Ibusa: The Obuzor of Ibusa, Prof. Louis Nwaobishi, has affirmed that the Anioma people of Delta North are Igbo, citing history, language, and culture as evidence for their Igbo roots.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Nwaobishi was reacting to some recent divergent views, particularly that of the Asagba of Asaba, Prof. Epiphany Azinge, who stated that the Anioma people were not Igbo and that Asaba people were not migrants from Nteje, in Anambra. Setting the records straight, the traditional ruler emphasized that the Anioma people have an ‘unbreakable’ Igbo identity and traced the boundary error to the 1939 British revenge for the Ekumeku resistance.
Linking the past to the present, he highlighted that the current identity crisis in parts of Delta North is a continuation of the British punishment meted out in 1939, following the Ekumeku War (1898-1914). The British, he explained, never forgave the Anioma people for their prolonged resistance, leading to deliberate regional boundary adjustments in 1939, separating Igbo-speaking communities west of the Niger from the Eastern Region.
The traditional ruler also noted that the agitation for the Anioma people’s return to their Igbo ancestry began as early as 1938 and 1939, prior to Nigeria’s independence. Protests by traditional rulers from Aboh, Ibusa, Isele-Uku, and Agbor were documented through petitions demanding a return to their Igbo brothers in the Eastern Region. He emphasized that he is continuing the legacy of these early efforts.
Nwaoboshi commended Sen. Ned Nwoko (APC-Delta) and the lawmaker representing Delta North Senatorial District for continuing the struggle, noting that Nwoko’s father was among those who agitated in 1939. The Obuzor expressed shock and sadness about the recent controversy on the identity of Anioma people, particularly claims that Asaba people did not originate from Nteje.
He reiterated that Asaba is directly linked to Nteje and noted the acknowledgment of this origin by previous Asagba of Asaba, including the late Prof. Chike Edozien, during interactions with Anambra monarchs. The Obuzor highlighted identical cultural institutions as evidence of common ancestry and warned against ‘political revisionism’ that seeks to rewrite history for contemporary political purposes.
In his concluding remarks, Prof. Louis Nwaobishi called for unity among the Anioma people and other Igbo communities, emphasizing the shared language, culture, and ancestry across regions such as Delta, Anambra, Ebonyi, Imo, and Rivers. He asserted that the Anioma people trace their roots to the same Igbo east, and encouraged embracing this common heritage.