The Igbanke people, an Anioma, Ika-speaking community administratively located in Orhionmwon Local Government Area of Edo State, have raised the alarm over what they described as decades of state neglect, discrimination and socio-cultural exclusion, declaring their resolve to exit Edo State and be included in the proposed Anioma State currently before the National Assembly.
The community, made up of six autonomous kingdoms—Ake/Obiogba, Idumuodin, Igbontor/Idumuiru, Oligie, Omolua and Ottah—accused successive Edo State governments of abandoning them to underdevelopment, despite their strategic population and economic contributions.
In a strongly worded position paper endorsed by traditional rulers and community leaders, the Igbanke people listed poor road networks, absence of functional healthcare facilities, inadequate schools, lack of rural electrification and general infrastructure decay as evidence of what they called “systematic neglect.”
“There is no gainsaying that Igbanke is grossly underdeveloped in terms of infrastructure. Beyond neglect, our people suffer discrimination and stereotyping by Edo-speaking communities because of our Ika identity,” the letter stated.
“Joining Anioma State would foster a sense of belonging, equitable representation, social inclusion and sustainable development of our land.”
The Igbanke delegation made their position public in Asaba, Delta State capital, where they joined thousands of people from the nine local government areas of Delta North Senatorial District in a solidarity rally demanding the creation of Anioma State and its zoning to the South-East geo-political zone.
The agitation, which has gained renewed momentum across Delta North and neighbouring Edo communities, challenges Nigeria’s post-independence state boundaries that critics say ignored ethnic, linguistic and cultural realities in favour of administrative convenience.
The Igbanke position was conveyed in a letter jointly signed by HRM Lucky Osunde, Obi of Oligie Kingdom; HRM Julius Isitor, Obi of Ottah Kingdom; HRM Blessing Igiebor, Obi of Idumuodin Kingdom; Pastor Ifeanyichukwu Idagbon, President-General of Omolua Progressive Union; and other leaders, including Chief Jude Ogbekile, leader of the Igbanke Strategic Initiative.
The letter, already submitted to Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori alongside those from Delta North representatives, described the Anioma State agitation as a “long-standing political and cultural movement” rooted in historical injustice and marginalisation.
According to the community leaders, inclusion in Anioma State would reunite Igbanke with its “kith and kin,” address long-standing socio-cultural exclusion and preserve their Ika-Anioma heritage, which they say is steadily eroding under the current administrative arrangement.
In a broader indictment of Edo State’s internal cohesion, representatives of other Ika-speaking communities in Edo, including those from Iru, also demanded inclusion in the proposed Anioma State, citing persistent discrimination and subjugation by their Benin neighbours due to their Igbo ancestry.
“There is no real affinity between the Benin people and us despite sharing the same local governments,” the representatives said. “We are ancestrally, culturally and linguistically homogeneous with the Anioma people and the larger Igbo nation.”
While pledging to remain peaceful and law-abiding, the Igbanke people warned that continued neglect and cultural alienation could deepen grievances if left unaddressed.
They called on the National Assembly, state governments and other stakeholders to consider their demands within the framework of constitutional processes and national unity.
