Anioma Identity and the Interwoven Roots of Igala, Benin, and Igbo Heritage

By Okoi Obono-Obla 

Anioma Identity and the Interwoven Roots of Igala, Benin, and Igbo Heritage:

In response to my post today, my good friend and noted Igala historian from Kogi State, Ayega Abdullahi, submitted that Anioma is made up of Igala, Benin, and Igbo. He argues that Benin and Igala constitute the majority. According to him:

“It is not dual, Chief. Anioma is made up of Igala, Benin, and Igbo, but Benin and Igala are the majority. Do you know that over 40 towns in Anioma are Igala? Even Asaba, the capital of Delta State, is Igala, and the video by their king recently is on Facebook. Many among the Anioma people know their origin and will not allow themselves to be lumped into a new tribe as Ajayi Crowther did in those days in West and East. Even the Eastern side has Igala and Benin but is not allowed to ‘rise up.’ Do you know that the clan of the Obi of Onitsha is from Benin? Onitsha has nine towns: four are from Benin, three from Igala, and two from Nri. Those across the River Niger immediately are Igala people who settled there for fishing in those days. They were the ones who even helped ferry the Benin people across in their canoes. Investigate the history of Anambra West LGA—they are Igala people. Let me leave Enugu and Ebonyi. Happy Sunday.”

I love history because it unravels what has been lost in the labyrinth of time or buried in obscurity. History has a way of exhuming forgotten matters, enabling us to chart the trajectory of the future and employ it positively for nation‑building. It can also help forge homogeneity in a supposedly heterogeneous society like Nigeria.

Colonialism did much to re‑engineer Africa, creating new tribes and identities. The colonialists merged and redefined ethnic groups to suit their political designs. As the English historian Martin Meredith succinctly put it in his seminal work The Fortunes of Africa: A 5000‑Year History of Wealth, Greed and Endeavour:
> “By the end of the scramble, European powers had merged some 10,000 African polities into just forty colonies. The new territories were almost all artificial entities, with boundaries that paid scant attention to the myriad of monarchies, chiefdoms, and other societies on the ground…”

Nigeria, however, is not merely an artificial creation of colonialists. The peoples within its territory have always existed, interacting, trading, migrating, and forming new entities. Through intermarriage and biological blending, new genetics evolved, which in turn gave rise to new ethnicities. No group can claim absolute uniqueness or purity; all are products of centuries of mixture and transformation.

Conclusion:
The Anioma identity, like many others in Nigeria, is a tapestry woven from diverse threads—Igala, Benin, Igbo, and beyond. Recognizing this shared heritage does not diminish any group’s contribution; rather, it enriches our collective story. History reminds us that unity is not found in isolation but in embracing the complexity of our intertwined roots.

@ Okoi Obono-Obla