The cultural identity of people defines them. However, some full bloodied Igbo people have decided and/or constrained to deny their original identity as Ndigbo, thereby denying their Igboness.
There is an erroneous thought that Igbo people are only those with state origins in the present South Eastern region of Nigeria comprising of Abia, Anambara, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo states. In reality, there are indigenous Ndigbo in all old Eastern regions and across other southern and middle belt region of Nigeria arising from ancient migration and more recently from the politically motivated state creation and boundary adjustments aimed at decimating the demographic strength of the Ndigbo after the protracted civil war.
This is evident by huge population of indigenous Igbo people in Delta State where over 25% of population are of Igbo origin. There are also huge populations of indigenous Igbo people in Delta, Edo, Rivers, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Benue, Kogi states respectively who still bear Igbo names and share common Igbo culture, tradition, values, language and fashion etc.
Blood they say is thicker than water. Igbo blood still runs in these peoples veins and they still held on to most of their Igbo identity, beliefs and cultural practices including circumcision, reincarnation, marriage and burial rights, and celebrating of the Kola nut; even when some are constrained or deliberately decided to deny their Igboness.
The ideal political land mass of the Indigenous Igbo people and Igbo communities stretches beyond the five current South Eastern states. Alaigbo and the Igbo home land stretched to the following areas of different states of Nigeria including:
- Delta State: Oshimili, Ndokwa, Ukwuani, Aniocha, Ika, Ndoni, Agbo, Asaba people
- Rivers State: Ikwerre, Opobo, Omuma, Ndoni, Obigbo, Egbema, Ekpeye, Ọmụma, Etche, Ọgba people
- Bayelsa State: Osekwenike, Eke Okpokri, Abuetor people in Sagbama area of the state and the Ukwuani and Anioma clans
- Edo State: Igbanke/Igboakiri people
- Akwa-Ibom State: Ikot Udo Ika people in Ika local government of the state
- Cross Rivers State: Isobo people in Abi local government area
- Benue State: There Igbo people and communities in Okpokwu, Obi, Oku, Adọ and Oju Local government areas respectively. Popular amongst them are the Umuezekaoha(300 villages), Umuezeoka, Oriuzor, Umuoghara, Amaekka, Amaezekwe people of Ezza communities and the Izzii, Ezzamgbo, Effium people. Others are located in Okpoga, idoma, Ulayi, Iddah, Iduokpe
- Kogi State: Nwajala, Umuoye, Ubulie-Umuez. Ozara people of Eke, Avurugo communities in Ibaji and Igalamela/Odolu local government areas
This marginalisation machinery and the mindless political cut off of indigenous Igbo people from their likes to reduce Igbo population and Igbo land mass without considering the emotional, psychological, cultural, spiritual and relational impact on the entire community stands condemnable. These divide-and-rule strategies after the civil war, in addition to personal greed marked the beginning of the denial Igboness by those affected. The “no victor, no vanquish” declaration at the end of the civil was only diversionary, despite the war claiming the lives of over three million Igbos. In reality, the war against Igbo people appear to have continued with punitive policies and divisive strategies including the abandoned property, £20 compensation out million owned by Umuigbo, state creation used in dividing and ceding mostly indigenous Igbo people to different regions, and perfected by the removal of history teaching curriculum from Nigeria schools. These and many more reasons resulted in some Indigenous Igbo people denying their Igbo origin, identity and affiliations.
It is worrying that some of these indigenous Igbo people ceded to non Igbo state are neglected by their new found state governments, but could not be supported by either by their indigenous Igbo state governments for jurisdiction reasons. Insensitive state creation and boundary adjustment strategies have affected the Igbo identity and identification of the Ado, Oju, Obi sub-igbo Towns in Benue state which used to be independent indigenous Igbo towns. The same goes for some of the Igbo people in Edo, Cross Rivers, Bayelsa, Akwa-Ibom, Delta, and Kogi states. Most Igbo people in Rivers State who still bears Igbo names till today are denying their Igboness and identity due to some political narratives and history claiming they originated/migrated from Bini in Edo state to their current location.
While we respect people’s choice to identify as either Igbo people or not, it is important they reconsider why they still share most things in common with Igbo people (name, language, values and culture etc) and should dig deeper to verify their true identity for posterity. He who does not recognise where the rain started pouring on him/her will most likely not recognise where it stopped. Igbo is Igbo irrespective of the political land mass divide.
