Senator Ned Nwoko has yet again reaffirmed that Anioma people in Delta State are overwhelmingly Igbo, dismissing contrary claims that attempt to link them exclusively to Benin ancestry.
In a chat with journalists in Abuja, the Delta North senator argued that while individuals are free to identify as they please, historical and cultural facts remain indisputable.Nwoko stated firmly that:
“Those who prefer to claim Benin should go ahead, but 99.9 percent of Anioma people are Igbo,”
Nwoko stressed that the Anioma identity debate often arises from confusion sown during and after the Nigerian Civil War. He recalled how Anioma people suffered heavily during the conflict, especially with the Asaba massacre of 1966, which left deep wounds. Many survivors, he explained, sought refuge under alternative identities, leading to divisions that persist today.
"Our language, culture, food, and even names are Igbo. The evidence is overwhelming, and no serious historian can deny that,”
He further maintained that unity should be prioritized over politics of identity. According to him, reconnecting Anioma people with their Igbo brothers and sisters in the Southeast is essential for the growth and unity of Ndigbo
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