This is a personal investigation and study. After careful consideration, I came up with this possibility of the Igbo’s actually originating from Ile-Ife.
Many historians, philosophers, sociologists, archaeologists and anthropologists have raised a lot of dust on this issue. A lot of views have been proffered but yet the origin of the Igbo’s remained a mirage. A book by Dr. Elizabeth Isichei titled “History of the Igbo People” talked about an elderly Mbaise man from Imo State of Nigeria, who maintained that the Igbo’s did not come from anywhere. But the fact remains that the Igbo’s must come from somewhere beyond the limited knowledge of the Mbaise elder.
Another claim seeks to establish that the ancestors of the Igbo are originated from the area they inhabit, presently known as Awka-Okigwe. Hence, the communities known as Umu-Nri regard themselves as the descendants of a hero called Eri, who along with his wife, Nnamaku, was sent down from the sky by Chukwu, the Igbo supreme God. This is very similar to one of the claims associated with the origin of the Yorubas and the coming of Oduduwa who was let down from heaven by a chain. No doubt, you will agree that these claims sound just like fairy tales and unbelievable.
Majority of Igbo’s are satisfied to accept the Israel (Jew) hypothesis. This assumption however is begging for support by testimonies of oral tradition and archaeological evidence. The origin of the Yoruba on the other hand with a similar theory clearly makes sense, as it is believed that their primary descendents, the Odudua, came from Egypt. This assumption is based on the resemblance of the sculptures found in Egypt and the sculptures found in the mythological center of Yorubalnd, in the city of Ife-Ife.
Based on my careful contemplation, it is safe to postulate that the Igbos were part of the original inhabitants of ile-Ife before the arrival of Odudua. So much similarities in the language; take for instance,
The mouth in Igbo is called “onu” in Yoruba it is called “enu”,
The nose in Igbo is called “imi”, in Yoruba; it is called ‘imu”,
The hand in Igbo is called “aka”, in Yoruba; it is called “apa”
So, so, so many similar words....this can’t be mare coincidence!
Certainly not all the original in habitants of Ile-Ife and it’s environ before the arrival of Oduduawa from Egypt accepted him. Surely, some revolted against the politics, religion and the eastern civilisation brought by Odudua. They therefore receded into the bush (hinterland) away from the reach and influence of Odudua’s culture. These set of people were nicknamed the Bush people – “Ara Igbo” which eventually became the Igbo’s. As the Odudua land expands, the “Ara Igbo’s” further retracts into the hinterlands until they now occupy the place none as the Eastern Nigeria.
This is not an intension to undermine any tribe, but simple thoughts to try and solve the riddle of the Igbo origin. It is also to highlight the fact that the Igbo’s and the Yoruba’s have very close linkage and are true brothers and sisters.

The Igbos that left Ife are the Ilaje

Oduduwa from Egypt Similar sculptures with Ife and egypt? Really? You've seen any?

macof:
The Igbos that left Ife are the Ilaje

Oduduwa from Egypt Similar sculptures with Ife and egypt? Really? You've seen any?

You need to Google it. I am going to post some pix for you to see yourself

I've always maintained that Igbos and yorubas actually have the same origin. They were once the same people. Just a theory though.

VoslerGrimsbane:
I've always maintained that Igbos and yorubasay actually have the same origin. They were once the same people. Just a theory though.

It would be nice to hear the basis of your theory.

macof:
The Igbos that left Ife are the Ilaje

Oduduwa from Egypt Similar sculptures with Ife and egypt? Really? You've seen any?

Care to explain, I thought the Ilajes are of the same stock with Ijaw apoi

sirade:

Care to explain, I thought the Ilajes are of the same stock with Ijaw apoi

No, they aren't. Seems Ilaje have some history with them even extending to further ijaws but Ilaje are from Ife

Haha! This rumoured Igbo and yoruba kinship would keep giving researchers sleepless nights because of the many loop holes in West African history.
Lol,according to Acholonu, Igbo and Yoruba were same people before Eri and Oduduwa arrived. According to her, both of them were brothers since they came through same mysterious circumstances but the later went ahead to corrupt the proto language spoken by igbos and yoruba cos he wanted to rule over the people he met. That is why Igbo and yoruba languages are different today. Apart from that,he also introduced his culture and way of life to his new converts(yorubas).
Lol! No piece of work should be bashed unless you have a contrary view or opinion supported by the literary world. I guess the lesson to draw out of this,is that Igbos and Yorubas,including the Edos had some form of kinship in pre historic history,unfortunately,oral records couldn't retain all of it.

P.s This is Acholonu's position on this issue not mine before some people start being tribalistic.

Man originated from South Africa. All the peoples of the world migrated from there and through genetic mutation changed skin colours, intelligence and languages. Following the part of genetic mutation which seems to travel through crude to sophistication, Igbos cannot have been Jews. The Jews were already a sophisticated race as far as 4000bc and there is no evidence to prove that the Igbos who don't have any record of their existence even in the last 200 years could have anything to do with the Jews. All men are however related. We all branched out according to genetic mutation and language formed the most important reason for the formation of communities.

Ihuomadinihu:
Haha! This rumoured Igbo and yoruba kinship would keep giving researchers sleepless nights because of the many loop holes in West African history.
Lol,according to Acholonu, Igbo and Yoruba were same people before Eri and Oduduwa arrived. According to her, both of them were brothers since they came through same mysterious circumstances but the later went ahead to corrupt the proto language spoken by igbos and yoruba cos he wanted to rule over the people he met. That is why Igbo and yoruba languages are different today. Apart from that,he also introduced his culture and way of life to his new converts(yorubas).
Lol! No piece of work should be bashed unless you have a contrary view or opinion supported by the literary world. I guess the lesson to draw out of this,is that Igbos and Yorubas,including the Edos had some form of kinship in pre historic history,unfortunately,oral records couldn't retain all of it.

P.s This is Acholonu's position on this issue not mine before some people start being tribalistic.

Thank you.
We are on the same page and reasoning similarly

Acholonu could be funny. And strange, too.

cole265:
This is a personal investigation and study. After careful consideration, I came up with this possibility of the Igbo’s actually originating from Ile-Ife.
Many historians, philosophers, sociologists, archaeologists and anthropologists have raised a lot of dust on this issue. A lot of views have been proffered but yet the origin of the Igbo’s remained a mirage. A book by Dr. Elizabeth Isichei titled “History of the Igbo People” talked about an elderly Mbaise man from Imo State of Nigeria, who maintained that the Igbo’s did not come from anywhere. But the fact remains that the Igbo’s must come from somewhere beyond the limited knowledge of the Mbaise elder.
Another claim seeks to establish that the ancestors of the Igbo are originated from the area they inhabit, presently known as Awka-Okigwe. Hence, the communities known as Umu-Nri regard themselves as the descendants of a hero called Eri, who along with his wife, Nnamaku, was sent down from the sky by Chukwu, the Igbo supreme God. This is very similar to one of the claims associated with the origin of the Yorubas and the coming of Oduduwa who was let down from heaven by a chain. No doubt, you will agree that these claims sound just like fairy tales and unbelievable.
Majority of Igbo’s are satisfied to accept the Israel (Jew) hypothesis. This assumption however is begging for support by testimonies of oral tradition and archaeological evidence. The origin of the Yoruba on the other hand with a similar theory clearly makes sense, as it is believed that their primary descendents, the Odudua, came from Egypt. This assumption is based on the resemblance of the sculptures found in Egypt and the sculptures found in the mythological center of Yorubalnd, in the city of Ife-Ife.
Based on my careful contemplation, it is safe to postulate that the Igbos were part of the original inhabitants of ile-Ife before the arrival of Odudua. So much similarities in the language; take for instance,
The mouth in Igbo is called “onu” in Yoruba it is called “enu”,
The nose in Igbo is called “imi”, in Yoruba; it is called ‘imu”,
The hand in Igbo is called “aka”, in Yoruba; it is called “apa”
So, so, so many similar words....this can’t be mare coincidence!
Certainly not all the original in habitants of Ile-Ife and it’s environ before the arrival of Oduduawa from Egypt accepted him. Surely, some revolted against the politics, religion and the eastern civilisation brought by Odudua. They therefore receded into the bush (hinterland) away from the reach and influence of Odudua’s culture. These set of people were nicknamed the Bush people – “Ara Igbo” which eventually became the Igbo’s. As the Odudua land expands, the “Ara Igbo’s” further retracts into the hinterlands until they now occupy the place none as the Eastern Nigeria.
This is not an intension to undermine any tribe, but simple thoughts to try and solve the riddle of the Igbo origin. It is also to highlight the fact that the Igbo’s and the Yoruba’s have very close linkage and are true brothers and sisters.

To fix this, we all need to go back in time to study the chronology of civilizations and when respective civilizations came into place. The possibility of an Ile-Ife origin for Igbos is infinitesimally small because Nri and the Nri civilization is said to have come into fore around the 9th century and Ile-Ife was to start existing at about the 12th century or 300 years after Nri came into existence. The second major Yoruba civilization was to come into existence later around the 14th century (500 years after Nri). The bini empire was to rise to prominence hundreds of years later.

In southern Nigeria, Nri civilization is said to be the oldest of all Bini, Igbo and Yoruba civilizations. From the chronology of events, Igbo could not possibly have come from Ile-Ife given that the Igbo civilization (9th century or 1000AD) is older than the earliest Yoruba civilization (12th century).

As to an Igbo migration, I would not easily conclude that they all just migrated from one place. Among a tribe or people, pockets of the people often tend to migrate in from different places and over the years get acculturated to their environment and language. I would think that the Igbo origin or migration cannot be said to be from one place but from a few several places over the passage of time. Maybe some ancient Hebrews (when they were still originally black in complexion going by bible evidence) settled in a part of modern day Igboland - especially around the northern Anambra area, maybe there were already some people existing in this area given that human life started in Africa, from whence it spread out to other continents etc. There is possibly another migratory wave of people from south-eastern Nigeria towards central Africa and southwards as can be seen from a some similarities between Igbo and some Bantu languages.