HISTORY OF IBUZOR, OGWASHI-UKU AND AKUKWU-IGBO

By: Franlyn C.king.
Ogboli, Adaigbo and Akwukwu were siblings from same mother and father. Their father was the king of Nri in Anambra State.
Comment: Some other version states that these people are from Isu community, which is either situated in present day Imo State or Anambra State.

That in the kingdom, it was an abomination for a child to die in a wrestling competition. Any child that threw his mate to the ground that would result to death in a wrestling compe- tition will be sentenced to die as well. That was the law that guided wrestling competition of the time.

Comment: Some other version of the story states that, it was forbidden in Isu community that a person should kill another person unjustifiably.

As a boy, Adaigbo, the son of the king was a great wrestler. It happened that Adaigbo had an open village wrestling encounter with his mate. The wrestling was so tough but at the end, Prince Adaigbo threw his competitor on the ground and the boy died instantly.

Comment: Another version of the story has it that, it was Ogboli who was also a Prince of Isu that, in anger killed a man that he met with his fiancee or betrothed girl.

The chiefs and elders of the kingdom met with the King and a future day was fixed for the execution of Prince Adaigbo (or Prince Ogboli, in the other version) in accordance with the law of the land.

When the Chiefs and elders left the palace, the mother of Adaigbo and Ogboli went in to discuss with her husband, the King to spare her son.

At night, the king and his wife agreed to secretly take Adaigbo or Ogboli away from the community before day break.

Thus, Ogboli or Adaigbo and some servants were ordered by the king and his wife to lead Ogboli or Adaigbo out of the town before dawn.

The king gave out an earthen pot(magical) to carry on their heads as a guide to the direction they would go. The king instructed them to settle wherever the pot on their heads would drop off their head.

They journed West ward, crossed River Niger and at a spot presently called Ibusa, the pot of Ogboli and the servant fell off from their heads and dropped. Ogboli and the servant settled there and called it Igbo-uzor which is called today as Ibusa.

Comment: Some other version of the story states that upon getting to present day Ibuzor, the Eathen pot fell and Ogboli settled there and that after some time whilst hunting in the forest, he met an Nri man who took him to his hut and introduced Ogboli to his elder brother, as a man that he “Found” in the forest.

The elder brother of the Nri man intervened and looked at Ogboli and noticed that he was putting on a “Brass Anclet” and decided that Ogboli was indeed a “Freeman” and asked him to go on his way.

That subsequently, the Nri man met Ogboli where he had settled on the “Path or way” and went back to report to the elder brother that he had met the “Stranger ” from the other day and that he was living along the “Path or Road”.

Thus, evolved the community’s name as Igbo-bi-ni-uzor or Ibu-suor.
The story continues that Adaigbo’s pot was still on his head. He continued his journey and arrived at a spot beside the old Magistrate Court of OGWASHI-UKU where his pot dropped and he settled there.

The spot remains the greatest monument in Ogwashi till date. Nothing has ever been built on it for many generation. His mean was modernized today as Ogwashi uku.

Few years later, Adaigbo father, the King sent Ogboli and Adaigbo younger brother, Akwukwu to trace where his siblings (Adaigbo and Ogboli) had finally settled.

Akwukwu made his move with the same spiritual compass and located Adaigbo and Ogboli but eventually decided to stay around them and founded another place which he named AKUKWU-IGBO.

The history of relationship of these siblings is well known and documented in Ogwashi uku royal palace. Every past and present king, elders and chiefs of Ogwashi-uku knows the relationship of Adaigbo -Ogwashi, Ogboli – Ibusa and Akukwu-Igbo. The three are siblings from same father and mother..