Nsugbe
Encyclopedia
Nsugbe is a town in Anambra East Local Government Area, Anambra State
, Nigeria
.
on the west, Nkwele-Ezunaka, Ogbunike, Umunya
to the southwest, River Anambra to the north across which lies such towns such as Anam and Asaba
. On the east are towns such as Umuleri
, Aguleri
, Nando, Nteje, Awkuzu
, Igbariam, and Achalla
.
who emigrated from Ifite and Igbezulu Aguleri after the death of their father and settled at Okpuno Enugu, an area on the outskirt of modern Nsugbe. However, Enugu the leader of the group was recalled to Aguleri on the death of Enini, his brother who it appeared succeeded his father. His descendants remained and were later joined by other immigrants from Agulu
and Nri to establish the present day Enugu Nsugbe.
The second group of immigrants according to the same tradition came in large numbers from Awka
area, Igala
and the Mid-West (Delta State). They founded Offianta village. The founders of Nnadi village according to the same tradition arrived at Nsugbe as a result of their attempt to flee from the ada war. This war ravaged the whole of Igboland
and left a lot of places desolate. They settled among Offinta people until a dispute erupted in 1903 that made them to appeal to the people of Amumu for a piece of land upon which they established Nnadi, their village. The next were the group that came from Awka-Achalla-Nri axis. They are linked with Amagu village. The next group of settlers came predominantly from the Igbo-speaking parts of Delta state. They lived with the Edo and later crossed the Niger
-Anambra flood plains to settle at the eastern bank of the Niger. Some of them settled at Nsugbe forming villages like Agbalagbo, Akpalagu and Ogwuari.
Some of the immigrants from the mid-west were linked to Eze-Chima who fled Benin in the 15th century. The Founders of Ogwuari came from Ogwuashi-Ukwu in Delta State, a town not so far from Benin
. Having crossed the Niger, they settled between the Niger and Anambra rivers with their Anam neighbours for many years, owning farmlands and fishing ponds like Ojeli, Akpatayama, Aribo and Onono. They eventually crossed the Niger and Anambra Rivers and settled between Ugbo Eke and Akpaka (present day Onitsha
forest reserve) handing over their lands and fishing ponds to Anam people as custodians with an oath to act as care takers. The last to arrive were the Ogbunike people. They came from Ogbunike, a town in present day Oyi local government area of Anambra State. On arrival they attached themselves to Ogwuari village and have since been completely absorbed.
Nsugbe heart land being fertile was a major recipient of these groups of immigrants and as warriors and hunters those from the mid-west soon occupied an enormous area of land stretching out into other areas. They eventually met the other immigrants at a place called Okuki-izu. This square has since that time been used for purposes of meetings. Therefore the coming together and the settlement of these immigrants resulted to the foundation of what is today known as Nsugbe Which must have occurred over 500years ago. Nsugbe in the past can be divided into predynastic and dynastic periods.
The predynastic period marked the time when Nsugbe was a confederation of villages and was governed by three separate groups: the Okala Okwule, the Umuotu and Otuogene. The Okala Okwule was a body of elders of the villages that made up Nsugbe while members of the Umuotu were drawn from energetic and able bodied men in the town. The Otuogene on the other hand comprised a body of old women folk. The dynastic was marked by the period when kingship or monarchical institution was introduced into Nsugbe by Ogwuari people with the kings being called Obi. The list of Kings: Obi Ezepue, Obi Ezenwigbo, Obi Nwaobi, Obi Eke, Obi Uzoka, Obi Itava, Obi Somukwu, Obi Ovili (Ofili), overthrown in 1875. Obi Ovili was the last of the Obis to reign. He followed a line of succession, an exclusive preserve of the Umu-Obi family of Ogwuari. His last child was Princess Nno, born in 1875 and died in 1975. This was followed by a period of crises of leadership as a group that called themselves Ndi-Eze emerged.
The word eze is the Igbo word for king. They were therefore a class of multiple kings and were responsible for the overthrow of Obi Ofili. This was the situation when the British colonial administration penetrated Igbo land which ushered in the era of warrant chiefs. Maka was the first to be appointed and he took charge from 1904. He was replaced by Obi Meze while he was still alive in 1924.Obi Meze died in 1935. After the death of Obi Meze there was a period of interregnum until Nsugbe people summoned J.N. Anyansi the 1st to rule them in 1946. He was recognized as a second class chief in 1962 and ruled until his death in 1967. Thereafter Nsugbe entered into another period of crises as another group called the Oba society emerged. Their main concern was to challenge the multi-eze society. It was also about this period that J.C. Anyansi was appointed as the chief of Nsugbe, currently Chukwuemeka Osili is chief of Offianta, one of the numerous villages which form Nsugbe.
Anambra State
Anambra is a state in south-eastern Nigeria. Its name is an anglicized version of the original 'Oma Mbala', the native name of the Anambra River. The Capital and the Seat of Government is Awka. Onitsha and Nnewi are the biggest commercial and industrial cities, respectively. The state's theme is...
, Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
.
Location
It is bordered by OnitshaOnitsha
Onitsha is a city, a commercial, educational, and religious center and river port on the eastern bank of the Niger river in Anambra State, southeastern Nigeria....
on the west, Nkwele-Ezunaka, Ogbunike, Umunya
Umunya
Umunya is an Olu Town and one of the five [5] communities that make up Oyi Local Government Area of Anambra State Nigeria; it is bordered by six neighbors: Ifite-Dunu, Awkuzu, Nteje, Nkwelle-Ezunaka, Ogbunike, and Umudioka. In the south lies Umudioka, Idenmili LGA, and Ifite-Dunu, Njikoka LGA; in...
to the southwest, River Anambra to the north across which lies such towns such as Anam and Asaba
Asaba, Nigeria
Asaba is the capital of Nigeria's Delta State, and has an estimated population of 149,603 .- Etymology :Ahaba in Igbo is from 'Ahabagom', meaning I have chosen well, a quote from the founding father of Asaba.- Geography :...
. On the east are towns such as Umuleri
Umuleri
Umuleri also known and pronounced as Umueri is a town in Anambra State of Southeastern Nigeria. The people of town belong to an Igbo ethnic group and has an estimated population of 155,000...
, Aguleri
Aguleri
Aguleri is an ancient kingdom in Southeastern Nigeria. Evidence of urbanization can be dated back to 30 BC. It is located in the present Anambra State, with a population of about 300,000.-Villages:...
, Nando, Nteje, Awkuzu
Awkuzu
Awkuzu is a town in Oyi Local Government Area of Anambra state of Nigeria.-Origin:The story of Origin of Awkuzu is not quite clear. A school of thought believes Awkuzu was one of the progenies of the fifth child of Eri his only daughter called Iguedo, who is also said to have born the founders of ...
, Igbariam, and Achalla
Achalla
Achalla is the capital of Awka North, a Local Government Area in Anambra State, south-central Nigeria. It comprises eight villages: Umudiani, Amukabia, Odawa, Umuogbe, Umunagu, Umuozede, Udezu and Amadim....
.
Origin
Oral tradition has it that the first settlers to arrive at Nsugbe were the descendants of EriEri
Eri can refer to:* Eri , a Japanese feminine given name* Erie International Airport in Erie, Pennsylvania, IATA airport code* Eri, a biblical figure* Eri , the progenitor of the Nri-Igbo* Eri, a type of silk from Assam, India...
who emigrated from Ifite and Igbezulu Aguleri after the death of their father and settled at Okpuno Enugu, an area on the outskirt of modern Nsugbe. However, Enugu the leader of the group was recalled to Aguleri on the death of Enini, his brother who it appeared succeeded his father. His descendants remained and were later joined by other immigrants from Agulu
Agulu
Agulu is a large town in Anambra State, Nigeria. It is located in Anaocha Local Government Area. It is home to the famous Agulu lake. Agulu has produced a lot of eminent personalities, amongst them are the present Governor of Anambra State Mr. Peter Obi, others include Dora Akunyili the past...
and Nri to establish the present day Enugu Nsugbe.
The second group of immigrants according to the same tradition came in large numbers from Awka
Awka
Awka is the capital of Anambra State, Nigeria with an estimated population of 301,657 Nigerian census. The city is located about 600 miles east of Lagos in the centre of the densely-populated Igbo heartland in southeastern Nigeria...
area, Igala
Igala
Igala are an ethnic group of Nigeria. Igala practice a number of different religions, including animism, Christianity, and Islam.The home of the Igala people is situated east of the river Niger and Benue confluence and astride the Niger in Lokoja, Kogi state of Nigeria...
and the Mid-West (Delta State). They founded Offianta village. The founders of Nnadi village according to the same tradition arrived at Nsugbe as a result of their attempt to flee from the ada war. This war ravaged the whole of Igboland
Igboland
Igboland, or Igbo land , also known as the Ibo, Ebo, and Heebo Country, is a cultural region in Nigeria that includes the indigenous territory and cultural reach of the Igbo people...
and left a lot of places desolate. They settled among Offinta people until a dispute erupted in 1903 that made them to appeal to the people of Amumu for a piece of land upon which they established Nnadi, their village. The next were the group that came from Awka-Achalla-Nri axis. They are linked with Amagu village. The next group of settlers came predominantly from the Igbo-speaking parts of Delta state. They lived with the Edo and later crossed the Niger
Niger
Niger , officially named the Republic of Niger, is a landlocked country in Western Africa, named after the Niger River. It borders Nigeria and Benin to the south, Burkina Faso and Mali to the west, Algeria and Libya to the north and Chad to the east...
-Anambra flood plains to settle at the eastern bank of the Niger. Some of them settled at Nsugbe forming villages like Agbalagbo, Akpalagu and Ogwuari.
Some of the immigrants from the mid-west were linked to Eze-Chima who fled Benin in the 15th century. The Founders of Ogwuari came from Ogwuashi-Ukwu in Delta State, a town not so far from Benin
Benin
Benin , officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It borders Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east and Burkina Faso and Niger to the north. Its small southern coastline on the Bight of Benin is where a majority of the population is located...
. Having crossed the Niger, they settled between the Niger and Anambra rivers with their Anam neighbours for many years, owning farmlands and fishing ponds like Ojeli, Akpatayama, Aribo and Onono. They eventually crossed the Niger and Anambra Rivers and settled between Ugbo Eke and Akpaka (present day Onitsha
Onitsha
Onitsha is a city, a commercial, educational, and religious center and river port on the eastern bank of the Niger river in Anambra State, southeastern Nigeria....
forest reserve) handing over their lands and fishing ponds to Anam people as custodians with an oath to act as care takers. The last to arrive were the Ogbunike people. They came from Ogbunike, a town in present day Oyi local government area of Anambra State. On arrival they attached themselves to Ogwuari village and have since been completely absorbed.
Nsugbe heart land being fertile was a major recipient of these groups of immigrants and as warriors and hunters those from the mid-west soon occupied an enormous area of land stretching out into other areas. They eventually met the other immigrants at a place called Okuki-izu. This square has since that time been used for purposes of meetings. Therefore the coming together and the settlement of these immigrants resulted to the foundation of what is today known as Nsugbe Which must have occurred over 500years ago. Nsugbe in the past can be divided into predynastic and dynastic periods.
The predynastic period marked the time when Nsugbe was a confederation of villages and was governed by three separate groups: the Okala Okwule, the Umuotu and Otuogene. The Okala Okwule was a body of elders of the villages that made up Nsugbe while members of the Umuotu were drawn from energetic and able bodied men in the town. The Otuogene on the other hand comprised a body of old women folk. The dynastic was marked by the period when kingship or monarchical institution was introduced into Nsugbe by Ogwuari people with the kings being called Obi. The list of Kings: Obi Ezepue, Obi Ezenwigbo, Obi Nwaobi, Obi Eke, Obi Uzoka, Obi Itava, Obi Somukwu, Obi Ovili (Ofili), overthrown in 1875. Obi Ovili was the last of the Obis to reign. He followed a line of succession, an exclusive preserve of the Umu-Obi family of Ogwuari. His last child was Princess Nno, born in 1875 and died in 1975. This was followed by a period of crises of leadership as a group that called themselves Ndi-Eze emerged.
The word eze is the Igbo word for king. They were therefore a class of multiple kings and were responsible for the overthrow of Obi Ofili. This was the situation when the British colonial administration penetrated Igbo land which ushered in the era of warrant chiefs. Maka was the first to be appointed and he took charge from 1904. He was replaced by Obi Meze while he was still alive in 1924.Obi Meze died in 1935. After the death of Obi Meze there was a period of interregnum until Nsugbe people summoned J.N. Anyansi the 1st to rule them in 1946. He was recognized as a second class chief in 1962 and ruled until his death in 1967. Thereafter Nsugbe entered into another period of crises as another group called the Oba society emerged. Their main concern was to challenge the multi-eze society. It was also about this period that J.C. Anyansi was appointed as the chief of Nsugbe, currently Chukwuemeka Osili is chief of Offianta, one of the numerous villages which form Nsugbe.