Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Dr. Anthony Idigbe, has urged Igbo leaders and stakeholders to approach the ongoing push for Anioma State with profound reflection, restraint, and sensitivity.
![](https://thenigerialawyer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/TheNigerialawyer-WhatsApp-Channel1.jpg")
Speaking as the guest at the 2025 Annual Dinner and Award Night of the Otu Oka Iwu (Association of Igbo Lawyers) in Lagos an event chaired by Abia State Deputy Governor Ikechukwu Emetu and attended by dignitaries including the Asagba of Asaba, Obi Professor Epiphany Azinge (SAN), and Ohanaeze Ndigbo President-General Senator John Azuta-Mbata—Idigbe warned that mishandling this process risks reopening historical wounds and fostering fresh divisions within the Igbo nation.
Idigbe framed the Anioma State proposal through dual lenses, each carrying profound implications for identity and equity. On one hand, it represents a legitimate quest for liberation among the Anioma people, who have long felt culturally and politically hemmed in by surrounding influences, facing survival challenges that fuel demands for self-determination. On the other, it could serve as compensatory justice for the Southeast geopolitical zone by adding a sixth state, addressing longstanding imbalances.
Yet, he cautioned, these perspectives inevitably summon thorny questions of territory and belonging: Would Anioma’s creation expand the traditional boundaries of Igboland, or merely extend the Southeast’s reach into Anioma’s domain? “These are sensitive issues,” Idigbe emphasized, “and because they are sensitive, we have to be extremely careful.”
Central to his message was a fervent plea to eschew any rhetoric or actions that might evoke domination or annexation perceptions that could alienate rather than unite. “We must avoid the feeling that one particular Igbo has the right to control the other part of Igboland,” he asserted. Anioma’s people, he noted, seek freedom from external constraints, not a new form of bondage imposed by kin across the River Niger.
“They will fight!” he declared, highlighting how such missteps could echo past errors, like those during the creation of the former Midwest Region, where elite power struggles and misplaced priorities stunted long-term progress. Reflecting on that history, Idigbe pondered: “Maybe if we had focused on getting the capital and the premiership right… who knows whether the metropolis between Awka and Agbor would have been more established today if we had placed the larger interest above personal interest?”
Idigbe expressed alarm at how current agitations are already being co-opted by individual ambitions, with figures jockeying for positions like governors and senators, potentially sacrificing hard-won gains for elusive promises. “I am aware that people are already positioning themselves… And because of that, they are ready to throw away what we already have,” he observed, imploring a deeper reckoning: “What should be the best approach? Should we give up what we already have because we are looking for something else?”
Amid these cautions, Idigbe reaffirmed the unbreakable Igbo essence of the Anioma people, rejecting any notion of separation. “Every Anioma person is as much Igbo as any other Igbo person,” he proclaimed, unless self-denial intervenes. He rooted this unity in the enduring pillars of Igbo culture: the adoption of the language, and the profound traditions of respect for age and merit, which have woven diverse ancestries drawing from Benin, Ishan, Yoruba, Igala, Hausa, Ibibio, Urhobo, Ijaw, and beyond into a singular, expansive nation.
“What keeps us together is simple. Our main culture remains Igbo,” he said. “If you’ve adopted the culture, you are Igbo.”
In closing, Idigbe called on leaders to steward this “highly sensitive national and ethnic question” with unwavering responsibility, transcending personal agendas to safeguard collective futures. “We need to convey the right message to our people about the relationship between the Anioma people and the people of the Southeast,” he concluded, envisioning a path where caution fosters not division, but deeper solidarity.
The book, titled The Law of Torts in Nigeria: A Functional Approach, authored by Professor Hagler Sunny Okorie Ph.D and Ikeocha, Nathaniel Ngozi Esq, offers law students, practitioners, and academics a comprehensive guide to understanding and applying tort law in Nigerian courts. Interested buyers can place orders via the following contact numbers: 08028636615, 08037667945, 08032253813, or +234 902 196 2209.
______________________________________________________________________
[A MUST HAVE] Evidence Act Demystified With Recent And Contemporary Cases And Materials
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE FOR LAWYERS: A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE
Reimagine your practice with the power of AI “...this is the only Nigerian book I know of on the topic.” — Ohio Books Ltd
Authored by Ben Ijeoma Adigwe, Esq., ACIArb (UK), LL.M, Dip. in Artificial Intelligence, Director, Delta State Ministry of Justice, Asaba, Nigeria.
Bonus:
Get a FREE eBook titled “How to Use the AI in Legalpedia and Law Pavilion” with every purchase.
How to Order: 📞 Call, Text, or WhatsApp: 08034917063 | 07055285878 📧 Email: benadigwe1@gmail.com 🌐 Website: www.benadigwe.com
Ebook Version: Access directly online at: https://selar.com/prv626
________________________________________________________________________ The Law And Practice Of Redundancy In Nigeria: A Practitioner’s Guide, Authored By A Labour & Employment Law Expert Bimbo Atilola
_______________________________________________________________________
“Enhance Legal Practice With Authoritative Reports” — Alexander Payne Offers Comprehensive Law Reports, Spanning Over A Century Of Nigerian Jurisprudence
Interested buyers are encouraged to place their orders and enquiries via:
0704 444 4777, 0704 444 4999, 0818 199 9888
Website: www.alexandernigeria.com
