THE HISTORY OF IGBANKE: THE PURE IGBO COMMUNITY IN EDO STATE NIGERIA
I came across a tweet that touched me very well eziokwu. A man said: “I come from Igbanke, a community with strong Igbo heritage and culture. My native name is Ogechi, my wife is Ngozi, my daughter is Chioma. Although Igbanke is located in Edo State, the people of Igbanke are purely Igbo by origin.” This is the truth many Nigerians don’t know.
Where is Igbanke? Igbanke is located in Orhionmwon Local Government Area of Edo State. It has about 85,000 people and covers 170.3 km². It is not one town. It is a federation of 6 autonomous villages: Omolua, Ottah, Idumuodin, Ake, Oligie and Igbontor. Some list it as 8 including Obiogba and Idumuiru.
What is the history? The original name of Igbanke is IGBO-AKIRI. The people migrated over 300 years ago from Aguleri and Enugu-Ana axis as part of the ancient Iduu Eri Kingdom migration. They crossed the Niger River in search of farmland and safety. In 1967, the Military Governor of Midwest State, Samuel Ogbemudia, changed the name from Igbo-Akiri to Igbanke to hide the Igbo identity.
In 1991, during state creation, Igbanke was politically carved into Edo State while over 96% of Ika-speaking communities were carved into Delta State. That is why today Igbanke people suffer discrimination – they go to their council headquarters in Abudu to collect Certificate of Origin and they are told “You are Igbos, not Bini” just because their names are Emeka, Chukwuka, Chinyere, Amaka.
Are they really Igbo? Yes. Their language is Ika dialect of Igbo. Their traditional rulers are called Eze or Obi, not Enogie. Their culture is New Yam Festival (Iwa Ji), Igbo marriage rites, burial customs, and names like Nwokeoma, Ifeanyi, Nkemdilim, Chukwuma. Their motto is “Onukokomeh Ogbu Ofifi”. They trace ancestry to Aguleri in Anambra East, and recently they did a cultural reunion in Aguleri with Igwe Lawrence Nwofia and Eze Chukwuemeka Eri praying for them. 3fc4
Igbanke is proof that colonial and military boundaries cannot divide blood. Igbo did not end in 5 states. Igbo is in Edo (Igbanke), in Delta (Anioma, Ika, Ukwuani), in Rivers (Ikwerre, Etche), in Benue (Ezza), in Cross River (Isobo), and in Akwa Ibom.
If a man in Edo State can boldly say his native name is Ogechi, his wife Ngozi, his daughter Chioma, and he is purely Igbo by origin, then my work is to make sure that identity is not erased.
