History of Item

ITEM (pronounced EETEM) is one of the communities in Bende Local Government Area in Abia State of Nigeria. It is bordered by Akeze (in Ebonye State) in the North; Nkporo in the East; Alayi in the West; and Abiriba and Igbere in the South.

Item people first settled in a place called POTOPO after a brief stay at Igede. Item people could not stay long at Igede because they could not find a precious stone known as ‘akom’. Potopo is on the Eastern side of Abam and Biakpan. Akom was a pre-historic stone used in making knives, hoes, spears and many other defensive and destructive weapons. It was in Potopo that they found ‘akom’ in a large quantity. They first arrived at Bende. While there, they could not find any ‘akom’ and because of that they decided to move away from the area. When they took off from Bende they became very weak and decided to have enough rest. While resting, the witch and native doctors treated the sick and took time off to make sacrifices to the gods. It was believed that the people must have spent many months, if not years there since they were able to build huts for some of their gods as well as huts for themselves. This resting place was known as ‘OZUZU-IKE-ITEM (meaning resting place for Item people), now known as ‘Ozuitem’ (for brevity sake). When hunters and the witch doctors could not find ‘akom’, even though the land was very fertile, they decided to abandon the area. As others were still contemplating on what to do, Okoko left in search of a better land. When they arrived at the present site, they saw that the land was not only fertile but also had ‘akom’ in abundance. The entire area stretching down to the present site where Amokwe is now located, was occupied by different people, and only force could determine if Okoko could settle there or not.

HISTORY & ORIGIN OF AMAUZARI

CULLED FROM AMAUZARI PROPER WRITTEN BY A EKWEM (UNVERIFIED ACCOUNT OF EVENTS)

Uzari was the founding father of Amauzari. Amauzari means a thoroughfare to the house of Uzari. He was born in the year in which his father, Mbama Onyeukwu, had a bunt harvest. His father was overjoyed that his first wife, Nwaanma, gave birth to his first child and first son, on the year he had abundant harvest.

Like in most other parts of Igbo land, before the advent of Christianity in Amauzari, the people of Amauzari predominantly communally worshipped carved wooden gods, their chi . Their lives revolved around deities and their farmlands. Mbama Onyeukwu, the father of Uzari was the Chief Priest of ‘Ezeala Uhie’, of the deities.

It is speculated that Mbama Onyeukwu was born at about 940AD around Mbaa River. About year 1001, Mbaa River overflowed its bank and flooded all the surrounding areas, including the land in which ‘Ezeala Uhie’ was located. Mbama was agitated by the natural disaster and decided to move to the hinterland. He eventually settled in a place called ‘Ikpa Eke-Oga’ or ‘Obi-Mbama’, the present location of Mbama local Government Development Area.

As Mbaa River dried up at ‘Ikpa Eke-Oga’, coupled with the threats of wars from Atta people, Mbama Onyeukwu set up his residence at ‘Ikpa-Mbama in Umuechem Amauzari, where he lived till he died. Mbama Onyeukwu gave up the worship and service of ‘Ezala Uhie’ the god of the seas and the waves (in the year 1002) in the protest of the sudden departure of Mbaa River, which he blamed for the flood of Ill-luck and setbacks in inter-communal wars. He opted to worship ‘Duruemezuru’ deity, the god of fulfilment the bountiful god, the god that accepted sacrifices wholeheartedly.

Mbama Onyeukwu was blessed with material wealth, children and good health. He had three wives, and bore six sons and many daughters. His first wife, Nwaanma, begat Uzari (970AD) and Inyishi (now in Ikeduru) (972 AD) while Nwaihu, the second wife begat Nkwo (973AD) (now Umunkwo) and Aku (975AD the present day Amaraku). The third wife, Ejiatu begat Igbo and Ndugba, present-day Amaigbo and Amandugba respectively. His first four sons and daughters now live in today’s Mbama, while Amaigbo (976AD) and Amandugba (979AD) are now in the Nwangele and Orlu local governments of Imo State respectively.

The golden thread that runs through the children of Mbama Onyeukwu is the adoption of ‘Ama’ in their names, in reverence to their great father, Mbama.

Uzari worked for his father up to the age of fifteen years and at 16, he cultivated his firs farm at a piece/parcel of land called ‘Uhu Olerum’ in today’s Umuechem. The yield of that land was beyond description. The land, Uhu Olerum, is still the most fertile land in Amauzari today.

The story told over the decade was that Uzari did not even let his mother know of his farm, from the clearing of the bush to the planting of the seeds to the weeding of the grasses. He worked surreptitiously, in the early hours of the day and towards sunset. He wanted to live up to his name as given to him by his father. Mbama Onyeukwu.

When Mbama Onyeukwu harvested his yams and other crops, and stored same in his barn, Uzari also harvested his yams and put them in his own barn at ‘Uhu-Olerum’.

On an eventful day, when Mbama Onyeukwu, Uzari, Inyishi, Nkwo and Aku were going on a hunting expedition, they saw a very large barn with assorted yams, arranged conspicuously, one on top of the other in lines, on a well prepared barn, while the cocoyams were in heaps of about a hundred or so. Mbama Onyeukwu commanded his sons to take cover, and they did; and he asked the children ‘did you see the wide open space in front of you?’ it looks like a barn of yams and cocoyams. Stay calm children! I believe someone from somewhere have entered our territory and land; cultivated on it and may be living close by. Get yourselves ready for war. War! War! War! We have a war on our hands! Gird your loins and let someone fetch Igbo and Ndugba, my other sons from the obi…’

Uzari interjected and said to his father … ‘the owner of the barn may be one amongst us. No need to worry papa’, Inyishi added, ‘no wonder Uzari wakes up before the first cock-crow everyday and goes hunting alone and comes back towards sunset of each day- all alone’.

There was laughter and a great joy in the hunting party. Father and sons moved briskly to see and appreciated the secret efforts of Uzari. The harvest therein, like Uzari’s name, was truly abundant.

On getting to the barn, Uzari narrated every step he took in the farming experiment. How he got his yam seedlings from across the border in Ikeduru from families who have been wiped out by wars and how he intended to maintain an independent existence, his farm and barn according to his name. The father was delighted and called him ‘Ome ka nna ya’. Everyone present eulogized him and sang his praises.

Uzari grew up with great physical features and robust attributes. He was tall, strong and full of life. He was a man of means which in those days amounted to barns of yams, and other tubers, palm trees and most importantly, wives and children. He ate healthily and was the epitome of hard work. He farmed vigorously and was an astute hunter. The staple foods came from his farmlands while protein and meat were obtained from his hunting expeditions at the nook and crannies of his huge land holding, and from livestock kept in his residence.

Uzari was a warrior who hardly trembled and was hardly fatigued. He was a fighter with a difference, who attacked to perfection and knew how to lure and snare the enemy into a volley of firepower, an archer who rarely missed a shot. 
He was a rugged fighter who marshalled his warriors into intricate manoeuvres and fought without flagging. He gained advantage easily over his enemies (on occasions when the end of wars or hostilities was to be negotiated) with fluent oratory. His oratory skill was profoundly manifested whenever he addressed his troops in preparation for a battlefield.

Uzari grew in size and stature, was blessed with increased harvest every year, and made money. He also kept goats, cow, sheep, chickens and exotic birds and his agricultural outputs multiplied every year. Uzari informed his father of his intention to take a wife to assist him. The request was granted and Uzari married his first wife Ukwu who gave birth to Igwe now called Umuigwe. Igwe the known direct son of Uzari, married three wives – Olugie who begat Eze; Nmaezi who was the mother of Agu and thereafter Nneuwa who was his last wife and mother of Echem.

Amauzari today occupies an area of approximately 1100 sq kilometres. It is a native town with agrarian proclivities and was initially in Isiala-Mbano local government area of Imo state, Nigeria. In 2005, Mbama local government was created by the Governor, Achike Udenwa. However, Mbama local government is yet to be ractified by the National Assembly and legalised. Therefore, technically speaking, Amauzari is still part and parcel of Isiala –Mbano Local Government.

Amauzari has common borders with Umunkwo, Abajah, Amaigbo, Amandugba, Atta and Ogwa, all in Imo Sate. It is in the the Igbo heartland, and is approximately 20 kilometers from Owerri and 30 kilometers from Okigwe.

Amauzari is densely populated. The population of Amauzri was put at 13,467 by the 1963 census. The projected population of Amauzari today is about 100,000 people.

Majority of the population are Christians. Despite the influence of Christianity, majority of the families dating back to 1970’s were polygamous in nature ranging up to 27 wives to a man. Christianity, education, civilization plus current economic situation has brought major and drastic changes as of today, so in majority of cases today, it is one man to a wife. 
The economic landscape has also changed; more people are educated creating new rising stars within the society. In the past, leadership and economic powers were predominantly concentrated in the hands of few. Economic powers are now more equitably distributed. The general standard of living has expanded and greatly increased. The numbers of middle class families have increased enormously. There is still advert poverty among the very few… the new administration under the leadership of Chief Johnson Asinugo is working absolutely hard to eradicate this situation.

Short History Of Mbaise

Via Mbaise United Austria

Mbaise is an amalgam of indigenous, autochthonous clans, connected by intermarriage, and situated in approximate area the heartland of Igboland. It occupies an area of 404 square kilometers. The quiddity of Mbaise is that this homogenous group of more than 1000 persons per square kilometer is the most densely populated area in West Africa. The population of Mbaise as at 2006 was estimated to be 611,204 people (Agulanna, 2008).

Until the advent of European adventurers into Nigeria, the main source of income in Mbaise was subsistent agriculture. In Igboland, no centralized political system existed. The system of government depended largely on kinship relations and shared custom. The village group was the highest level of socio-political organization with the “Amala” exercising all power (Njoku 2003). The weekly gathering of the male family members around the fresh palm wine keg (“awuru-awu” or “manya-orie”) constituted the forum for discussing matters. Recently, the “Aladinma” of the autonomous community exercise judicial, legislative, administrative and executive powers and functions. Typically, life at the pre-colonial time is better understood by reading “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe.

The Aro Expeditionary Force (British) moved through Owerri and Mbaise in 1902. When the British Colonial Administration was introduced in the Southern Protectorate of Nigeria, the government established a native court at Nkwogwu Nguru in 1905 and built a residence for the Whiteman there. Dr. Rogers Stewart who was trespassing Mbaise got killed and in 1906, the “Ahiara Punitive Expedition” led by Captains Brian Douglas and Harold Hastings started the reprisal punitive massacre of people in the area. In 1927, the Colonial Government introduced taxation using warrant chiefs and court messengers to collect the taxes. These colonial agents became corrupt and used taxes as tools of oppression and suppression. When the taxes were increased in 1929, it triggered the Women Uprising which resulted in the destruction of the native court at Nkwogwu and the sacking of the Whiteman’s residence. Subsequently, other courts were established at Itu for Ezinihitte; Afor Enyiogugu for Agbaja; Obohia for Ekwerazu; Orie-Ahiara for Ahiara; and Uvuru for Oke-Uvuru.

On June 12 1941, Mbaise became a federated unit of five clans, namely, Agbaja (Nguru, Okwuato, Enyiogugu, Obiangwu, and Umuohiagu), Ekwerazu, Ahiara, Ezinihitte, and Oke-Uvuru. A common treasury was opened in Enyiogugu in 1942 and it was later transferred to Aboh in 1948. Obiangwu and Umuohiagu which were constituent parts of Agbaja pulled out in 1957 and joined Ngor Okpala. Unfortunately Mbaise was currently reduced to three local governments, namely Ahiazu (result of a merger of Ahiara and Ekwerazu), Aboh-Mbaise (carving out a part of Ezinihitte West and added to Agbaja), and Ezinihitte.

Between 1955 and 1958, Mbaise County Council under the Chairmanship of Honorable N. D. Ukah initiated two landmark development projects namely Mbaise Secondary School and Mbaise Joint Hospital (now General Hospital) both in Aboh. In 1954, Dr. Aaron Ogbonna who studied abroad became the first qualified medical doctor, returned home, and established the first private hospital in Mbaise in 1956. Prior to this time, any sick person who needed western medical attention either went to Holy Rosary Hospital, Emekuku Owerri or Methodist Hospital, Amachara in Umuahia.

Asaba - A long History and Tradition

Via Asaba dot com

Geographically, nothing seems to connect the Igalas in Kogi State with the Ibos of Asaba in Delta State and the Ibos of Nteje in Anambra State, except perhaps networks of inter-state and inter-city roads. But historically and biologically, something connects them. What we know today as Asaba has its historical roots in both Kogi and Anambra State.

A woman named Diaba from Agbakuba village in Nteje, Anambra State, was said to have been impregnated by Onojobo, a prince and trader from Igala land, while she was residing in Eze Anyanwu’s court as one of the court girls.

Anyanwu was said to have hailed from the royal line of Ezechima, the legendary ancestor of numerous settlements east of the Niger, including Onitsha. This explains why Benin, Asaba and Onitsha seem to share a common culture and tradition as in the area of festival regalia like traditional coral beads and hand-woven big flowing white gowns and traditional titles such as the Onowu Iyasele of Onitsha and the Iyase Onowu of Asaba.

The Igala connection
Going back to the Diaba story, after she was impregnated by Onojobo, she was delivered of a male child called Nnebisi, a name which some Asaba sources interpret as “mother is supreme”, same as “Nneka”, in some parts of Iboland, but which Chief Patrick Isioma Goodluck Onyeobi, the Iyase of Asaba, disagrees with and rather claims to be a shortened form of ka anyi nebe isi nke a (let’s watch and see what this one becomes in future). Sunday Sun believes that Onyeobi’s interpretation is nearer to the truth as the names “Nnebisi” or “Nneka” are usually names reserved for female children in Ibo land.

“We’ve always had contact with Northern elements here because the founder of Asaba descended from an Igala prince”, notes Onyeobi. “We’ve always had contact with traders coming from the North as well as the Aboh traders coming from the South. They used to meet at the river bank here we call Igala bank. Nupe and Igala traders used to row down to bring fishes and other things. Our people were mainly farmers and slave traders. And these people used to come in long-range canoes to Asaba where they exchanged goods. So, it isn’t quite true when European historians tell us that our people were in perpetual conflicts. Though there were occasional conflicts, they intermarried.

“ Otherwise how could an Igala prince come to Asaba and marry a woman from Nteje. So, Asaba has always been a sort of meeting point and it will be instructive to know that it was near Asaba that the Lander brothers were captured in 1830 and later exchanged and given back to their brothers who used to come from the coast. So, it was a small community and peaceful then. We were never conquered by any group either from the East or West.”

With the exception of one of the major and longest roads that run through Asaba town, Nnebisi, named after the accredited progenitor, no other son or daughter of Asaba bears the name “Nnebisi” in Asaba today or had ever borne that name, at least in living memory, ever since the origin of Asaba as a people and later as a town. This only goes to show the extent to which Asaba people rever that name. They see him as something of a deity.
But lest we forget, we are still on with the story of the origin of Asaba. Shortly, after the birth of Nnebisi, his mother took him with her, while she was going back to Agbakuba village in Nteje. There she died, leaving Nnebisi in the care of her family relations.

The great discovery
But as young Nnebisi was growing up, he reportedly started noticing that he was being treated differently from everybody else around him. He also noticed that there were certain things he was not allowed to do, certain customs he was not allowed to partake in and certain traditions he was not allowed to observe. When he inquired why; he was told that it was because, by virtue of birth, Nteje was not his true hometown. He asked to be told his own hometown but nobody could tell him except to say that his mother got impregnated while living with one great king, Eze Anyanwu, staying in the land of one big river.

Out of annoyance and frustration, he decided to embark on a journey to find out his true home. A native medicine man whom he consulted told him that his fatherland is beyond one particular big river (later to be named by Mungo Park as River Niger) and that he would need canoe to cross the big river, before he could set foot on his father land.
Story has it that thereafter Nnebisi embarked on the legendary search for his lost hometown on a narrow long boat and a magical medicine pot – a charm given to him by the village medicine man at Nteje. This medicine was supposed to guard him and guarantee his safe arrival to his purported homeland. Nnebisi was supposed to carry this pot on his head and this magical pot was supposed to fall off at the site of his ancestral homeland.

Long march to freedom
Oral history said the pot fell and crashed at the present day Cable Point, off the shores of the River Niger by the great Onishe rocks – a shrine of the mythical goddess – Onishe of Asaba.
“The Nupes and the Igalas, right from the 19th Century have always resided at Cable Point and they are still there”, Onyeobi informs. “Some of them were born there. Their fathers were born there. So, Asaba has always been a peaceful community until the civil war came.”
“The British chose to establish their means of communication to their bigger war armadas and ships in the sea by establishing in Asaba here what they call the Cable Point”, Chief Joe Achuzia, the Biafran war hero and former secretary-general of Ohaneze Ndigbo informs. “In those days, the system was so cumbersome that cable had to be laid all the way from Asaba here down through Burutu, cross the Escravos to the Atlantic. Hence the quarter in Asaba here known as Cable Point.

“Having set up a cable point, they moved upward about a mile into the hinterland where today you have the hotel – the Grand Hotel. There they established the seat of government because that was the deepest part of the Niger where their boat could anchor. And by so doing set up a post office for the purposes of communication, set up the resident quarters which were later converted into a catering rest house, set up a court for the purposes of administering justice and that court remains till today, the Court Four beside Grand Hotel.

“And, behind it, where we now have a library, used to be post office. They also moved about another half a mile inwards along the bank of the Niger to where today you have the stadium and behind it used to be known as Ogige where they have the prison yard and the administrative quarters. We call it Ogige because they fenced the place up.”
Back to the story of he and his journey to his home town, when the pot fell from his head at that spot in the thick forest, shortly after his arrival by the narrow canoe, on the other side of the riverbank, Nnebisi was said to have exclaimed “Ahabam”, an Ibo phrase said to mean “I have appropriately chosen.” It was from that exclamatory that Ahaba, the origin name of Asaba came.

From Ahaba and Asaba
But the name was inadvertently changed to Asaba during the British colonial occupation of Nigeria when the first colonial explorers to arrive and live in Ahaba could not hear the name properly, which appears to them to be heavily accented, much less pronouncing it correctly. At the end it all, they entered the name “Asaba” in their record books, rather than “Ahaba.” And that was how Ahaba came to be called Asaba. And, from then till today, it has always answered to the name “Asaba.”
In Ahaba, Nnebisi, who was happy that he had finally found his home town started intermingling with the household of earlier settlers like Eze Anyanwu, Ugboma, Odikpe and Obodo Achala. It is to be noted, however, that before then the area that later became known as Ahaba was known as “the town beyond the big river” with no particular name attached to it.

It was the arrival, from Nteje, of Nnebisi, his magical pronouncement of “Ahabam” and his marriage to two wives from the households of the earlier settlers that gave rise to the name “Ahaba” and later Asaba. From his first wife, named Ujom, he had three children, Onne (male) Ezeumune (male) and Ojife (female). From his second wife, whose name, nobody seems to remember, he had a son called Iyagba. Iyagba’s offspring are believed to be part of the lost seed and their lineage remains untraceable even till today.

But from the others, Nnebisi had five grandsons namely Ezei, Ugbomanta, Agu, Ajaji and Onaje, in that order. These five united to form the original 9 (nine) quarters of Ahaba or Asaba called “Ahaba ebo ite’nani” But later, by accident of history, the five grandsons of Nnebisi were to absorb most of the earlier settlers leading to the present make up of five quarters in Asaba, namely, Umuezei, Ugbomanta, Umuagu, Umuaji, Umuonaje.

These five Quarters or Ebos constitute the five Ruling Houses of Asaba. The Asagba of Asaba throne rotates amongst these five Quarters or Ebos. The order of rotation is in accordance with the seniority of these five sons, starting with Umuezei and ending with Umuonaje. The current Asagba of Asaba, the 13th Asagba, Obi (Prof.) Chike Edozien, a retired hospital administrator and Ist African Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, University College, Ibadan (later University of Ibadan), is from Umuezei quarters. His father is said to be a direct descendant of Nnebisi (the founder of Asaba). His mother was the daughter of a prominent Asaba chief, and a notable trader.

According to an insight provided to Sunday Sun, by Chief John O. Iloba, a retired civil servant and the Olikeze of Asaba, “the Asagbaship is held for life and once selected and enthroned the Asagba through a defined process is deemed to be the oldest citizen of the town and father of all.
‘The Asagba is both the spiritual and political leader of his people and rules through the Asagba-in-Council, which has supreme legislative, judicial and executive authority in all matters affecting the traditional society.”

Abiriba - History

Via Proudly Abian

The people who occupy the territory known as Abiriba descended from the Igbo and Efik people of Calabar. They migrated from the upper Cross River area centuries ago led by a Nnachi Oken, from whom the title "Enachioken" ("The Monarch") originates. Initially, they occupied a smaller territory which expanded when the Abiriba people routed the surrounding Nkporo people and took over their lands. The Abiriba people were war-like and quickly established themselves in the area.

The origin of the Abiriba people is not as speculative as the origin of other Igbos of southeastern Nigeria. Historical evidence supports the fact that Abiriba people have common ancestor with the Yakor tribe of Ekoi of cross river basin and the people of Arochukwu. At Ekoi, constant disputes between the seven families under Ukpaghiri prompted the clan to move to Ena and finally to Akpa.

The settlement at Akpa was difficult for many years due to hostilities with neighbors. After the death of Ukpaghiri, Mbiriba and his group moved to Usukpam and stayed there for many years but were never at peace with the neighbors. Mbiriba decided to move to Udara-ebuo whereas Otusi led the other branch of the family down stream and eventually founded Arochukwu. The term Nwadim is often used between Abiriba and Aros because of our common lineage. Mbiriba who had advanced in age, moved his group once more and settled at Udara-ebuo.

Nature was inhospitable to the inhabitants at Udara-ebuo. There was no water and the place was overrun by monkeys. Oral history has it that monkeys used to visit homes to look for food, and the people became sick living on monkey meat only. Mbiriba died at Udara-ebuo and left his son Ifa Mbiriba in charge.

Ifa Mbiriba finally moved to Uruanta and Agboha and settled there. The new settlement was very fertile and had a natural fortress. Thus Abiriba was derived from the name Mbiriba or nickname “Ebiri-Aba”.

Oko Ogo opened Ndi Okogo which is currently where the Chiefs palace is situated. Nwagu Ifa founded Okagwe and later Agboji. Ngwu founded Ihungwu. Chukwu Oke founded Amogudu. The name Amaeke was derived from the market day Eke. The Capital of Abiriba is Ameke and the paramount Chief for the whole Abiriba uses the title Enachi-oken.

Incessant conflicts and border skirmishes between the Item and Amogudu led to the creation of a standing army in form of the age-grade system. Historical artifacts exist to support the consensus that the age-grade system started at Amogudu. Nwagu Ifa, Ngwu, Oko Ogo and Chukwu Oke used the age-grade as a standing army to protect the Abiriba from hostile neighbors.

Geography

The Abiriba people are known to be industrious both in crafts and trading; their arid lands make it tough for agriculture to flourish. These made them popular amongst the Igbo people of Nigeria. As a matter of fact, in the history of the Igbos of Nigeria, Abiriba is reckoned for her pre-historical black smithing and sculpture artifacts. These ancient occupation of the Abiriba people later on metamorphosed into what is today the trademark of the people - Trading (or better merchandise) popularly known among Abiriba People.

Since the people were predominantly merchants, they were widely travelled both within and outside the boundaries of Nigeria, and they are correspondingly cosmopolitan. Being so exposed and prosperous, the people have enough information about vogue and money that made them transform their locality from the normal village setting, as is common with the surrounding villages, to a model sub-urban but purely residential setting with some of the most exotic building in the Igbo land, even in Nigeria as a whole. The Abiriba people take great pride in the serenity and aesthetic value of their landscape, consequently shunning attempts by government or individuals to set up factories in the town, and seeing same as attempts to "pollute" their land. In 1959, the late President of Nigeria, The Rt Honourable Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe was so taken in by the beauty of Abiriba that he called it "Small London" - a name in use today.

History of Arochukwu

Via Logbaby.com

Arochukwu is a small town located at the Southern end of Abia State in Nigeria.

The Aros, as other Igbos,  migrated from the Middle East to their present location in then Eastern Nigeria. You cannot mention Christopher Columbus who discovered America, without a short history of the Indians who owned the land. Also, in retrospect, the Aros came and won the land from the inhabitants, the Ibibios, after series of wars. These wars had a historic impact on the town. For instance, the leader of the Ibibio warriors who fought the war was captured and slain at Oro Village and this is why Oro became the chieftancy village. Amikpe Obinkita became the center where these defeated warriors were judged. This also is why all Aro villages assemble at Obinkita during the Ikeji festival. Any village that is not represented was fined by the entire Aro.

Arochukwu, sometimes referred to as Arochuku, or Aro-Okigbo, (pronounced Aruchukwu) is the third largest city in Abia State (after Aba and Umuahia) in southeastern Nigeria and homeland of the Igbosubgroup, Aro people. It is composed of 19 villages with an overall leader called Eze Aro. Arochukwu is a principal historic town in Igboland. It was also one of the cities in the Southern protectorate conquered by the British colonial government. Several historic tourist sites exist in the city. The mystic Ibini Ukpabi shrine, the slave routes and other relics of the slave trade era are frequently visited by tourists. It is also in the food belt of Abia state where most of the staple foods are produced.

The Arochukwu town has 19 villages namely: (Not alphabetically ordered.)

UGWUAKUMA, AGBAGWU, UTUGHUGWU, AMANMAGWU, UJARI, AMASU, IBOM. (These villages are what is known as IMEARO).  ORO, OBINKITA, AMOBA, AMANKWU, UGBO, AMUKWA, ATANI, ISINKPU, UGWUAFOR, AMANGWU, ASAGA, AND AMUVI. (These villages sums up the AMUZE.)

 Each of these villages are characterized by their respective cultural displays. For instance, Obinkita village (Landlord of all Aro) is known by their masquerades called Ekpo.  Atani villages are identified by their Ugboali for example madam Mary Kanu.

Arochukwu town is divided into three classes: OKENNACHI,EZEAGWU, AND IBOM ISI. These villages are then merged into these classes due to their migration from one village to another. This inter-village migration not only populated Arochukwu but brought internal progression that helped split the villages into these classes as seen below. Note also that EzeAgwu is split into two Umumna Okpara Agwu and Okpara Ezo Agwu.

History of Egbu

Via Obioha Egbere

TELL US THE STORY YOUR HISTORY BY SENDING AN EMAIL TO cneonlinemedia@gmail.com

According to oral tradition, Egbu existed over a thousand years before the advent of the Europeans. The settlement dates as far back as the 9th century A.D. From genealogical reckoning the great grand father of Egbu was OFO AKURU, the proto - Alaenyi progenitor, who according to records of ethnological studies of Ndigbo, lived in the 6th century A.D. in the forest lands of the present Umuorii Uratta in the Obibi Uratta autonomous community .. Ofo Akuru’s first son was called Ome. According to oral tradition Ome was a polygamist and had many children which included ENYI, EZELUKWU and NNEORIE. Ome according to history was a tactful and peaceful man. His strong control over his large family however marked him out as a strict disciplinarian. 

Enyi became the head of the family after Ome's death and he had five sons namely: IHITTA OGADA, AWAKA, EGBU, OWERRI and NAZE. It must be mentioned that there is another legend that places Owerri as part of Uratta. According to this legend Owerri fled from Uratta having taken the heart of the cow which he bought for his father’s funeral which by tradition belonged to Alum. When his other brothers conspired to kill him, he fled to Ugwu Ekwema to escape the inevitable consequence of his wanton action. 

Enyi’s five sons are called ALAENYI. The five towns that make up Alaenyi have similar traditions and customs which served them as a bond of unity. Enyi like his father Ome maintained the unity of his family. It was after his death that internal rancor hit the unity and solidarity of the sons. Enyis’ children separated and moved to new settlements with their respective children. In spite of geographical movement the said cultural and political affinity was maintained. The early settlement of Enyi and his five sons was at a place called "APU OTU OBO" of Egbu. The tree 'Apu' gave a wonderful shade and provided a rallying centre for relaxation and social entertainment. Houses were built around the Apu tree. The houses were made of sticks, palm fronts, 'Uga' and"Etere”. Egbu, the third son of Enyi was dynamic, witty and highly industrious. He was a polygamist and had three sons; OKOCHI, UBA EZE and UBA. Okochi the first son of Egbu was the father of Ayalu and Okweke. Okweke had a son called Ofeuzo. As a result of the blood relationship between Ayalu and Okweke one can understand the indissoluble ancestral affinity between Ayalu and Ofeuzo till this day. Uba Eze the second son was the father of Mpama and Ofomeje or Umuofo (Umunwahu and Ugama were also kindred’s in Mpama). Uba the third son of Egbu had only one son called lshiuzo. 

Egbu and his large family lived peacefully but after his death sporadic misunderstandings and quarrels led to the dispersion of some members of the family to other lands. These emigrants still maintained close relationship with their kith and kin at Egbu. They continued to attend the famous Egbu cultural festival. "Mgbugbuzo" for a long time. Every Egbu person in Diaspora observed the "Afor" market day which agreed with the "Afor” market day at Egbu. The migration thinned down the population of Egbu and left her with five villages. 

Many factors were responsible for the emigration of some of our people but the dominant factor was the Ihitta Egbu incident. According to oral tradition, a group of Ihitta Egbu people killed one Nwagwu by accident. Embittered and incensed by the incident his brother Oformeje retaliated by killing Odogwu Onyikiri and his pregnant wife. This led to fighting and unrest which eventually caused the emigration of some of our people to distant places namely Egbu Ozuzu, Egbu Oguta and Egbu Nzam.