The Origin and History of the Ika People
WHO WE ARE: A BRIEF SYNOPSIS
LOCATION: The Ika people are situated geographically in the North-West of Delta State of Nigeria.
COMMUNITIES: Ika Historians have varied and posit versions of the origin and the people of Ika Nation as we come to know the communities and their people today. The present Ika communities comprise the following-Agbor, Owa, Umunede, Mbiri, Abavo, Orogodo, Otolokpo, Igbodo, Ute-Okpu, Ute-Ugbeje, Idumuesah, and Akumazi.
DIALECT: The Ika people speak the Ika dialect which is a combination of the Igbo language (without the typical heavy sounding vowels, which gives it a slight noticeable difference) and the Bini language. The origin of the Ika dialect (Igbo and Bini) lends weight to the account of most historians about the origin of the Ika people.
ORIGIN OF IKA PEOPLE:
It is of note that the Ika people do not trace their ancestry to a common origin. The various clans that makeup Ika have heterogeneous or homogeneous origins. The history of Ika, like most Nigerian communities, is based on oral narrations and accounts. It is only human that, along the way, some facts might have dropped off either by omission or commission. The oral narrative of the people traces its migrants to Bini and Igbo lands.
Author:
Dr. Emmanuel C. Anene. Sr. Member, Ika Association USA, Inc., DFW Chapter
Join the Ika Association
Be in touch with the rich Ika culture and develop a sense of community within your people by joining our organization. You may complete our membership form to begin your application.