*Read carefully The origin of the Igbo people is a mystery and a subject of greater controversy, more controversial than that of every other ethnic group in Nigeria and probably in Africa. There are so many versions of Igbo origin and it is very difficult, or probably impossible to say which is the most real or most acceptable. Unlike the Yoruba’s which traces its origin to Oduduwa in Ile-Ife and the Hausa’s, which also traces its origin to Bayajidda in Daura, Igbo have no such historical identification with a founding father or founding home, many version claimed a different source which even made the Igbo origin more mystical. Although, it can be said that, most ethnic groups in Nigeria has more than one historical origin of their ethnic groups, but the historical origin of the Igbo ethnic group which occupy mostly the eastern part of Nigeria is far more mystical than every other. Study shows that, the Igbo people are best known for their segmentary or acephalous way of life. This is because, from the ancient times, they had no centralized states. Consequently, they operated a kind of government without kings. It has also been established that, the Igbo people are predominantly farmers and traders and despite some cultural diversity among them, they do share a common basic culture in their language with a cluster of dialects that are mutually intelligible. They also share a common political system based on decentralization of power and delegation of authority exercised by the holders of the staff of authority, the Ofo. The Igbo are said to be grouped into five sub-cultures, namely: • The Igbo of the eastern Nigeria • The Igbo of the South-eastern Nigeria • The Igbo of the North-eastern Nigeria • The Western Igbo and • The Northern Igbo Generally, Irrespective of which part of the above five categorization a group falls; they are certainly Igbo’s and would be regarded as such. As earlier stated, there are so many irreconcilable versions of Igbo origin; this has made it very difficult to ascertain which has gained more acceptances. Taking a brief view at some the various versions, we found the Israeli version to be more popular. The Israeli Version The Israeli version has been established to be one of the most popular versions of the migratory stories of origin of the Igbo people. Israeli version is the one that points to Israel as the origin of Igbo. This assumption is based on the so-called similarities between the Cultures of the Igbo and the ancient Hebrew. Some Igbo scholars consider themselves as off-shoots of the lost tribes of the Hebrews who migrated southward. You should remember that the Igbo society has always been known as acephalous. The Middle East Version Some believe that the Igbo peoples migrated to their present location from either the North or the Middle-east. The Igboland Centred Version Others believe that the Igbo people had been in their present abode from the beginning. Therefore, Igboland is the original homeland. To be continued....
Posted on: Fri, 13 Sep 2013 09:53:12 +0000
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