Delta traditional ruler reaffirms Anioma people’s Igbo ancestry

Nathan Tamarapreye, Yenagoa

The Obuzor of Ibusa, Prof. Louis Nwaoboshi, has insisted that the Anioma people of Delta North are of Igbo origin, citing historical accounts, language similarities, and shared cultural practices as evidence.

Nwaoboshi spoke while responding to recent contrary views, particularly that of the Asagba of Asaba, Prof. Epiphany Azinge, who argued that Anioma people are not Igbo and that Asaba is not linked to Nteje in Anambra State.

Setting the record straight, the traditional ruler described Anioma’s Igbo identity as “unbreakable” and traced the source of the controversy to what he called a 1939 British boundary error, which he said was rooted in colonial reprisals for the Ekumeku resistance.

According to him, the present-day identity debate in parts of Delta North is a continuation of the same colonial punishment imposed after the Ekumeku War (1898–1914).

“The British never forgave us for the Ekumeku resistance because we fought them harder and longer than any other group west of the Niger,” he said.

“So, when they drew the regional boundaries in 1939, they deliberately carved all Igbo-speaking communities west of the Niger out of the Eastern Region and dumped us in the Western Region as punishment and to weaken Igbo unity.”

He argued that the natural East–West boundary was originally beyond Abudu in present-day Edo State, adding that the River Niger was never intended to serve as a cultural or ethnic divider.

Nwaoboshi further noted that agitation for Anioma’s reunification with their Igbo kinsmen began as early as 1938–1939.

“Our fathers started protesting immediately. Traditional rulers from Aboh, Ibusa, Isele-Uku, and even Agbor wrote petitions demanding that we be returned to our Igbo brothers in the Eastern Region,” he said.

“After the civil war, when Igbo identities across Imo and Anambra had solidified, we coined the name ‘Anioma’ from Aniocha, Ndokwa, Ika, and Oshimili to unite ourselves.”

He recalled founding a cultural organisation in 1980 to further protect and promote that identity.

The Obuzor commended Sen. Ned Nwoko (APC–Delta North) for reviving the agitation, noting that the senator’s father was among those who championed the cause in 1939.

On claims that the Asaba people are not descendants of Nteje, he expressed shock.

“Asaba is a direct child of Nteje,” he said, adding that previous Asagbas, including the late Prof. Chike Edozien, acknowledged this during visits to Anambra monarchs.

“Our shared institutions — the eight-quarter system, Olieze title, coronation rites, and Ijele masquerade, all point to common ancestry.”

He cited historical accounts stating that Nnebisi, Asaba’s progenitor, was the third son of Eze Nteje through Diaba, granddaughter of Eri, a figure central to Igbo origin narratives.

Warning against what he described as “political revisionism,” Nwaoboshi urged Anioma people to embrace their heritage.

“Let nobody rewrite our history because of today’s politics or fear of ‘South-South’ labelling,” he said.

“Whether in Delta, Anambra, Ebonyi, Imo, or Rivers, the language, names, culture, and ancestors are the same. We are one people. Let us stand together and correct the injustice of 1939.”

He reaffirmed that communities such as Ibusa, Ogwashi-Uku, Ubulu-Uku, Aboh, Illah, and Ebu all trace their origins to Igbo ancestry.