“We are Igbos, but denied being Igbo because of the  Biafran War” says Ikwerre youths.

By Adiele Samuel

Ikwerre youths have stated that, according to history, the people of Ikwerre are actually Igbos. The youths, in a letter signed by one of their leaders, Adiele Samuel, explained that the reason they were forced to deny their Igbo roots was to avoid persecution and being disadvantaged in Nigeria during and after the Civil War.

Read for yourself: “We, the youths of Ikwerre descent from Rumuigbo, Omarelu, Elele, Etche, Ubima, Isiokpo, Ogbakiri, Omademe, Obiri Ikwerre, Rumuigbo, Rumuola, Omagwa, Apani, Rumukurushi, Rumuokwuta, Igwuruta, Rumuadolu, Rumuobiakani, Rumuokoro, and others, wish to clarify our position regarding the Biafra movement.

Ikwerre is a subgroup of Igbo in the Niger Delta, centered in the ancient kingdom of Isiokpo. Sometimes, we are classified as a separate ethnic group within Rivers State, but calling us Igbo is correct, as is referring to us as Ikwerre.

The creation of Rivers State was motivated by two main reasons: to undermine the Biafran dream and to fragment the Igbo ethnic group, which was seen as a separatist tribe.

The division of old Eastern Nigeria was undoubtedly driven by the demands of non-Igbo-speaking communities, due to fears of marginalization, loss of identity, and falsehoods spread by the Nigerian Government.

When Rivers State was established, there was a need to divide the Igbo; in the process, parts of Igbo communities were incorporated into Rivers State, leading to identity crises as some began to rewrite Ikwerre history to appease the North.

The name ‘Ikwerre’ is akin to asking a question, to which someone from Imo State might respond with ‘Nkwerre,’ which is an LGA in the state.

A major issue among our youth is their reliance on their grandparents’ stories without broader investigation. In Eli Kwerre, if you haven’t married someone from Imo, you’re considered outside the norm. Most Ikwerre spouses are from Imo, and we speak Igbo, sometimes more fluently than some who claim to be ‘pure’ Igbos.

The identity crisis in Rivers State began immediately after the war, with some claiming Bini origins. Notably, Elechi Amadi, author of ‘The Concubine,’ who, despite promoting Igbo culture in his books, renounced his Igbo identity before Justice Oputa, who reminded him of his Igbo names and language. It’s worth noting that no two Igbo communities speak the language identically. We seldom acknowledge our Igbo identity except during elections, as seen with Chibuike Amaechi.”

Ikwerre Meka!

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