₦airaland Forum

Sinzumoney:
please I heard the aro was the dominant force in the Eastern region before colonialism.Do I want to know if they colonized other tribes there. I heard they colonized the Efik/Ibibio

It depends on what you mean by 'colonize'.

If you mean 'colonize' in the sense that the British colonised Nigeria, then no.

But they established influential trading colonies among the Annang/Ibibio and other groups; and were active traders and oracle agents throughout the old Eastern Region, and that includes Bonny and Kalabari.

Their Long Juju was even known and consulted from as far away as Nembe.

samuk:
How many of the tribes and communities the Igbos are trying to annexed as part of their new Biafra see themselves as Igbo 70 years ago or even today, 70 years ago, the Igbos would have see these people as best as efulefu or second class Igbos. You can not divorce history from the politics of the time. History or historical accounts could be used to unite, elevate or subjugate people.

How much of what you are made to believe today as the truth is actually true. In case you are not aware, there is actually a school of thought that argues that the story of the virgin birth of Jesus christ was fabricated by those that gave us christianity and the bible, today, Rome and Israel are reaping the benefits from tourism. These scholars pointed as evidence to the similarities and almost replica stories of the virgin birth of other religions prophets (Egyptian Horus and Indian Buddha) before christ.

Zik had his reasons for making revision to his earlier writeup about the history of Onitsha. Zik is not the first to do so, most later days Yoruba historians hardly agree with Johnson and Law earlier history of the Yoruba nation.

Benin classical historical past has made Benin a historical reference point in Nigeria and this is so because it was documented for hundreds of years by various Europeans that visited Benin.

What Zik did by writing his Onitsha people and by extension the Obi of Onitsha into the heart of Benin history is no different from what the Yoruba did with the Benin/Ife connection history. Benin allow people to date what would have merely be ora history. The Obi of Onitsha can date when the Onitsha throne started by referencing the history of Benin, this gives him authenticity, legitimacy and supremacy amongst his peers in the south east.

Similarly, Ife written history without Benin is less than 150 years old, the rest of her history is shrouded in unsubstantiated ora history, by cleverly connecting it with Benin, the Yorubas can use Benin to date Oduduwa and Ife to atleast the 1100s AD. As more and more communities realise the importance of history, more connections will be made and there is nothing wrong with this if it leads to unity.

The Ife cradle of Yoruba nation history or myth have now united the various tribes of Yoruba that use to kill themselves in past as one people from one ancestor.

Why must you guys always interject Biafra into every discussion?

Here I was, thinking we were discussing claims of ancestry, and how some (not all) who claim Benin ancestry manufactured that claim in relatively recent times, and next thing you're talking Biafra and all this verbosity that has nothing to do with what I was saying.

I have said this before, and I will keep saying it. Not every community that claims Benin origin today was making that claim 70 years ago or more. People don't understand that oral tradition is for ever changing in response to the changing political atmosphere.

Benin people on this forum never get tired of quoting Zik's autobiography (written in the 1970s) where he talks about his link to Eze Chima and Eze Chima's blood relationship to the Benin Royal House. I have shown several times that this same Zik wrote a paper about Onitsha in the 1930s (40 years earlier) where he said that Chima came from a kindgom which was a neighboring kingdom to Benin, and not from Benin itself. Of course, I was ignored on the occasions where I raised this point, and Benin people have continued to quote Zik's latter autobiography, as if it was the Holy Scriptures.

As with Onitsha as with Ekpeye. The earlier collected traditions of the Ekpeye people did not reference Benin as a point of origin. I won't say further, but will rather share a screenshot from a book on the peoples of Rivers State written and edited by scholars of Rivers State. Note what one of the writers of the book has to say about what an Ogba historian wrote about Akalaka, the reputed ancestor of the Ekpeye and the Ogba (called Kraka by the Ogba people) in the 1940s or so.

Igboid has a point.

Calling Ekpeye Edoid is as irrational as calling the Isoko clan of Igbide Igboid. Or the Delta town of Oko Yoruboid.

Scholars use terms like Edoid, Yoruboid, Igboid in a linguistic sense.

Using Edoid for a group whose connection to Benin is oral tradition and not linguistics is not scholarly. No scholar who knows what he's doing will use a term that is linguistic in that sense.

Ekpeye is Igboid.

Is Opobo not Ibani? Why was it listed as a separate 'tribe'?

gregyboy:
Now i want to laugh, haha...

The only fall benin had was economic power which it lost because of its unending civil which struck various times in 1600Ad, they lost some vassal during this period and regained them back by 1700AD,the Europeans made it know benin fell during this period economically not militarily wise

Benin military were so large that if there was internal crisis it wont affect its military power

Benin economic power fell by 17c ....when the benin monopoly was reduced by influx flow of several European to it shores despite its economical fall it had monopoly over some states despite the economic fall oyo could have not even be richer than benin some niger delta states at this time would even be way far richer than oyo, which probably never existed, if it did exist, benin was trying to expand its economic piwer into further interior when the clash of intrest btw benin and British fell out,


Please go read afc ryder, benin and the Portuguese relationship

Benin never fell militarily throughout till it fell with
The British forces, during 19 century few months before the benin british war, part of benin armies
Where in owo to burn it down by the orders of the oba of benin because they revolted

European saying benin fell had their standard for saying so, benin never fell to the point it would sweat to pull oyo forces down

If you have read samuel johson book on yoruba war, you would see benin played a vital role, supplying military wares to yoruba warriors and even sent forces that defeated the oyo in ekiti.

I dislike people who just read and dont rationalized what they have read it makes them have baked knowledgeable people

1) The point is at what standard did the European consoder benin economic fall or even the military fall,

2)did the benin fall affect or anyway strengthened the oyo empire, the answer is no

3) how true was the oyo economic and military strength in their peak to the benins

4) how varse are you in both knowledge

I see you have little knowledge on benin history TAO11 wouldn't even say this rubbish you spilled up there, because she knows much to spill such errors

Incoherent jibber-jabber, as always.

ijawcitizen:
How can you call a group of people who terrorized fellow igbos and hunted them for slaves a CONFEDERACY? I think you are abusing that word or maybe I don't know what it means anymore.

Aro confederacy is pure fabrication, it never existed.

What do you undetstand by 'a confederacy'?

Aro was not a conquering power. They were interested primarily in trade. Not that they were not at all interested in power, but there was no systematic attempt to conquer and create an empire. They established colonies, and used their war mercenaries to intimidate stubborn clans who they felt threatened their interests.

gregyboy:
I see because i kicked your ass you decided to lay with the yorubas....

If i ask you to prove this you will fail woefully

If you insist on trying i will give you a doubt


You dont even know benin history not to say oyo but you were so fast to comment

Lay with Yorubas? You think everyone is a tribalist knucklehead like you who sees everything from the point of taking sides? Your own brother PhysicsQED, the most informed Benin person ever to grace Nairaland, will agree that while Benin was the more powerful empire from the mid-15th century to the mid-17th century, Benin fell on evil days from that period (i.e., the 17th c.) until later in the 18th century, during which Oyo was the more powerful empire.

And you've never kicked anyone's ass on this forum, let alone mine. You are not intelligent enough or knowedgeable enough to.

You were running around on that thread like a headless chicken, incapable of understanding my point and incapable of making yours. Didn't have the time nor the patience to indulge you in your headless chicken game, so I left you there. Go and play with your mates, I am not one.

Oyo and Benin were great during different times in history. Benin achieved greatness first; but from the late 17th century and in the 18th century before the internal strife in Oyo and pressure from Fulani jihadists, Oyo was definitely greater than Benin.

Nri was never an imperial power, so I don't understand why it is being compared to the other two.

gregyboy:
Benin had several times decline if you would take time to study and read benin history but they always pickup very fast, my blames still goes to Nigeria and the British,
With a solid history of our past i believe benin would overcome is corruption struggles again

And if they used those degratory words, you decided to use it too, without any consciousness regarding hatespeech or tribal bashing to the benin people, mtcheew

What is even wrong with this boy? Which kind emotional nonsense is this? Hate speech? Tribal bashing? Because I told you Benin was a shadow of itself in the nineteenth century? A statement I made in correction of your earlier submission that Nigeria was responsible for Benin's retrogression?

Biko shift with all this emotional bullstool!

gregyboy:
These derogatory words is not needed, if benin was reduced to a village does it now connote to its future failure
Do you how many times benin was burnt down in ancient times, go read benin civil war, we could have stood as a country independently but the British wanted to hide their tracks of injustice
And further punish the kingdom, they made us denounce the various vassal under the empire forcefully, soon as the country nigeria began edo was left behind to nuture her wounds, but we picked up fast than they expected, corruption was not in the benin empire, stealing was not, throwing dirt was forbidden and so many more of all this began , as soon as the country began corruption start setting in into the kingdom, our religion we held so dearly was stigmatized by other tribes and they began nickname us degratory names,
We need out of this shit hole, we would be way better by now if we remained independent as a country definitely there will be some fall backs, but we could been way better,

1. I did not use derogatory words. I used words used by people who visited Benin in the 18th and 19th centuries.

2. I do not wish Benin bad, neither did I say Benin will never rise again.

3. All I was telling you is to not put the decline of Benin on Nigeria. It was already in decline before the birth of Nigeria.

gregyboy:
Nigeria had made benin and edo people retrogress bad influence corrupt good manners

Edo would be great again

Quit blaming Nigeria.

Benin was a magnificent impressive city in earlier centuries, but by the time of the Expedition of 1897, the place had been reduced to a squalid underpopulated place no bigger than a village, with bodies rotting in various parts of it, and buildings collapsing with no one to take care of them. Internal strife wrecked the city before Nigeria was created. Quit blaming others.

Shameless, evil witch.

Ctorch:
Bini People Wetin be this


As seen on page group.

What sort of rubbish be this



https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1733064926871452&id=250714491773177&p=30&av=100034342308079&eav=Afb3RdWAJWCXt4IWLNVgtru64Ah_7bxZ-ESxyBoYTC-VZWHw19IJb11yM3K24O1et0g&refid=52&ref=opera_speed_dial&_ft_=mf_story_key.1733064926871452%3Atop_level_post_id.1733064926871452%3Atl_objid.1733064926871452%3Acontent_owner_id_new.250714491773177%3Athrowback_story_fbid.1733064926871452%3Apage_id.250714491773177%3Aphoto_id.1733061470205131%3Astory_location.4%3Astory_attachment_style.photo%3Atds_flgs.3%3Aott.AX8vvcFs7TFeRGSo%3Apage_insights.%7B%22250714491773177%22%3A%7B%22page_id%22%3A250714491773177%2C%22page_id_type%22%3A%22page%22%2C%22actor_id%22%3A250714491773177%2C%22dm%22%3A%7B%22isShare%22%3A0%2C%22originalPostOwnerID%22%3A0%7D%2C%22psn%22%3A%22EntStatusCreationStory%22%2C%22post_context%22%3A%7B%22object_fbtype%22%3A266%2C%22publish_time%22%3A1601135748%2C%22story_name%22%3A%22EntStatusCreationStory%22%2C%22story_fbid%22%3A%5B1733064926871452%5D%7D%2C%22role%22%3A1%2C%22sl%22%3A4%2C%22targets%22%3A%5B%7B%22actor_id%22%3A250714491773177%2C%22page_id%22%3A250714491773177%2C%22post_id%22%3A1733064926871452%2C%22role%22%3A1%2C%22share_id%22%3A0%7D%5D%7D%7D%3Athid.250714491773177&fbt_id=1733064926871452_1733189243525687&lul&_rdr

We know the kings in Anioma that traditions associate with Benin roots. But it seems like everyday mythspinners add more and more kings to the number.

When did the 'king' of Ibusa get added to the list? What do you call this madness now?

For the information of those who do not know, Ibusa and its rulers derive from Isu in Eastern Nigeria. Except for the small Ogboli section that derives from Nri, also in Eastern Nigeria.

Benin Imperium never extended to Ibusa. The Issele-Uku axis marked the extent of Benin political power in Enuani.

A contingent of the Benin army made their way to Ibusa during the Ubulu-Uku campaign of 1750, but were beaten by Ibusa warriors under the command of one Ezechi. Ezechi afterwards tried to use his new-found fame and influence to become the monarch (Eze Ofuani) of Ibusa. But Ibusa people were republican at heart, like their kin in the Southeast, so when Ezechi and his wife became unbearable, Ibusa people threw him out and he fled to Ejeme town in Aniocha South.

The head of Ibusa today is the Senior Diokpa known as the Obuzor of Ibusa.

You people really need to take your nose out of things you don't have a grasp on. Know your limits. Next thing now, someone will come and say the Obi Ogbelani of Illah, my home, is a Benin man.

I'm not going to hold brief for Mansa Musa or any other absolute monarch for that matter. Most of them were not nice folks. But to label Mansa Musa's entire legacy as negative is wrong.

What people fail to understand about Musa's gold splash on his visit to the Arab World is that the man was on a mission to market his kingdom to the world. Granted he could have turned it down a notch (or 200 notches) but he achieved his purpose. For the first time in history, a West African kingdom was put on the world map, literally. People everywhere, from the Middle East to Europe heard about this kingdom that was supposedly rich in gold and other resources, and trade flowed into Mali. Urbanization grew, and with it scholarship and intellectual activity. It was this same Mansa Musa that built the Sankore University in Timbuktu, the first University anywhere in black Africa, which drew scholars from everywhere.

Hate his "extravagance" all you want, that's fair. But give respect where respect is due.

Very little.

Probz:
And what would you say the mutual intelligibility between ‘mainstream’ Igbo and Izzi is?

Is mutual intelligibility calculable to the point where they can be expressed in figures or percentages? I doubt.

Perhaps you meant lexical similarity?

A few names peculiar to the region are Onwe, Anyigo, Nwiboko, Ominyi, Oroke, and names that that have the 'ph' double consonant in them, like Nwazuphu, Nwophe, Nwophoke, Nwiphuru, etc.

ijawcitizen:
That's the problem.
It is not up to them to decide, it is squarely for Ndoki People to decide and from what you can see from real Ndoki people above, they tilt towards Ijaw.

Lol. You see people who don't seem to be in agreement about whether they were of Igbo or Ijaw descent, and you say they "tilt towards Ijaw", because that is the conclusion you find more favourable.

You're funny. Ndoki is not Obolo that has fallen under the spell of Ijaw hegemony and now claim Ijaw. Ndoki understands ancestral connections with Ijaw via Bonny, but will never accept Ijaw ethnicity. Know that, and know peace.

Lol. She was a female Oba. Not the first in Yoruba history. Ijesa, Ijebu and Ife had had female rulers, too. So no biggie.

I think in later times when it became the rule that females shouldn't ascend the throne, the tradition began to change to reflect the current situation, and there was the need to 'remodel' the female Oba as a male.

By the way this would be the first time I would be hearing that Orompoto exposed herself/himself in public for her/his private parts to be examined. I've heard the story in connection with Ehengbuda or Ohuan of Benin though.

The German theory has a very big hole in it. First of all, it is inconceivable that the Catholic church would be associated with Germans, because the Germans were predominantly Protestant (Lutheran), and not Catholic.

The meaning of Aguda is not far-fetched. It derives from the name of the Dahmomeyan port city of Whydah. The French called it Juda and the Portuguese called it Ajuda. It was from the Portuguese version that Aguda was derived. There were a lot of Brazilian traders settled in Whydah/Ajuda in the 18th and especially 19th century. In fact, many of the quarters in the city were founded by Brazilians. Francisco Felix de Souza was the most famous Brazilian settler-trader in Whydah. His influence there was so great he was regarded as the father of the city. So Whydah/Ajuda became so closely associated with Brazilians that in time, people coming from Brazil became known as Aguda among the Yoruba. Many of them passed through Whydah before arriving at Yoruba ports, like Lagos.

Geesi is also probably derived from the Portuguese word for English, which is Ingles.

KosiGee:
Calm down bro. This isn’t an Anambra vs Enugu fight. I don’t know how old you are or how old some of the posters here are including Afam.

Ogene actually is an Anambra thing. Agaba, Okwomma, Okoti masquerades were very popular in Anambra back in the days and the primary musical instruments for these legendary masquerades are Ogene.

Nri, Agukwu, Enugwu ukwu, Awka, Achi towns were very popular with their masquerades and ogene sounds. These were when the Inyiagbaoku masquerades were very popular in Enugu....

In the 70s/80s, if you went to Obiagu and Onuasata during Easter, New Year and other festivities, the big masquerades were Ayaya masquerades...Ejike Nwamba honed his ogene skills as a child celebrity with Ayaya...pioneers of this great masquerade were mixed...Anambra, Enugu and Imo residents in Enugu....

Then you have the Ogui Boys from Oba street, Egede Lane, Ogidi st etc. This was mainly populated by people who work at the ‘ Timber shed’ around Oba street. Most of these workers and Ogui Boys group were from Ekwulobia town.

Around Moore House st Ogui, there was the Moorwhouse boys headed by Ogenna Ikeme who was at National grammar school Nike at the time, he later played for Rangers and Vasco. Then there another guy who leads or holds their ite/akpa ogwu...his nick name was Taata. One young ogene celebrity called Chido was their chief ogene man, Chido attended Maryland Boys.

There was no distinction between Anambra and Enugu at the time...but in Okoti, Okwomma masquerades, Anambra people were very conservative, Enugu guys had other masquerades...Amagunze boys had a popular and scary group called ‘Black Children’ of Amagunze. They wore blacks with red bands on their heads. The men who were in this group should be in their 60s-70s now....Ayaya group apart from the Nwambas should be in their 60s-80s...same as Ogui Boys whose slogan was ‘ Ogui adi agba boi.

There were other groups from Abakpa, Awkunanaw.

You can’t really start talking about Ogene music in anywhere without mentioning Ogene Ikpachi of Nri. They had their music on vinyl. Their strength was their ogene songs. Most of what the new generation ogene musicians like Ejike, Igboja, Donchester sing now were old songs done in the 70s-80s by Nri people.

Try and listen to ogene with an unbiased mind.

Igbojaja is popular because he is readily available and interacts with guys who come to Okpara sq to exercise and also his YouTube channels.

Ejike Nwamba is popular, he is an old hand and also has YouTube channel.

Shidodo used to be very popular. He popularised ogene music. His cassettes and CDs could be bought at Obiagu junction.

Pls check out Owoblow and Man pass man. He plays undiluted ogene.

If you love egwu nmanwu and ogene...search and listen to Awutolo and Fada from Enugu Ukwu with their Ogene Nkpakija. Awutolo is dead now but his songs can’t be touched. He is a legend.

If you want to hear and appreciate ogene that’s different from Nwamba and Igbojaja....listen to Ogene Opanka....Ogene Opanka Ijele. This guy is easily recognisable. He balances a bottle of beer or alcohol on his head before he starts. He is really talented. He is into Ogene and Egwu nmanwu.

Then there is Donchester and Jantamanta is is another talented guy.

Did I say ogene is not an Anambra thing? I believe what I said was that Enugu musicians dominate the genre; I never said they own it exclusively. I knew about Ausuma who is an Anambra ogene musician before I know about any ogene musician from Enugu.

It is not an Anambra/Enugu fight, but I know that young man and if he wasn't checked, he was going to turn into an Anambra/Enugu fight. Check his Nairaland history.

[s]

UdechiHD:
You sef dey fall hands. So JuliusMalema aka Osagyefo, Meleszenawi, IDENNA the imposter is whom you foolishly label Igbo? Between you and him, I don’t know who is more foolish. I want to believe you’re a clown for still not knowing that the dude and all his monikers have never even cross Agbor let alone come from Igboland.

[/s]

teresades:
Address the guy as an individual. Supremacist ko? Supremacist no?

Did I address him as a village before?

Afam4eva:
@RedboneSmith Is Ogene a thing in Anioma. I ransacked Youtube for any Anioma ogene musician but didn't find any.

We have ogene. We call it agogo though. But we don't have a music genre developed around it, like Enugu/Anambre people seem to have done.

Jonathan39:
You don't know of Osama maliaka from Awka?

I knew Ausuma before I knew the others. That doesn't change the fact that Enugu has more renowned Ogene players than other southeast states, which is what I was saying.

Ausuma is already on the list by the OP. Give us another renowned name if you have one.

Ozo was creepy to the very end.

Why was he trying to get a kiss? Cringeworthy!

There are no standing fans in my house. There's a ceiling fan in every room.