themselves Biafrans?


Answer: Great question. Some people have the idea that Biafra originates from the Bight of Biafra. But that is wrong. There was the Kingdom of Biafra that ruled most of the ancient world about 50,000 years ago. Unfortunately, nobody talks about it, for whatever reason, I do not know. But, it is in the ancient maps of the world. If you wish I'll make a copy and send to you.


Question: Were the Igbo also taken into slavery during the slave trade?


Answer: Yes. The Igbo slaves themselves gave account of their travails in slavery. Olauda Ekwuano an Igbo ex-slave who bought his freedom in Britain was the first slave to write about his experience in slavery. His book has become a classic. You ought to find it and read it. Also, other Igbos who were brought to America revolted and some walked back on water and were said to have returned to Africa. Several books have been written about them. One of such books is "Ibo Landing." It is available in bookstores like Barnes & Noble. In Haiti, the Igbo settled there and refused to be colonized by anybody. There are many places where the Igbo left their mark or their signature.


Question: How did the Igbo know days and years?


Answer: The Igbo invented an accurate, if not the most accurate calendar called "Iguafo Igbo (Igbo Calendar)." In Igbo calendar, there are four market days - Eke, Afor, Nkwo, Orie that make one week. Four days make one week, seven weeks make one month, and thirteen months make one year. There are 28 days for each month, with the last month having 29 days. Each month starts the same day as the previous. Igbo calendar forms the perfect astronomical alignment with the cosmos, and regulates the seasons, agriculture, navigation, astrology, geography, mathematics, travel, etc.


Question: Did the Igbo have their own alphabets?


Answer: Yes, indeed. It is called "Nsibidi."


Question: How about mathematics; did the Igbo know mathematics?


Answer: Yes, indeed. There are such inventions as "Okwe" and "Mkpisi" which the Igbo used to resolve figures.


Question: Did the Igbo know anything about banking?


Answer: Yes. Igbo banking was more in the nature of Savings and Loans. The authentic Igbo savings and loans invention called "Isusu' in which contributions are pooled each week and one person, who has the need, collects, is still in practice. Igbo slaves took this invention to the Caribbean Islands where they still practise it and call it "Sue Sue."


Question: Some people say that Igboland is too small for the Igbo, that they have no alternative than to live as Nigerians: is this true?


Answer: False. Igboland is a large country. Do every Igbo need to stay and work in Igboland? No. Everywhere in the world, some will stay home while others venture abroad in search of opportunities. Igboland is large enough for the Igbo. And it is a very rich and hospitable part of the world. It has rich soil for agriculture, abundant rainfall, good sunshine, and table land in many parts. Its land space and population are more than that of over half of the present countries in the world.


Question: Where did the Igbo come from?


Answer: That question is still being asked. There are very intriguing theories or histories now being studied. You may have heard of the Jewish angle, the Egypt angle, and the Origin of man angle. This twenty-first century, hopefully, will resolve the mystery.


Question: Why do people say that the Igbo are not united?


Answer: Those who say so, do so out of ignorance. The Igbo are famous for their unity. In the colonial period and the First Republic of Nigeria, the Igbo were always envied for their unity. Under Igbo Union, they accomplished many things. They were feared by others for this. Since after the war, the Igbo are gradually recovering and getting rid of the individualism they developed brought about by their war experience which enabled them to survive as a disinherited people. Now, there are vigorous efforts to reunite them and return them to their old glory which served them well in the past.


Question: Some people say that the Igbo are susceptible to being bought by some other Nigerians, and that they "sell" the Igbo in the bargain; is this true?


Answer: The same parroting and recycling of unfounded talk. When you hear such a talk, challenge the one who is mouthing it to give you evidence, or to cite an example of such an Igbo person. He is likely to say "what of Jim Nwobodo?" Tell him that the Igbo number about 40 million, if it would be fair for the action of one person to represent the integrity of the other 3.99.9 million. The truth is that an Igbo is like any other human being, when he sees where he can take advantage of a situation, he goes for it. It has nothing to do with "selling." Were we not told that fish clusters where the river was deepest or that the dog follows he who has crumbs? Not long ago in the history of Nigeria, other Nigerians were also running after the Igbo for crumbs because the Igbo were in position to call the shots. Things will not remain as they are today. In fact, things are changing fast.


Question: Why are other Nigerians always persecuting the Igbo?


Answer: I have always tried to know myself. I am one of those who believe that the Igbo are among the most peaceful people on earth. But, because of the fact that they are very hardworking, ambitious, and not afraid to live anywhere, or take up any task, they tend to be resented by their less ambitious and successful neighbors or hosts. When you confront a non-Igbo to say what specific offense the Igbo have committed against them, oftentimes they draw blank, or engage in fabrications, which they insist must stand for a fact. The Igbo believe in live-and-let-live. It is virtually impossible for any Igbo to rise against their guests or hosts. It has never happened in Nigeria, or elsewhere. It is an abomination in Igboland for a host to cause his guest harm. Instead, a guest is considered metaphysically and physically under the protection of the host. All Igbo deities forbid doing harm to a guest. The Igbo are accused of "loving money." I suppose the charge is based on the fact that they work hard and acquire money in the bargain. One would like to believe that the outcome of hardwork is good harvest and hopefully prosperity. If anybody takes offense at the prosperity of a hardworking person, then the Igbo or for that matter any other person or persons, have no apologies to render.


Question: Do the Igbo have their own system of jurisprudence before the arrival of the white man?


Answer: Yes. The Igbo had a system of resolving conflicts. The elders were presented with cases that could not be satisfactorily settled within the family or kindred. Matters where veracity must be ascertained, the Igbo resort to spirituality. Oath-taking is a matter left to the spirits to settle. Those who swear falsely were expected to be killed by the spirits within a given period. After the period, he is acquitted and he could celebrate with public merry-making. The Igbo did not have any prisons, but they could ostracise a culprit, exile him, or send him into slavery or to serve to a deity.


Question: Why don't the Igbo teach these things you are telling me to their children?


Answer: In the pursuit of what they taught was the "new way" either from Europeans or o Christianity, the Igbo began to distance themselves from their heritage, and in the process became lost in the wilderness of a world they hardly understand. They have learned their lesson the hard way. The twenty-first century will lead them back home.



Note: This article was posted in 2006.


Main Source :

Nigeria Village Square

Yorubarocks:
Go and ask your father

humilitypays:
Let me first tackle the first issue- Igbos trying to buy-off a rented shop in Akure via a prodigal member of a Yoruba family- pls bro be sincere here, who is to be blamed?

You have to understand that the Igbo man is a chore entrepreneur by nature & birth trying to cut cost for himself and maximize and expand his business empire, so he tries to find a way to stop or cut down his business running cost (paying of rent annually) by convincing the owners or one of the owners of an estate/property to sell their estate outrightly to him.

If I am to judge on a neutral ground, I will blame the prodigal son more for allowing himself to be bought over with money.

This wouldn't cause hatred or uproar if it were done by another tribe or even a Yoruba indigene, its just unfortunate that Yoruba over the years have developed strong hatred and envy for Igbo people for no justifiable reason.

I read the funny cooked up story here of Igbo people giving one Ijebu woman married to an Igbo man mark to kill her in future; and some gullible Yoruba people will believe this half-baked lies and swallow it...kai...lolz....one of my brothers is married to a Yoruba lady...in fact, my family is a multi-cultural family because most siblings married from other tribes and its only Igbo men that marry freely and easily from other tribes in Nigeria.

The issue of Igbos engaging in human ritual to make money is more fallacious than a foreigner saying that all Nigerians are internet fraudsters when you and I know that not even up to 1% of Nigerians are into internet scam.

Nollywood is the major cause of this false money ritual accusation on Igbo people- Nollywood movies painted the wrong picture of successful Igbo businessmen just to sell their movies to make their money and Nigerians have bought that fallacy, kai...lol

History and news we do read everyday even here on nairaland shows that more Yoruba people even indulge in money ritual than Igbo people, why?

Because Yoruba people always find it difficult to understand how an Igbo trader will be expanding and building houses by selling say: automobile spare parts, electronics, provision, etc, so they now believe Igbos are into rituals and hence jump into that hasty conclusion and also find ways to engage in money rituals in order to prosper financially like the Igbo businessmen they see, at the end they fail because they didn't do the right thing- solving societal problem, providing needed solutions to problems in the society in exchange for money; they believe if they kill one fine girl and put her corpse in the wardrobe, it will be vomiting money for them whenever they call her name as they watch in Nollywood movies, lolz.

Let me also point out here that what spread this dangerous lies that Igbo people are money ritualist is Nollywood movies which are mostly written out of imagination and to attract people to make money from the movie. (I won't blame the producers of Nollywood movies because they are smart thinkers who knew what people wanted to see and gave it to them in order to get their constant patronage), lol


Igbo people aren't as fetish as Yoruba people believe; and I keep wondering y Yoruba people believe too much in fetish and juju things. I asked more than 4 different Yoruba friends and colleagues y they don't like going to their villages to build house and spend holidays, they all told me the same thing- PEOPLE IN THE VILLAGE ARE WITCHES, WICKED, KILLERS; you want them to kill me abi?

But your parents came from that village and no one killed them...Igbos don't believe in that because Igbo people don't believe so much in fetish powers like Yorubas and other tribes that fear going to their villages.


Meanwhile, there's no rocket science about Igbo people financial success all over the world; Igbo people are so industrious even before the civil war- they dominated every sector of Nigeria- military, politics, trade, importation/exportation except agriculture, and the reward for being hardworking, smart and industrious is financial prosperity!

When I was serving in Osun State, I was doing petty businesses- going to Lagos to buy fairly used laptops, phones and resold to my fellow Yoruba/Hausa/Tiv/Bini/Igbo/etc corpers to make some little change; they called me Igbo boy, mocked me jokingly for chasing money desperately even as a corper...some jokingly told me that it seems I was using juju/jazz to convince people to buy my laptops, I laughed.

Aside that, I and some fellow corpers also started tutorial classes for secondary school students there in which they paid us a token (I initiated it; I and some other Igbo/Warri corpers....Yoruba corpers mocked us because most of them believed they are too big to do that because some schooled abroad, UNILAG, Covenant university, Babcock, and couldn't bring themselves down to do little things that will fetch them money, but I and my fellow Igbo corpers did those shameful things to make money). I also taught OAU students AutoCAD in exchange for money, lol

One of my elder brothers I knew how much he suffered to become financially okay, and how much effort, hardwork and unusual labour he has put in life still gets bad name- ritualist, lol...meanwhile the man they call ritualist is always afraid of juju, praying to God daily to protect him and help him not to make financial mistake that will bring him down but people are out there seeing him as a demi god that fears no one and untouchable spirit man who makes huge money by invoking some spirits and sacrificing people he killed, *rotfl

My brother, wealth creation has one formula- solve people's problem, monetize your solution and u will be wealthy with time & watch people call u ritualist, lolz. Don't listen to those ritual crap people talk about Igbo people.

Most Igbo people Yorubas called ritualists in the 1980s and 1990s were into advanced fee fraud- what we now call Yahoo-Yahoo.

It was Igbo men that started it back then....writing Oyimbo letters via NIPOST to come claim crude oil money contract executed by a dead or missing foreigner, and out of greed, the Oyimbo people do reply them, agreeing to come claim the money they never worked for, lol...and in the process of Oyimbo trying to claim the virtual money, he pays more money to the Igbo group who are mostly secondary school graduates & drop-outs o...but today, Yoruba boys have taken over Yahoo-Yahoo from Igbo guys and have even messed it up by adding juju- Yahoo-Plus which they thought Igbo people were using to convince Oyimbo back then.

The earlier Yoruba people realise that majority of Igbo guys don't even believe in jazz and dread jazz like death, the better for them.

With how hard and smart that I am working now, I see myself excelling exceedingly in years to come, and my Yoruba neighbours won't recognise my hardwork/effort now o, tomorrow when I blow, they will call me ritualist...I can't wait to bear that honourable name- ritualist which God alone knows who's who.

I am working, despite that, I engage in lots of legal petty businesses to boost my income...and whenever my Yoruba colleagues hear me making business calls and mentioning money, they mock me and call me- Igbo boy u and business...you and money...some will jokingly tell me make I no use them do money ritual o and I laugh...they are comfortable working for a company till old age...they are happy being on a payroll and acquiring more degree certificates (Masters, Ph.D, ICAN, ACCA, etc) to get promoted to manager and get higher salary, lol

They can consult ifa, afa, etc to help protect them and jazz them up so their boss and mgt can do whatever they ask or favour them in company policies & decision making, but they aren't ok working extra hard, engaging in other business activities with their salary to earn more money and employ people in future; an Igbo man that does that & end up wealthier than them tomorrow is a money ritualist, *rotfl.

Meanwhile, I won't dispute the fact that some unscrupulous sons of Igbo land engage in human activities that soil the image of Igbo people; I won't also divorce the fact that some of these unworthy Igbo sons do indulge in these so-called money ritual in which they usually fail because you don't accumulate wealth by sacrificing human being or animal...find a problem in the society where u live, offer a solution to that problem and watch people give u their hard-earned money in exchange for your solution, hence your journey to becoming wealthy!


I hope I have answered your questions sir Lol

Good morning

yaqub07:
an Educate illetrate will always like to cross the road without looking right and left (buhari) only is not a name so be specific!

dtito:
pl

cool article i guess am learning from it tanks...
please i need the map kif u can provide it bro thanks my email dunagha@gmail.com

BERNHARDT:
THE IGBO ARE THE ONLY TRIBE SOME COMPANIES EMPLOY HERE IN EUROPE BECAUSE THEY WORK HARD AND MAKES MORE PROFIT FOR BOTH COMPANY AND THEMSELVES, WE LOVE THEM HERE,AND OUR GIRLS AND WOMEN EVEN NOW PREFER IGBOS THAN US AS THEY SAY IGBOS ARE ALSO BEST IN SATISFYING THEM,GOD BLESSED THE IGBOS IN ALL WAYS ROUND.

pazienza:
Though this particular article is a bit biased but it would still suffix.

https://groups.google.com/forum/m/#!topic/soc.culture.nigeria/KM67pNMl7G0

There are Igbo communities of Ndoki extraction in Ika and Ukunafun LGAsof Akwa ibom, Ohaobu is one of them. And these communities had resisted every attempt to
take their Ndoki-Igbo identity from them.

Ihuomadinihu:
This might be true. I was watching the calabar carnival and i saw a particular local govt(Abi lga of Calabar) that performed what we all know as Ohafia war dance.

tonychristopher:
We have Igbo in cross river state and imoke is from there and frank nneji is also from Igbo speaking cross river

zimoni:
I had to quote you.

You really need help.

Hatredness causes High Blood Pressure.

Life is good.

Cheers.

Ihuomadinihu:
Some people have argued that Imoke is not Igbo. The funny thing is that these Akwa/Cross rivers igbos speak clearer igbo than South east igbos. I've seen many of them around.

Ihuomadinihu:
This might be true. I was watching the calabar carnival and i saw a particular local govt(Abi lga of Calabar) that performed what we all know as Ohafia war dance.

tonychristopher:
But what he said was true from his experience and mine ..I can second that

Yerwa:
Can anyone enlighten me,I would like to know if igbos are found in other African countries or any African country that speaks a different dialect of Igbo other than the one spoken in Nigeria against the backdrop of that for example Yoruba can be found in Benin and Togo,Fulani can be found in Niger,Cameroon etc.
Thanks

tonychristopher:
We have Igbo in cross river state and imoke is from there and frank nneji is also from Igbo speaking cross river

LMAyedun:
Question: Why do Igbo people like Money soon much?

Radoillo:
Sunny Neji is from Ogoja. Ogoja people are certainly not Igbo. We must be careful about assigning ethnicity to people based on how their names sound. God knows I have seen more Ogoni people with Igbo-sounding (or even Igbo-derived) names than I care to remember.

As for Imoke, the name of his ethnic group is Legbo or Agbo. They have a lot in common with Igbos, being a neighbouring group. Theire language, however, is nowhere near Igbo or Igboid. Igbo language is closer to Idoma than to Legbo. Of course, there are Igbo loanwords in Legbo, but the language is still very distinct.

zimoni:
I Wish You Best of Luck.

Life is good.

pazienza:
The Legbo/Agbo thing is so confusing. Their Wikipedia page states that they are Igbos, but. looking at the language, it doesn't look Igboid. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abi,_Nigeria

Radoillo:
Sunny Neji is from Ogoja. Ogoja people are certainly not Igbo. We must be careful about assigning ethnicity to people based on how their names sound. God knows I have seen more Ogoni people with Igbo-sounding (or even Igbo-derived) names than I care to remember.

As for Imoke, the name of his ethnic group is Legbo or Agbo. They have a lot in common with Igbos, being a neighbouring group. Theire language, however, is nowhere near Igbo or Igboid. Igbo language is closer to Idoma than to Legbo. Of course, there are Igbo loanwords in Legbo, but the language is still very distinct.

tonychristopher:
They are Igbo and izzi clan

tonychristopher:
Life is good ...that's lg motto

Happy new year for us

Radoillo:
Sunny Neji is from Ogoja. Ogoja people are certainly not Igbo. We must be careful about assigning ethnicity to people based on how their names sound. God knows I have seen more Ogoni people with Igbo-sounding (or even Igbo-derived) names than I care to remember.

As for Imoke, the name of his ethnic group is Legbo or Agbo. They have a lot in common with Igbos, being a neighbouring group. Theire language, however, is nowhere near Igbo or Igboid. Igbo language is closer to Idoma than to Legbo. Of course, there are Igbo loanwords in Legbo, but the language is still very distinct.

pazienza:
The Legbo/Agbo thing is so confusing. Their Wikipedia page states that they are Igbos, but. looking at the language, it doesn't look Igboid. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abi,_Nigeria