IBUSA/Nigeria: The Obuzor of Ibusa, His Royal Majesty Professor Louis Nwaoboshi, has restated that the Anioma people of Delta State are historically, culturally and linguistically rooted in Igboland, insisting that no contemporary political classification can alter facts established long before Nigeria’s independence.
Speaking in Ibusa, the respected monarch traced the quest for proper regional alignment to 1939, when the British colonial administration created the country’s first regional boundaries. He explained that Anioma communities were erroneously placed under the Western Region despite their unmistakable Igbo identity, a misplacement he attributed to flawed geographical assumptions made during colonial boundary demarcation.
According to him, the true boundary between the Eastern and Western Regions should have extended beyond Abudu in present-day Edo State. “The boundary between North and West is not the River Niger, just as the boundary between North and East is not the River Benue. Therefore, the East–West boundary should have been after Abudu. We were placed where we should not be,” he stated.
Professor Nwaoboshi stressed that communities including Ibusa, Aboh, Ogwashi-Uku, Ubulu-Uku and others in Delta North have always belonged to Igboland, not only by language but by culture, tradition and ancestry. “We have been shortchanged since 1939. Our fathers began this agitation long before now. I am not a pioneer. The people of Aboh, Ibusa and Ubulu-Uku were already advocating for proper placement before the regions were consolidated,” he said.
The monarch disclosed that his commitment to safeguarding Anioma identity led him to establish a cultural organisation in 1980 to advance the longstanding agitation. He also acknowledged the role of Anioma leaders through the years, noting that Senator Ned Nwoko comes from a lineage that has been central to the movement since the colonial era. “He was here when we encouraged him to continue the struggle. It is in his blood because his father was among those who agitated in 1939. These families have been at the forefront from the beginning,” he stated.
Professor Nwaoboshi further revealed that the name “Anioma” was deliberately crafted to unify Igbo-speaking communities in Delta North at a time when other Igbo groups in Imo and Anambra had already consolidated their identities. He cited historical documentation, including a 1981 newspaper report that traced the movement to 1938, identifying traditional rulers from Aboh, Ibusa, Isele-Uku and Agbor as early champions of the cause.
He blamed successive political reclassifications—from the Western Region in 1939 to the Mid-West in 1963 and later Delta State in 1991—for the identity confusion experienced by some Anioma people, arguing that such administrative labels do not reflect historical realities. He dismissed the modern geopolitical zoning that groups Delta under the “South-South” as an artificial construct with no historical basis.
Calling for unity and renewed consciousness, the Obuzor urged Anioma people to embrace their shared heritage. “It is time they understand that we are one. Awaken and embrace your brothers,” he said.
