Ibiasoegbe

Ibiasoegbe is a town in Oru West Local Government Area of Imo State. The following are the villages that make up Ibiasoegbe:

1. Umorie
2. Eziama
3. Amadaba
4. Umuonitsha
5. Ubahaibi
6. Umuchukwu

The first customary court was located in Ibiasoegbe near a place that the famous “Udu Oma” was located. Ibiasoegbe is a border town. On the Imo State side there are Aji, Mgbidi, Nnempi and Ubulu while on the Anambra side there are Amorka and Uli.

This information was provided by Lizzy Ngozi Obiamaka, current president of Oru Progressive Union Washington, DC Branch. To provide additional information about Ibiasoegbe, please use the comment form below.
August 31, 2015.

Eleh

Eleh is a village in southeastern Nigeria, located near the city of Orlu, Imo State. The name Eleh is coined from the word Nne Eleyi. But on the arrival of the colonial masters they changed the name Eleyi to Eleh as they cannot pronounce Eleyi. The town usually, that is not always, is claimed to have been founded by a common ancestor, as we saw, usually larger-than-life, who begat several children to whom he allocated areas on which to settle. These areas eventually evolved to become villages. A typical example of such a claim is the tradition of origin of Eleh autonomous community in Oru West Local Government Area (LGA) of Imo State, Nigeria. Today, Eleh town is one of the autonomous communities in the LGA.

Eleh community has ancient villages namely Umuabiahu, Umuezike, Umuoma, Ihite-Eleh and Umuchukwu. Eleh ancient kingdom is ruled by His royal majesty Eze L. E Ihekaibeya Eze Dara X of Eleh ancient kingdom. It is a typical Igbo town. It is bounded on the north by Nempi community; on the south and southwest by Omuma community; and southeast by Aji community. It is served by the Mgbidi-Orlu road and Nempi-Omuma road. It is about 10 kilometers from Orlu. It is a small, compact but thickly populated community with a projected 1997 population of ten thousand people.

According to this tradition, a sort of warlord called Oru and Oma with vague Nri ancestry, but certainly a peripatetic individual, migrated from Nri in the present Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State, Nigeria and settled in the present Eleh town, having decisively defeated the original settlers who had resisted him fiercely. He dispersed the settlers, seized their land, and distributed it among his children. His first son Eleh, became the progenitor of the present Eleh Ancient Kingdom.

This brief account of the evolution of Eleh town in the pre-colonial period is recorded here not because of its peculiarity but because of the general in its peculiarity. In other words, the story is very representative of Igbo communities. There are, of course, several instances where towns arose in this period as a result of several villages, not related by blood, were forced to confederate to defend themselves against a common enemy or danger. Over the years they developed a sense of community and in some cases invented a common ancestry and began to call themselves brothers. It is probably towns founded in this way which, for the most part, and with increase in population, tend to be loudest in clamouring for autonomous community status these days.

Popular Markets:
1. Nkwo Eleh (present)
2. Eke Eleh (old Market) which is no longer in existence.

Churches:
1. Holy Family Catholic Church
2. The Apostolic Church Nigeria (Igbo Field)
3. All saviors Anglican Church
4. Save the Lost Mission
5. National Evangelical Mission.
6. Watchman Catholic C.R.M

Schools:
1. Community Primary School.
2. State Primary School.

Written by Arc. Leonard Ejikeme Okeke
February 19, 2017

Awo-Omamma

Awo-Omamma is one of the towns in Oru. It is made up of 14 villages namely:

1. Isieke
2. Obibi
3. Ohuba (courtesy of Ken Nnawuba)
4. Okwuorji
5. Ubachima
6. Ubahaeze
7. Ubaogwugwu
8. Umubochi
9. Umuelibe
10 Umueme
11. Umuezeali
12. Umuezike
13. Umuezukwe
14. Umuokwe

Webmaster’s Note: Some commenters have noted that Umuelibe is not a village but simply a part of Okwuorji. As a result, we have struck it out unless we get more information to the contrary. June 1, 2020.

This information was provided by Vincent Agubokwu of Washington, DC Branch. To provide additional information about Awo-Omamma, please use the comment form below (First paragraph provided by Morgan Orioha, August 16, 2012).

Amiri

Unlike Awo-omamma, there exists only one tradition- Isu-egbulem tradition accounting for the origin or genealogy of Amiri town. This tradition agreed that the people of Amiri possess a common parental descent with the people of Awo mamma, as postulated by the Oma tradition- one of the traditions accounting for the origin of Awo-omamma. Where there exists a difference between the two postulating traditions was on the parental nomenclature of both towns as well as their sibblings. According to Isu-egbulem tradition, the origin of Amiri town is traceable to a man called Isu-egbulem who got married to two wives- Asiabaka (the first 40 wife), and Mbubuka (the second wife).

Mbubuka was married after the demise of Asiabaka who begot only one son known as Oru for Isu-egbulem. She (Mbubuka) begot five sons- Amucha (the first son), Nkume (the second son), Atta (the third son), Amiri (the fourth son), and Awo-omamma (the fifth and the last son)- also for Isu-egbulem. Thus, this tradition established the fact that Isuegbulem, and Mbubuka (instead of Oma, and Mma) were the ancestral parents of the people of Amiri and Awo-omamma. Similar to Amiri and Awo-omamma, the other three children of Mbubuka in search of settlement emigrated and established towns after their names in the old oru division- Amucha in Nwangele Local Government Area, Nkume in Njaba Local Government Area, and Atta also in Njaba Local Government Area. These names reflect the origin of the people of these towns 21.

Subsequently, Amiri got married. He maintained a polygamous family by marrying two wives (whose names were not mentioned). The first wife who hailed from Isu begot four sons namely Umuecheta, Amuka, Isiorie, and Umudioka, while the second wife who hailed from Oru begot five sons to include Umuduru, Mbubu, Amaokpara, Ubahazu, and Ugbeke. The names of these children of Amiri are presently borne by the nine (out of ten) villages in the town to reflect their lineages. With time, Amiri begot twenty-eight grand children from his nine sons whose names are borne by the kindred in this town.

More so, the names- Isu, and Oru are equally borne by the two (out of the three) autonomous communities of the town as suffixes in their existing names- Amiri Isu, and Amiri Oru- to refletct the origin of the villages in these autonomous communities. Umuduru, which was a village in Amiri Oru became an autonomous community- Umuduruigwemmadu autonomous community having sought for autonomy. This brought the total numbers of the town’s autonomous communities to three.

In the preceding information (by Chief Adol Onyima), it was mentioned that Amiri community constitute of ten villages. The recognition of Nchoko, who was not among the first generation sons of Amiri, as a village (alongside the first generation sons) brought the total number of the villages in the town to ten.

This development earned the three children of this son of Amiri recognitions as kindred in Nchoko village thereby bringing the total number of kindred in the town to thirty-one (see appendix II- villages and kindred in Amiri community). According to history, Nchoko was a grand son to Amiri and one of the children of Mbubu who was known for his laziness in farming activities, but has passion for warfare. He was belligerent. His other siblings included Umuduruogwu, Amakpu, and Ugboloha- names which are today borne by the three kindred in Mbubu village. As a result of his laziness, Nchoko was dependent on his brother, Umuduruogwu, for food, shelter, and medication. Consequently, he became part of his brother’s family.

Upon his decision to become independent, Nchoko sought for dwelling place in his father’s land. Due to lack of space, he decided to emigrate from Umuduruogwu in search of his own settlement. In respect of his decision, he was thus advised by his brother to seek for assistance from their uncle, Ubahazu, who was known for his benevolence. Ubahazu however allocated to his nephew (Nchoko) a small piece of land beside a small body of water known as Mmiri Umu Ewi which is located at the bundary of Ubahazu village, and a part of Otulu town where Ama John Nwaochia (presently Amiri junction located beside Awo-Omamma junction along Owerri-Onitsha trunk A road) is situated.

The multiplication of the descendants of Nchoko in number brought about their expansion into this part of Otulu which shares border with Ubahazu. Subsequently, due to their belligerent nature and bravery, they were able to claim over this area from the original owners. These aforementioned features were equally responsible for their subsequent assumption of the status of a village having agitated for such recognition.

ONE LOVE KEEP US TOGETHER!
AMIRI MUST BE BETTER!!!
GOD BLESS AMIRI!!!

Sent by Mathias Ojibeka
Author: Unknown
August 28, 2018

Road leading to Orie Amiri

Amaofuo

The town of Amaofuo is made up of 4 villages namely:

1. Amorie
2. Ebisi
3. Ubaha
4. Umuduru

This information was provided by Benjamin Agwunobi of UK Branch. To provide additional information about Amaofuo, please use the comment form below.

Amagu

Amagu is a town in Oru East Local Government Area. It is made up of twelve villages namely Umuezike, Umuduru, Umudara, Ubahorji, Ubahugom, Umuosie, Ubahaneze, Umuokpara, Ubahanyi,Amanato, Ohaenyi and Umuibe.

The Town is bounded by Nnempi, Uburu and Akatta.

Marcel Ngogbehei
May 14, 2020.

Akuma

No information available for Akuma. If you are from Akuma or have information about the town, please provide it using the form below.

Thank you,

Webmaster.

Akatta

The following are the villages in Akatta:

1. Akwa
2. Amaka
3. Azu
4. Ichi
5. Okporo (provided by Engr. KC Onwuzuruike & Cletus Amagwu)
6. Okwu
7. Ubaha
8. Ubahangwu
9. Umuobia
10. Urah

This information was provided by Victor Okolie-Enwereji of Washington, DC Branch. To provide additional information about Akatta,, please use the comment form below.

Aji

In Oru, Aji is the oldest. The seat of all the political and developmental activities until recently. Aji the prime being among the children of ORU still commands the respect of all his younger siblings.

The following are the villages in Aji:

1. Abuga
2. Akwada
3. Amiri Aji
4. Ezi Aji
5. Ihite Aji
6. Ubaha Aji
7. Ubaha Eze
8. Ubahanneri
9. Umumeagwu  

This information was provided by Tony Ibenacho (Washington, DC Branch). To provide additional information about Aji, please use the comment form below.

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TOP COMMENT

I appreciate the author for his kind attempt to put Aji in the lime light. But seriously, I am not comfortable with the somewhat altered information provided here.

First of all, Aji is not the son of the said ORU. Oru is a generic name used to refer to people in riverine areas by Oguta people, though our present ORU was just an adopted name. Aji is the son of a man called OMA… The same man is also the father of Ibiasoegbe and some other communities like Eleh, etc. Hence we have Aji-Oma, Ibi-Oma, and Eleh-Oma as the actual names of these communities. Aji is not the first son.

Secondly, there is no village like IHITTE AJI. Ihitte-Aji is a sub-division of Aji, made up of some villages including Ubahampam, Amorie Aji, Umumeagwu, etc. Aji has three subdivisions known as EZI, IHITTE and OKIJA. EZI includes Eziaji, Ubahaji, etc. OKIJA includes Ubahanneri, etc.

Thirdly, the name AMIRI AJI is incorrect. Though people mispronounce it, the right spelling is AMORIE AJI.

Finally, the villages are meant to be arranged in chronological order and not alphabetically. I had to make these corrections because I am into research writing and I help people write research project reports on the history of their respective communities and I have come to learn that once the initial author of a related work provides wrong information, especially on the internet, that wrong information is passed to the next generation.

Please kindly reconsider getting the right information and rewriting this piece. God bless you.

NZERIBE VICTOR CHISOM
(From Umumeagwu Aji)
OWERRI, NIGERIA
July 28, 2017