Senator Ned Munir Nwoko has renewed the push for Anioma State, stressing that the call is not about seeking handouts but about claiming what belongs to the people by history, identity, and fairness.
Through a statement released on his social media handles, the senator representing Delta North in the 10th Senate revisited Anioma’s long road of agitation, from colonial disruptions to the Civil War and years of neglect that followed.
He reminded Nigerians that the people of Delta North are “Igbos in every sense: by language, tradition, blood, and identity.”
According to him, colonial-era borders and the manipulations that followed the war left Anioma with what he described as a “double burden: the pain of denial and the weight of marginalisation.” He highlighted shared cultural practices, festivals, names, and dialects as living proof of Anioma’s Igbo heritage.
Referencing Anioma’s past, Nwoko recalled the 31-year Ekwumeku resistance (1883–1914) against colonial domination and the horrors of the Civil War, particularly the Asaba Massacre of October 7, 1967, when hundreds of men and boys were killed by federal soldiers despite peaceful appeals.
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“The attempt to erase the Igbo identity of Anioma is a silent form of ethnic cleansing not just of people, but of history and memory,” he declared.
He argued that Anioma State is not tied to political gain or personal ambition but is about correcting years of historical wrongs. In his words, “Anioma people are not to be erased or silenced; rather they are to be recognised, celebrated, and established. Anioma State is the future and the time is now.”
The lawmaker urged Nigerians, both at home and abroad, to back the demand, maintaining that Anioma’s quest for recognition is “a right long denied and justice long delayed.”