THE TRUE IDENTITY OF IKA PEOPLE

Some Ika people in Delta State claimed they originated from Bini kingdom while others believe in their Igbo origin. The identity of a people is based on the language they speak, the names they bear, the culture and tradition they practice. We all know that it is the language of the Ancestors that they pass on to their children.

Now if truly that Ika Ancestors were Bini people as claimed by some people, how come Ika people are not speaking Bini language?

NOW LET US EXAMINE SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF IKA PEOPLE:

§  Ika people speaks Bia which is an Igbo dialect.

§  Ika people bears 98% Igbo names.

§  Ika kings are known as Obi which is an Igbo tittle.

§  Ika elders wears red cap which is an Igbo symbol.

§  Ika people celebrates Iwa-gi (new yam festival) which is an Igbo festival.

§  Ika communities have Ofo which is an Igbo symbol of leadership and authority'.

§  In Ika land, market is known as Afia and Ika people observe Eke Orie Afor and Nkwor the four market days as it is in Igbo tradition.

§  Our women tie two wrappers as it is in every other Igbo land.

Now if truly that Ika ancestors were Bini people, then how come they totally abandon their Bini way of life and adopted that of the Igbo?

I live in Benin city Edo state and I understand that Bini people call market Eki, how come market is called Afia in Ika? And they claimed Ika people originated from Bini kingdom? Which is BASELESS!

LET US FURTHER EXAMINE THE NAMES OF KINGDOMS IN IKA:

in Ika land, we have the following kingdoms and they all bear Igbo names Not Bini names.

§  Agbor

§  Abavo

§  Owa

§  Mbiri

§  Igbodo

§  Umu-ede

§  Ute-okpu

§  Akumazi

§  Ute-ogbeje

§  Otolokpo

§  Idumu-esah

The FACT that these Ika kingdoms are bearing Igbo names and we the people are speaking Bia an Igbo dialect and bearing Igbo names too shows clearly that Igbo Ancestors have existed long ago in Ika before the Bini people invaded our land in order to impose their king on us.

At this junction, I will not forget to tell you about Igbanke kingdom the Ika people that were forced into Edo state, Igbanke is one of the kingdoms we have in Ika, but is unfortunate that today the people of Igbanke don’t even know the meaning of their name; yes, Igbanke has no meaning.

The original name of that kingdom is IGBO-AKIRI meaning "Igbo is ruling", It was the then military government of Nigeria that forced them into Edo state and after that their ancestral name was changed to Igbanke.

BEFORE YOU START DOUBTING THAT THOSE NAMES OF KINGDOMS IN IKA ARE NOT IGBO NAMES, LET ME FURTHER OUTLINE SOME PROOVES HERE.

§  Agbor: In Arochukwu LGA of Abia state, there is a place called Agbor.

§  Abavo: this is where i come from and we are called Ndi-Awu. Do you know that there is a place called Awu in Abia state? It is located in Umuahia North LGA.

§  Owa: In Orlu LGA of Imo state, there is a village called Umu-Owa.

§  In Ogbaru LGA of Anambra state, there is another village called Iyi-Owa. We also have Owa village in Enugu.

§  Mbiri: there is a place called Mberi in Imo state.

DO YOU KNOW THAT WE HAVE ENUGU AND OWERRI IN IKA LAND?

In Akumazi kingdom, we have a village called Owerri-Olubor. In Ute-Okpu kingdom, we have two villages called Ute-Enugu and Ute-Owerre.

All these things did not just happen by mistake, it is not just a mere coincidence, it happened because we are Igbo people and that is why we are called IKA-IGBO.

To crown it all there is a popular town in Abia state called Umu-Ika. Umu-Ika in Abia state is located in Ishiala Ngwa North LGA.

Like I said before, I have lived in Benin city for years and I can tell you authoritatively that Ika people are not the same with Bini people. Bini people speak 'Lare’ while Ika people speak 'Bia' which is Igbo language.

Let me conclude by asking my fellow Ika people this question: Is our Bia in Ika land different from the Bia in Enugu land? If you know it is not different, then WAKE-UP and be proud of your Igbo Identity.

Written by:

Mazi Ifeanyichiukwu Akaebe

For: Edo State Media

Edited by:

Oby Mboma

For: Edo State Media

Published by:

Chibuike John Nebeokike

For: Edo State Media