“Anioma Cannot Be Silenced: It Is Historically Igbo and Deserves Its Own State” — Sen Nwoko

Senator Ned Nwoko has renewed calls for the creation of Anioma state, asserting that the region’s people are historically and culturally Igbo. Speaking on Monday, Nwoko, who represents Delta North, said communities across the nine local government areas of Anioma share deep linguistic, cultural, and familial ties with the Igbo nation.

Nwoko argued that Anioma has endured years of marginalisation and denial of its identity, stemming from colonial boundaries, the civil war, and post-war politics.

The senator highlighted that Anioma’s cultural practices, including names, language, masquerades, and market days, mirror those of other Igbo communities. He pointed out that historical records, including colonial maps and accounts of Anioma’s participation in the Ekwumeku resistance against colonial rule, affirm its place in Igbo land.

Nwoko also recalled the heavy toll on Anioma communities during the Nigerian Civil War, particularly the 1967 Asaba massacre, describing later attempts to deny the people’s Igbo identity as “a silent form of ethnic cleansing.” He emphasised that Anioma should not be erased or silenced but recognised, celebrated, and granted its own state.

He concluded by insisting that the demand for Anioma state is not a privilege to be begged for, but a long-denied right and justice long postponed.