Nigerian Tribe Myth's (African)

Origin of the Igbo Tribe

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

The Nri Version
Professor M.A. Onwuejeogwu (2000) regards the Nri version as the only authentic version of origin in existence in the oral tradition of the Igbo. According to Nri version, the ancestor of the Igbo, Eri, descended from the sky and sailed down the River Anambra. When he arrived at Aguleri, he met some autochthonous group of people who had no living memory of their own and settled with them. As their population increased, some groups migrated to other parts of Igbo land to establish their own settlements. This version is the second most populous version of the Igbo origin and it also explains why some Igbo view Anambra as the home and authentic origin of the Igbo. Some Igbo’s are also with the view that, for any Igbo man to excel to the extreme and assume the mantle of leadership of the Igbo race, such individual must hail from Anambra to gain legitimacy.

The Awka or Orlu Version
Another tradition considered Awka or Orlu towns as the center of origin of the Igbo from where they dispersed to other areas.

The Idah Version
Some groups such as the Umunri claim to have migrated to their present location from Idah.

The Benin Version
The Onitsha and the Igbo on the other side of the River Niger [Delta Igbo], claim Benin origin.

Moreover, there were very limited professional historians as at that period. There were no equivalents of Oba, and Alaafin or of Palaces over most parts of Igbo land. This is why it is very difficult to reconcile all these various versions.

Unlike the Yoruba, which cohabit with the Igbo in the southern part of Nigeria and has only 2 version of its historical origin, Igbo’s has several irreconcilable versions.

https://thewillnigeria.com/news/the-mystery-of-igbo-origin/