Chairman, Senate Committee on Reparation and Repatriation, Senator Ned Nwoko (APC, Delta North), has recalled how the Anioma people of Delta State were faced with ethnic cleansing and forced to renounce their Igbo identity.
Also, he urged the people of Anioma to fully embrace their Igbo identity and join hands with their eastern brothers in building a stronger and more united Nigeria.
Senator Nwoko spoke in Asaba while addressing participants at the conference organised by Igbo Unification Movement in collaboration with the Ndi na Asu Bia Socio-Cultural Organisation, with the theme “Igbo Bu Ofu” (Igbos are One) in Asaba.
In a statement from his office on Friday, Senator Nwoko commended the organisers for their courage and vision, noting that their efforts align with his long-standing philosophy on Anioma identity and the need for an Anioma State carved out of Delta North.
The Igbo Unification Movement and Ndi na Asu Bia have in recent years become strong advocacy platforms championing the cultural, historical, and political unity of Igbo-speaking communities across Nigeria.
These communities include Anioma (Delta North senatorial district), Igbanke in Edo, and other border areas.
The groups argue that reclaiming a collective Igbo identity is crucial to political strength, cultural revival, and correcting decades of identity distortion.
Nwoko said, “There is no argument about our Igbo-ness. I understand history very well. I have a degree in history. I knowthe migration of the Igbo people, and I know clearly that we, the Anioma, are Igbo.
“The time has come for us to reverse the old narratives that separated us from our brothers across the Niger.”
The Senator, who has been pushing for the creation of Anioma State at the National Assembly, said that the agitation is not about politics or personal ambition, but about correcting historical imbalances.
He said: “This is not about APC, PDP, or Labour Party. It is about identity, justice, and fairness.
“I have no interest in being governor, but I want Anioma to stand tall with its own state, with Asaba as its capital. That way, we also fulfil the dream of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, which has always recognised Anioma as one of the Igbo states.”
Civil War
Nwoko recalled his childhood experience during the Nigerian Civil War when Anioma communities faced ethnic cleansing and were compelled to deny their Igbo identity to survive.
He said that the lingering identity crisis from that era must now give way to truth and reconciliation.
He further praised academics and activists, including Professor Abigail Ogwezzy of the University of Lagos, whose research on Anioma linguistics and history has shed light on the people’s Igbo roots.
Highlighting the wider significance of the gathering, Nwoko said: “The Igbo man is Igbo everywhere, whether from Delta, Imo, or Abia.
“Just like a Chinese man remains Chinese anywhere in the world, Anioma must rise to embrace its identity. That is the only way we can achieve unity and political relevance.”
Nwoko, who is also the Chairman, Senate Ad hoc Committee on Crude Oil Theft, urged the Igbo Unification Movement, Ndi na Asu Bia, and other cultural organisations to continue their advocacy, education, and mobilisation, stressing that only through such collective effort can the dream of a united Igbo nation and the creation of Anioma State be realised.
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