Daily Justice

Igbanke, Edo State – 23 April 2025: In a powerful display of cultural affirmation, the Igbanke people of Orhionmwon Local Government Area in Edo State held a rally and press conference today, boldly declaring their identity as indigenous Igbos and rejecting claims of Bini ancestry. The event, which drew significant attention, underscored the community’s resolve to preserve their linguistic and cultural heritage amid longstanding debates over their origins.

The Igbanke community, comprising six villages—Omolua, Ottah, Idumuodin, Ake, Olije, and Igbontor—traces its roots to diverse migrations that predate European contact. Oral histories and scholarly accounts suggest the community’s formation involved settlers from various regions, including present-day Delta and Anambra States, with some villages claiming distinct Igbo ancestry. For instance, the people of Ottah are said to have migrated from Ata in Anambra State around the 17th century, while Ake is linked to Mbiri, an Igbo community in Delta State. Idumodin, meanwhile, is believed to have originated from Amahor in Edo’s Igueben area during the reign of Oba Ozolua, a prominent Benin monarch. Omolua’s population is noted for its diverse composition, including migrants from Esan, Ika, and Benin, while Igbontor and Olije claim partial Benin ties, though their dominant language and culture align with the Ika dialect, a recognised Igbo subgroup.

The Igbanke people predominantly speak the Ika dialect, classified as an Igbo dialect, and share cultural practices such as the New Yam Festival, traditional attire, and cuisine like ofeonugbu (bitter leaf soup) and akpu (cassava fufu) with other Igbo communities. These linguistic and cultural markers have long distinguished them from the Bini-speaking Edo majority in the region. However, their inclusion in Edo State following its creation in 1991, which separated them from their Ika kin in Delta State, has fuelled tensions over identity and belonging.

Historically, Igbanke was known as Igbo-Akiri, a name changed to Igbanke in 1967 by then-Midwest State military governor Samuel Ogbemudia, reportedly to obscure its Igbo heritage during the Nigerian Civil War. This renaming, coupled with policies perceived as marginalising their Igbo identity, has been a point of contention for decades.

Since their incorporation into Edo State, the Igbanke people have faced challenges in preserving their cultural identity. Community leaders and residents have reported systemic marginalisation, including difficulties obtaining official documents like Certificates of Local Government Origin due to their Igbo names, and the imposition of Bini language in official deliberations, which they neither speak nor understand. In one notable case, a chieftaincy titleholder, Chief Orike-Eze, was allegedly harassed at the Oba of Benin’s palace and forced to adopt a Bini equivalent, highlighting the cultural pressures faced by the community.

The Igbanke people have also expressed frustration over the lack of development in their area, despite their political loyalty to successive Edo State governments. Plans by the state’s Ministry of Education to introduce Bini language teaching in schools, while excluding the Ika dialect, have further deepened feelings of alienation. These grievances have spurred calls for either the creation of a new local government area for Ika-speaking communities in Edo or for Igbanke to be merged with Ika South Local Government in Delta State, where they share stronger cultural ties.

Despite these challenges, the Igbanke community has maintained its Igbo cultural practices and fostered a sense of kinship with the Anioma people, a predominantly Igbo-speaking group in Delta State. Many Igbanke youths, in particular, identify strongly with their Igbo heritage, viewing Agbor in Delta State as a cultural and economic hub.

Today’s rally, held in Igbanke, saw hundreds of indigenes, including community leaders, youths, and traditional titleholders, gather to reaffirm their Igbo identity. The event featured vibrant displays of Ika music, dance, and traditional attire, symbolising their cultural pride. At the press conference that followed, spokespersons, including Apostle Azuka Okah, a prominent Igbanke indigene, declared, “We Igbanke people, indigenous in Edo State, are Igbos and not Bini. We want to join our Ika brothers in Anioma State because that is where we belong.”

The community reiterated its historical name, Igbo-Akiri, and highlighted the leadership structure led by the Eze, supported by Ndi Ichie, Dike, and Okenye, which mirrors Igbo governance systems. They also called for recognition of their linguistic and cultural rights, urging the Edo State government to address their marginalisation and support their aspirations to align with the proposed Anioma State, a long-standing demand of Igbo-speaking communities in Delta and Edo.

Broader Context and Reactions
The rally has reignited debates about identity and state boundaries in Nigeria, particularly in the context of the Anioma State creation movement, which seeks to unite Igbo-speaking communities in Delta and Edo.