A brief history of Anioma Communities outside Anioma
A brief history of Anioma Communities outside Anioma
There are quite a number of today's South-East communities that arguably trace their ancestral home to Anioma in present Delta State of Nigeria. The first of these communities is Onitsha in Anambra State. Although Onitsha remains the commercial heart of Ndigbo of the South-East geo-political region it traces its origin to Anioma. The community is still referred to as "Onicha-Ado" by the Anioma people with ancestry to the Ezechime descendants. Ezechime is correctly known in Igodomingodo (Benin) as Ovbi Ikhime, a Benin migrant that left Iduu (Benin) Kingdom after he committed an offence punishable by death. He in addition to Onitsha founded many other communities in Anioma some of which are Issele-Uku, Issele-Mkpitime, Issele-Azagba, Onicha-Ugbo, Onicha-Uku, Onicha-Olona and many more. Issele-Uku is still regarded as the traditional headquarters of the Ezechime clan which includes Onitsha. The traditional ruler of the town (Issele-Uku) is also seen as the head of the Ezechime clan.
The geographical position of Onitsha has exposed it to the social influence Eastern Igbo. Shortly after the foundation of the Movement for the creation of Anioma State in1951, attempt to situate Onitsha in the proposed Anioma State suffered a terrible loss with apathy from Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, perceived leader of Onitsha people. With the announcement to create more states by Gen Murtala Muhammed, the Anioma State agitators renewed the call but suffered a far worse defeat as their hopes were dashed by refusal of Onitsha leaders prominently Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe to join Anioma state if created with capital at Asaba. This was the last known attempt by the people to reclaim Onitsha.
Much as the Onitsha people are typically of Anioma extraction, there are still a few Anioma historians who slightly differ on constant mention of this great town as an Anioma settlement. As a reaction to several of my pieces on Onitsha-Anioma heredity a reader submitted thus:
"I am surprise that you insist that Onitsha is an Anioma town. (sic) By origin it is but was not founded on Anioma territory. If you know Onitsha history very well you should have been told that they were not aborigines of the land. The land the town was founded was owned by Ezunaka Nkwelle (Oze) people .They merely got that land via conquest. Because they settled on a strange land they kept to their identity as Enuani but that land is not Anioma territory".
The above represents a personal view of Osita Mordi on Onitsha historical link to Anioma and may be well founded only that historical link may not necessarily be broken by distance. As a native of Ibusa, and a descendant of Umejei from Isu In South-Eastern part of Nigeria, I occasionally feel I have a link to Isu people of Igboland but it removes nothing from the fact that I am today a full-fledged Anioma indigene because "Ebe Onye Bi Ka Ona wachi" (wherever a man lives is his home). First my Igbo forbearers were Igbo because they migrated from their original home to settle in present day South-Eastern location in Nigeria. My immediate ancestors then migrated from Isu and settled in present location of Anioma.
Furthermore, Mordi is of the opinion that Onitsha is just too important for the Anioma to "seize" from the Eastern Igbo and this is also applicable to Oguta. He also shares the opinion that Ogbarau is a more attractive option but because it may well be taken to be an extension of Onitsha, the Anioma should as well forget about Ogbaru like Onitsha. Ogbaru, historians observe is an Anioma community, geographically made to lie close to Ndiosimili, Ndoni and Oko. Oko itself lies close to Ibusa. Ogbaru was ceded to the Eastern Igbo after the Anioma lost the Ekumekwu war.
To him, Anioma writers should focus more on the western front that comprises of Ndoni, Igbanke, Inyelen and Ekpon and make cultural references to them. Ironically, it is not the aim of this write-up that the Anioma reclaim their territories to the Eastern Igbo since this is not only impossible in modern state of affairs but impracticable to tell a group of people where they rightly belong. Notwithstanding, it is still very relevant that histories of groups be objectively documented so that the later generation will not become ignorant of such.
Another community Anioma outside Anioma is Obosi. Obosi is geographically located in Anambra State and lying quite close to Onitsha. History claims that Obosi was founded by Adike from Ojoto with Umuota its royal clan originating from Obior, an Ika community in Anioma. In Anioma tales and fables the closeness in origin and geographical locations shared by Onitsha and Obosi and frequently told. The Obosi are noted to have retained much of the Anioma cultures that truly single the town out as one of the Anioma communities lying outside the Anioma area with foreign social subjugation. There is also Oguta. Although much of the history of origin of the town has been in dimness, it is truly of Anioma origin. They natively speak Ukwani of Anioma and live close to Ekpon. The Oguta also bear Ukwani names but modern issues stand between their Anioma identity and South-Eastern identity. Migrants too have subjugated the Anioma identity of the people. Remarkably, typical Anioma names are becoming extinct are only borne by the elderly people of the community.
Ozubulu was founded by refugees from Ubulu-Uku, an Anioma town after the Adesuwa war with Iduu (Benin Kingdom). The name "Ozubulu" means "the gathering of Ubulu people". The newly founded Ozubulu settlement was to further found such present towns as Ubulu-Isiuzor and Ubulu-Ihejiofor, all around similar geographical environment. The Ozubulu of the South-Easern region remains an Anioma ancestral branch. Ogba, Egbema and Ekpeye, all have history claiming to have originated from Anioma but linguistics is one social difference that today sets the people far apart from their Anioma kinsmen but that it intertwines with the Igbo interests have rewritten its historical claims of Anioma migration. The oral tradition of the people believes that the communities were founded by Akalaka who migrated from Benin .
An Oguta person may also refuse to be identified with Ukwani origin as he may rather prefer "Oru" as his extraction. Oru is only an Igbo word used to describe Igbo communities and people living outside the present South-Eastern part. Thus for many centuries the Nnewi people referred referred to Ibusa people as "Ndi-Olu (Oru) because of the series of wars carried into the towns and adjoining ones by the Ibusa people. The Oguta people therefore have the tendency to historically link themselves to the Ogba, Egbema and Ahoada people. They claim Orashi lineage for a separate state with Ukwani language.
In all, some historians share the opinion that "the Western Igbo cultural group has three sub groupings Enuani, Ukwuani and Orashi. Only the Orashi do not fall into the Anioma identity and this is why they are pursuing an Orashi state. We do however share many things in common with them but that does not mean we are of the same ethnic group."
Ndoni was formerly part of Aboh division and the influence of Anioma people of Aboh can still be noticed among the people of Ndoni. Ndoni has an inland area measuring about 600km2. Although Ndoni is of diverse origin, the original settlers are believed to be Okefi (Okehi) in Etche present Rivers state but later joined by migrants from Aboh and Ogume. Ndoni is rich in oil and plays important roles in the economic development of the country. The Ndoni people still happily count themselves among the family of Anioma nation and have also preserved much of their culture that bears the Anioma testimony.
In Edo State, there exist several communities with Anioma ancestry, notable among these towns are the Igbake people also known as Ika. The Igbanke have since their unfortunate, aberrant and perverted location in Edo State continued to agitate for reunion with their Anioma kinsmen in Delta State or better still, with the creation of Anioma State. They have quietly exhibited this with the usage of social infrastructures in Delta State while hoping to reunite with their Anioma brothers and sisters with the creation of Anioma State. The youths of the area have also on several occasions openly campaigned against their present synthetic location in Edo State where they continue to face marginalization. Igbanke people are of Ika stock but for political reasons beyond them have surprisingly found themselves in Edo State where they don't belong. The story of how the people have found themselves in Edo State is known too well.
Evidences suggest that the small Ekpon community is part of Esan family but these evidences are disappearing on a fast note. Agbor, an Anioma community is chiefly responsible for the economic resilience of the Ekpon community. It is for this reason that many Ika of Agbor extraction can be found in the community. Its cultural identity derived from its cross border location further exposes it to cross-cultural influence that the people have taken advantage of for the optimum expansion of relationship.
The history of Ebu cannot be written without the mention of Inyelen. Ebu is an Anioma town located on the banks of river Niger bounded by Illah in the east and Ezi in the west, and founded by Ubuenu. Inyelen was one of the towns that the fleeing Ubuenu settled. Inyele which today is situated in Edo State of Nigeria is another town that traces its origin to Anioma and has equally exhibited this through its cultural relationship with the people of Ezi, Illah and Ebu.
When all these are considered, then the Anioma can be found in Delta, Edo, Anambra, Rivers and Imo States of the country.
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