The History of the Ika People
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I suspect you have a vested interest in this matter. You are not the only one. Within the past six months, you lot have found an "Edoid" meaning for virtually every Igbo word from Onitsha to Okoro and Igbo itself. One Edo chap- Akpata or whatever he called himself went to an Igbo gathering in Lagos sometime ago and asked whether the Western Igbo were Igbo or Igbo speaking! He knows the answer he got from the western Igbo themselves. Why the new obsession with Igbo?
There is only one explanation for this: empire impulse. Take it from me my dear chap, it won't happen beyond Abudu. So cast your imperious nostalgic sight towards the Ovia coastal plains where the Egbesu and Meinbutu boys are waiting for you. As for Igboland...agala aga!
God save us from "Edoid" neo-expansionism.
Mz Ani.
On Sat, 13 May 2000 12:44:17 nosakhare IDUBOR wrote:
>Let4s I forget please send any complain you may have to the webmaster and
>tell him or her of how the story was used to distabilize Igboland after the
>war and you can go further to lecture them of their true history.
> Idubor
>
>
>
>
>>Subject: Re: The History of the Ika People
>>Date: Sat, 13 May 2000 04:05:32 -0700
>>
>>If you wish to allow any credibility for your piece, please do not refer to
>>the geriatric woman called kay Williamson. This woman was hired durin the
>>war to destabilise Igboland by setting up every dialect as a separate
>>language. According to her, Ezza, Izii, Ikwo, Eda, Ohafia, Item, Ikwerre,
>>Ibani, Abriba etc are separate languages not Igbo. She even went further to
>>write textbooks on them. All of these are now in the trash bin.
>>
>>Mz Ani.
>>
>>--
>>
>>On Sat, 13 May 2000 09:50:15 nosakhare IDUBOR wrote:
>> >
>> >
>> >culled from the Ika people,s website
>> >
>> >
>> >The Ika language has about 240,000 speakers in Delta state, Nigeria(1991
>> >census). They occupy a
>> >land area of 117.45 square kilometres, the boundary between the Edo and
>> >Delta State.
>> >
>> >Geographically, Ika north east and Ika south local government areasoccupy
>> >the north-west of
>> >Delta state (see Map 1). They share common borderswith Edo State.
>> >Linguistically, In the west of
>> >the Ika speakers are theEdo speakers, North are the Ishan speakers, East
>>are
>> >the Aniocha
>> >languagespeakers and in the south is the Ukwuani speakers.
>> >
>> >The name or term Ika is a cultural category. The language group thathas
>>been
>> >so far referred to
>> >as Ika has not always been known by the nameIka. The name Ika was
>>introduced
>> >in the early part
>> >of the twentieth centuryas an uniting name or political identity for all
>>the
>> >clans that speak
>> >thislanguage .
>> >
>> >However, Forde and Jones (1967), in their work, used the term Ika fora
>>wider
>> >group which
>> >includes the present Ika group. They referred to theinland parts of the
>>four
>> >groups that make up
>> >the western Igbo group (Aniocha,Oshimili, Ika and Ukwuani) found in
>>present
>> >Delta State away
>> >from the shoresof the river Niger as Ika. The remaining members of these
>> >groups that areon the
>> >shores of the river Niger were referred to as Riverain Ibo. Fordeand
>>Jones
>> >(1967) classified the
>> >present Ika group as Northern Ika alongwith Aniocha and Oshimili except
>>for
>> >the towns on the
>> >shores of the riverNiger such as Asaba. The Ukwuani group was considered
>> >Southern Ikaexcept
>> >for towns on the shores of the river Niger such as Aboh and Ossissaand
>> >Ashaka.
>> >
>> >Today, Ika refers only to the group that is found in Ika North eastand
>>Ika
>> >South local government
>> >areas. This group consist of eleven clans.The Ika group do not have any
>> >shared physical
>> >characteristics distinguishingthem from other groups or tribes. They
>>speak a
>> >common language
>> >known asthe Ika language, except for Ozara, Alisor and Alilehan which
>>speak
>> >Ozaralanguage. Ika
>> >language is regard as a cluster of dialects (Williamson 1968).This is
>> >similar to the Igbo language
>> >which is also a cluster of dialects.There are however, no significant
>> >differences between these
>> >dialects butfor slight phonological and lexical differences.
>> >
>> >In emphasising the relationship between the clans of Ika, Obuseh (TheOwe
>>of
>> >Agbor) recounts
>> >Agbor legend that has it that all the founders ofthe Ika clans were
>>related
>> >by blood. The first Obi
>> >of Agbor Igbudu fearingfor his security sent his children, apart from
>>Owuwu
>> >who was later
>> >crownedthe Obi of Agbor after him, to settle at places some distances
>>from
>> >Agborto form out
>> >posts against enemies. One of his children named Ika , wassent south as
>> >protection against the
>> >Aboh people and founded Otolokpo clan, another son, Ede, was sent east
>>and
>> >founded Umunede .
>> >This according tothe legend was how all the clans were founded.
>> >
>> >Politically, it is held by the chiefs of Agbor clan that all the clansof
>> >what is now referred to as Ika
>> >were part of what was called the AgborKingdom. This kingdom was ruled by
>>the
>> >Obi of Agbor
>> >with other clans asvassal states ruled by chiefs or perhaps kings that
>>were
>> >subordinate tothe Obi
>> >of Agbor. It was claimed that the break-up of this kingdom happenedin the
>> >early part of the
>> >twentieth century when the colonial administratorsgranted autonomy to the
>> >other clans by
>> >recognising their leaders as Kingsof equal status as that of Agbor .
>> >
>> >The Abavo and Owa clans have rejected this version. They claim thatthey
>>have
>> >never been a part
>> >of the Agbor Kingdom (Informant 2, 1999)).However, there is evidence that
>> >some Kings of
>> >Agbor, at various times,had married several wives from other clans like
>>the
>> >Ute, Mbiri and
>> >Akumaziclans. Whether these clans have been a part of the Agbor kingdom
>>or
>> >not,it is certain that
>> >there had existed an uniting bond that had always heldthem together.
>> >
>> >Agbor history in the early twentieth century has accounted forsituations
>> >were one of the regents ,
>> >Ekeze (1929-34), wives families fromother clans such as Akumazi were
>>given
>> >lands to settle in
>> >parts of an existing village, Ihogbe, giving birth to new quarters in the
>> >village.
>> >
>> >There are other instances where immigrants from other clans or
>>ethnicgroups
>> >like Ishan, Edo,
>> >were given lands to settle away from the existingvillages resulting in a
>>new
>> >village being born. The
>> >Igbo people migratedto the Ika area during this period for economic
>>reasons
>> >especially at atime
>> >when rubber latex was an important export that is mostly found inthe
>>delta
>> >region of which Ika is a
>> >part.
>> >
>> >There are also villages that were founded by people from Agbor who
>>movedfar
>> >way from Agbor
>> >for Agricultural purposes. For instance the villageof Ekuku-Agbor that is
>> >located in the far south of
>> >Ika south local governmentsurrounded by villages of the Abavo clan and
>>Owa
>> >clans and those of
>> >theUkwuani speaking group, was one of such villages. There have been no
>> >knownaccounts of
>> >wars between them even during the turbulent period of Nigerianhistory
>>(slave
>> >raids) in the 18th
>> >and 19th centuries.
>> >
>> >This uniting bond, on the other hand, between these various clans maybe
>> >intricately linked to the
>> >common ancestry of their various Obis or kings.According to Forde and
>>Jones
>> >(1967: 48):
>> >
>> >The various communities were engaged in wars with Benin, to which
>> >themajority finally submitted,
>> >receiving titles and rulers from Benin.
>> >
>> >
>> >Various accounts of Origin
>> >The origin of the Ika people is still controversial. Much is shroudedin
>> >myths and legends. There
>> >are, however, three main versions of originof the Ika people being
>>proposed
>> >by oral tradition and
>> >by modern historians.The first is that a group from Benin founded Agbor,
>> >while the second claimis
>> >that Ika people were once a part of the Benin empire and the third
>> >versionstates there there was a
>> >group of people with Igbo origin who where therebefore the group from
>>Benin.
>> >
>> >Isichei (1976:51-54), citing oral tradition, stated that Agbor was
>>foundedby
>> >a group of migrants
>> >from Benin (Edo speaking group) who were led bya man called Chima. Some
>>of
>> >these migrants,
>> >according to legend, settledin the present location of Agbor while
>>others
>> >moved on to other
>> >areaswhich now make up the western Igbo groups in Nigeria.
>> >
>> >According to Osae and Nwabara (1977:104-105), the Benin kingdom
>> >onceexpanded, by conquest,
>> >to encompass most of the present western Igbo townssuch as Agbor,
>>Ubulu-Uku,
>> >Isele-Uku,
>> >Asaba and Onitsha. In this version,Agbor may have existed as an
>>independent
>> >state within the
>> >Benin Empire.However, Agbor people believe that Kime (Chima) was the
>>second
>> >son of
>> >Dein(1270-1307 AD).
>> >
>> >A third version, similar to the second, shared by Jones and Mulhall(see
>>Osae
>> >and Nwabara 1977:
>> >139). This version states the possibility thatthe present location may
>>have
>> >been occupied by a
>> >group of Igbo origin.According to Osae and Nwabara, Igbo people are a
>>group
>> >that had their
>> >originin Nri-Awka and Isuama areas who later spread North towards Niger
>> >Stateand west
>> >towards parts of Benin and Warri provinces
>> >
>> >The Ika clans, villages and quarters (Idumu)
>> >As in most part of Nigeria, an Ika village is geographically
>>identifiable.It
>> >consists of residential
>> >areas and a considerably vast farming area.Ika clans are made up of
>>villages
>> >and villages are
>> >made up of several quartersknown as Idumu. Apart from modern government
>> >records of village
>> >boundaries,in most cases, village boundaries are marked historically by
>> >certain naturalmarker like
>> >trees, hills, rivers, etc.
>> >
>> >The eleven clans of Ika:
>> >1. Agbor clan
>> >2. Owa clan,
>> >3. Abavo clan,
>> >4. Ute-Okpu clan,
>> >5. Ute-Ogbeje clan
>> >6. Umunede clan, 7. Akumazi clan,
>> >8. Igbodo clan,
>> >9. Otolokpo clan,
>> >10. Mbiri clan,
>> >11. Idumuesah clan.
>> >
>> >
>> >Agbor
>> >Agbor is and has always been the largest of the Ika clan. It was themost
>> >politically and militarily
>> >powerful of all the Ika clans and thisperhaps is due to its size. Of the
>> >eleven clans above, Agbor
>> >and Abavoclans make up Ika south local government while the rest make up
>>Ika
>> >Northeast local
>> >government. Agbor clan consists of twenty- four villages:
>> >
>> >1. Ogbemudein
>> >2. Ihogbe
>> >3. Obiolihe
>> >4. Ihaikpen
>> >5. Ogbeisore
>> >6. Ogbeisogban
>> >7. Agbamuse/Oruru
>> >8. Alifekede
>> >9. Omumu
>> >10. Alisor
>> >11. Alilehan
>> >12. Alizomor
>> >13. Ozanogogo (Ozara) i. Alisimien
>> >14. Ewuru
>> >15. Idumu-Oza
>> >16. Aliokpu
>> >17. Alihami
>> >18. Aliagwai
>> >19. Agbor-nta
>> >20. Alihagwu
>> >21. Oki
>> >22. Ekuku-Agbor
>> >23. Emuhun
>> >24. Boji-Boji Agbor
>> >
>> >
>> >These twenty-four villages made up the old Agbor kingdom now known
>>asAgbor
>> >clan. The
>> >villages of Alisor, Alilehan and Ozanogogo are not Ikaspeaking. They
>>speak
>> >an Edoid language
>> >known, especially to the Ika speakers,as Oza or Ozara.
>> >
>> >It is claimed that the village of Agbor-nta was the original
>>headquartersof
>> >the old Agbor kingdom
>> >several centuries before Christ (Obuseh n.d). However, the first king to
>>be
>> >accounted for was
>> >Dein (1270-1307) . Thisis also controversial since the king of Agbor is
>> >traditionally called
>> >Deinunless one assume that the title must have started from the first
>> >(accountedfor) king of
>> >Agbor. The headquarters of Agbor has been moved several timesuntil the
>> >recent in 1935 to
>> >Ime-obi (Anonymous, 1998:19). The reasonsfor the movement of the
>> >headquarters several times
>> >has been given as farmingconvenience and wars of succession. Since the
>>old
>> >Agbor kingdom had
>> >alwaysfaced threats from the old Bini kingdom, it is also possible that
>>the
>> >securityof the
>> >headquarters from external invaders was an important considerationin the
>> >constant relocations of
>> >the headquarters. One recorded instanceof such threats could be seen in
>>the
>> >planned attack in
>> >1897 on Agbor byBenin (See Asiwaju1986).
>> >
>> >Abavo
>> >
>> >Abavo clan, also known as Awuu, comprises of five villages:
>> >
>> >1. Ogbe-Obi (Abavo Central),
>> >2. Azuowa (made up of four quarters: Ekwueze, Ekwuoma, Okpe, Oyoko),
>> >3. Udomi,
>> >4. Igbogili,
>> >5. Obi-Ayima.
>> >
>> >Abavo oral historians claim that their founding father, Awu, had
>> >migrateddirectly from Edo
>> >(Amokwu and Jegbefume, n.d). Forde and Jones (1967) foundno tradition of
>> >Bini (Edo) origin. In
>> >the account they gathered on thefounder of Abavo, they learnt that Awu
>>who
>> >had the title of Eze
>> >(meaningking in Igbo) was himself from a place called Awu (perhaps the
>> >accountwas stating the
>> >obvious that Awu was from Abavo).
>> >
>> >According to Abavo legend, their founding father was originally
>>fromBenin.
>> >He escaped from Bini
>> >kingdom around the 15th or 16th century toavoid being sacrificed and
>>later
>> >settled at Abavo
>> >(Amokwu and Jegbefume,n.d).
>> >
>> >
>> >Owa and Ute-Okpu and the otherClans
>> >
>> >According to Forde and Jones (1967: 47) and Isichei (1983), Owa hasits
>> >origin in Nri, Northern
>> >Igbo. Owa Oyibu is the political center ofthe Owa clan. According to
>>Fordes
>> >and Jones (1967) the
>> >founder of Owa wasOdogu son of Ijie of Ute-Okpu while the other villages
>> >found in Owa clanare
>> >derived from Benin or other Agbor groups.
>> >
>> >The founder of Ute-Okpu, according to Fordes and Jones, came from
>>Benin.Also
>> >they, Ute-Okpu
>> >people, claim to have come from the Igbo side of theNiger.
>> >
>> >Its is clear that there is a complication in the origin of Owa clanas
>> >presented by Forde and Jones
>> >since if Ijie the father of Odogu is fromUte-Okpu, a village that has its
>> >origin in Benin, it then
>> >would mean thatOdogu is from Benin. On the other hand, Ute-Okpu,
>>according
>> >to Forde andJones
>> >(1967), seemed to claim two sources of origin: Benin and Igbo.
>> >
>> >However, there is a possibility that Owa was existing before Odogu whomay
>> >have had his origin
>> >from Benin was imposed on the Owa people as, orwas made, their leader. It
>>is
>> >not unusual for
>> >most Nigerian clans to tracethe origin of their clan to their king s
>>origin.
>> >The first King is
>> >alwaysconsidered as founding father of the clan even if some of these
>>kings
>> >emergedor were
>> >imposed on them long after the founding of the clan. For instancethe
>>history
>> >of Benin is always
>> >traced to the first Oba of Benin, Oranmiyan,who himself was from the
>>Yoruba
>> >town of Ife (see
>> >Bradbury 1973). This,however, does not mean that the people of Benin are
>> >certainly from
>> >Ifethemselves. Likewise, the Ika clans think of their history in
>> > dynasticterms.
>> >
>> >Ute-Ogbeje, Akumazi, Umunede, Igbodo and Mbiri claim the founders oftheir
>> >clans to have come
>> >from Benin (Fordes and Jones 1967: 47). Idumu-Esa,on the other hand claim
>> >origin from Ishan
>> >
>> >
>> >References
>> >
>> >A short history of Abavo. Unpublished.
>> >
>> >A brief history of Agbor kingdom. In Agbor Day 98. Andlaunching of a
>>N5
>> >Million
>> >Development Fund. Agbor Development committee(1998).
>> >
>> >Amokwu, G & Jegbefume, H. (1969) History of Abavo Town.
>> >Unpublishedmanuscript.
>> >
>> >Forde, D. & Jones, G. (1967). The Ibo and Ibiobio-speaking Peoplesof
>> >South-Eastern Nigeria.
>> >London: Stone & Cox Ltd.
>> >
>> >Isichei, E. (1983) A history of Nigeria. London: Longman.
>> >
>> >Isichei, E, (1976) A history of the Igbo people. London: The
>>Macmillanpress
>> >LTD.
>> >
>> >Obuseh, J.B. (n.d) Agbor Kingdom. Unpublished.
>> >
>> >Osae, T, and Nwabara, S. (1977). A short history of West Africa.
>> >London:Hodder and Stoughton.
>> >
>> >
>> >________________________________________________________________________
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>> >
>> >
>>
>>
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Before you buy.
Lewis Eugene O
follow: (i) Ogbemudein, (ii) Ihaikpen, (iii) Ogbeisore, (iv) Ihogbe, (v) Alifekede, (vi)Omumu, (vii)
Alisor, (viii) Alilehan,(ix) Alisor, (x) Ewuru, (xi) Alisimien, (xii) Aliokpu (xiii) Idumu-Oza, (xiv)
Obielihe, (xv) Ogbeisogban, (xvi) Alizomo, (xvii) Ozanogogo (Ozzara), (xviii) Ekuku Agbor, (xix)
Alihami, (xx) Alihagwu, (xxi) Oki, (xxii) Emuhun, (xxiii) Boji-Boji Agbor.