OTOLO
Genealogy of Igwe Kenneth Orizu, the Obi of Otolo and Igwe Nnewi to his Nri Ancestry & Notes.
1. Agbaja (son of Ezuogu, an Nri King)
2. Ikenga
3. Ezeana Isu (succeeded Ikenga but lost his throne to his grandson Eze Em whose father, Ezeafuogu migrated from Oba in the current Idemili South LGA)
4. Nnewi who was Isu’s brother that took over the headship of Agbaja clan when Ezeana Isu’s Obi was taken by Eze Em.
5. Di Igbo
6. Otolo
7. Enem
8. Nnofo
9. Udude (Eze Ono Olu)
10. Ezeagha bypassed his sons and handed over the obi Otolo/Nnewi to his nephew.
11. Ezeoguine (son of Ezenwa and a nephew to Ezeagha)
12. Eze Chukwu (became the obi because his elder brother Okolokwo died before their father)
13. Eze Ukwu
14. Eze Okafor
15. Eze Ifekaibee
16. Eze Ugboanyamba (Orizu I). He was Obi Otolo and Nnewi when colonial masters arrived Nnewi 17 November 1904. He signed instrument of surrender. Nnewi people willingly submitted all their guns to Major Moorehouse of British Army and the guns were destroyed in a ceremony known as Igbaji Egbe (ie breaking of guns) it happened 5 February 1905.
17. Chief Josiah Orizu (Orizu II)
18. Igwe Kenneth Orizu (Orizu III)
Otolo also affirmed:
1. Agbaja is Nri migrated from Oraeri.
2. Agbaja married Edo from Idemili.
3. Edo gave birth to Ikenga, Ifite (whose children are known as Oraifite) and Ichinwa (whose descendants are known today as Ichi).
4. The descendants of Ikenga (Isu and Nnewi), Ifite and Ichinwa are known as Umu Anaedo. Anaedo Social Club had members from Nnewi, Oraifite and Ichi.
5. Otolo under Eze Oguine had to wage brazen war against Igbo-Ukwu in defense of Oraeri.
6. Oraeri is the son of Nri who was the first son of Eri. Nri settled in today’s Agukwu-Nri near today’s Igboukwu.
6. Otolo had welcomed numerous Oraeri settlers e.g. Ebenato, Ezi Ogwugwu, Umu Uzu, Amiliba etc. who are still aware up till today of their Origin.
7. Ogwugwu Ochuba at Eke Ogwugwu behind Nnofor Hall along Igwe Orizu road in Otolo was derived from Oraeri.
8. Otolo has maintained relationship with Ndi Oraeri and their leaders.
Intervention of Ezeikwuabo
Obi Ezeikwuabo made a statement that led to our finding the following:
1. That Ogwugwu Omeluohu was the first wife of Agbaja who took Ozo title of Ezemewi and sired Eze Ikwuabo.
2. The first daughter of Agbaja was from Ogwugwu was hachiena and she gave birth to Eze Udude.
3. So Eze Udude and Eze Ikwuabor lived together as umunna.
4. Ezeikwuabor is actually a half brother to Ikenga the first son of Agaja and uncle to Isu and Nnewi.
5. Ezeikwuabor position and influence was reduced after a war with Nnewi during the time of Obi Ezegha. The war was brought about them by their illustrious son and foremost warrior named Eze Okpo.
6. Ezeikwuabor is now subsumed in Otolo village.
URUAGU
The genealogy of Obis of Uruagu from Ezeana Isu to date
Below is the Genealogy of the Obis of Uruagu Nnewi to date:
1. Ezeana Ikediobi was the Ezeana Isu and the head of Agbaja clan Ezeaforgu arrived from Uruagu Obi in today’s Idemili South LGA.
2. Eze Em the second son of Ezeafuogu. Eze Em was the grandson of Ikediobi, an Ezeana Isu. Ezeaforgu married the daughter of Ezeana Ikediobi. Eze Em was the second son of Ezeaforgu.
3. Ezenwanagum
4. Umeagbu Nọnọ
5. Dikeafuna Nọnọ, the younger brother of Umeagbu Nọnọ. Thereafter, father to first son succession continued.
6. Eze Onalu
7. Ume Onyiliora
8. Eze Ohimili
9. Okonkwo Ogbufo
10. Ume Aghaukwu
11. Eze Ogidi.
12. Daniel Ume Ozuluigbo
13. Obi Nnamdi Obi Ogidi
14. Obi Afam Obi Ogidi
HIGHLIGHTS
a. Ezeani Isu was taken over by Eze Em his grandson.
b. Unlike what is in the public domain, Ezeaforgu or his brother was never the obi of Uruagu but his son who was the grandson of Ezeana Isu.
c. Eze Em, the second son of Ezeaforgu became the Obi of area previously controlled by Ezeana Isu even as Isu children dispersed under some ominous circumstances even though many returned but never recovered the throne as Umu Eze Em were unassailable.
d. Eze Em was so thorough and methodical in reorganizing the Uruagu area and enthroning his children and relatives as heads of all the communities in today’s Uruagu.
e. Edorji clan who were the descendants of Eze Eke, the son of Nnewi had to leave their Okpunyo and Akabo for their new settlement near Ojoto even as Umuezeafogu took their positions. While some returnee Isu were settled in Akabo Edoji, many others are still scattered in other parts of Nnewi and parts of Igbo land.
f. Cases of loss of obi positions were recorded along the lineage of Umu Eze Em either by stealth or by denial.
g. The successive descendants of Umu Eze Em have tightly held the Obi Uruagu position within their lineage till date.
Areas for Further Studies
1. We need to verify if Ezeana Isu Ikediobi was the 10th Ezeana Isu or much earlier.
2. What was that rumour or fear mongering that made Ezeana Isu go into hiding or what led to the death of Ezeani Isu Ikediobi?
3. Did the Ezeana Isu join his ancestors willingly or was he pushed to join them?
UMUDIM
Summary of the genealogy of all the Obi Umudim from Dim Agu to date update
Genealogy of all the Obis of Umudim from Dim Agu:
1. Dim Una Agu
2. Eze Ocha
3. Dim Taba
4. Eze Kwasialu
5. Dim Onyedike
6. Dim Udu
7. Onekwalum
8. Eze Umoka
9. Eze Igbo
10. Obi Okafor Eze Anyanihu
11. Eze Ama Ukwu Okafor
12. Z.B.C Okafor Nnabuenyi
13. Obi Bennett Okafor
NOTES:
1. Dim Udu who was the first son of Dim Onyedike had to abdicate the obiship to Dim Ogeli, his younger brother from the second wife of Dim Onyedike due to health challenges.
2. Umudim as a community at a point was resolved into 5 parts namely:
1. Umu Dim Ogeli
2. Uru
3. Umu Dim Nkwa
4. Umu Eze Nlalikor-Umu Nnealam and Okpunyo Egbu.
The above parts make up where we today known as Umudim Nnewi.
3. Dim Agu was one of the grandsons of Ogbua Diji, a renowned farmer who migrated from Nri. Dim Agu’s father’s given name was Ifite who later took ozo title of Ezieke. He founded Ezieke village in Ojoto. Also, six villages in present Ojoto were named after Ezieke’s sons. Dim Agu left Ezieke in Ojoto for Nnewi where his descendants rule the Umudim Nnewi quarter.
4. Only three of Dim Agu’s successors took Ọzọ Dim while others took Ọzọ Eze against the assertion by many speakers when we were discussing Ọzọ that agbụrụ ọbụna nwelu ọzọ ha na echi.
5. There is evidence that some of the first sons in the lineage of Dim Agu were displaced due to lack of interest, ill health or perfect execution of ascension scheme by a brother.
6. Dim Agu was fantastic hunger and a warrior so, it was easy for those he met on ground at Okpunyo Egbu space to allow him lead them and once leadership role of obi is assumed it flows through the lineage of the holder until a dislocating event happens.
7. Obi Bennett Okafor (Amaukwu) who succeeded his father is the current Obi Umudim.
NNEWICHI
Genealogy of Obi of Nnewichi & notes:
(The genealogy of Obi Nnewichi Nnewi as gathered from the contributions on Ozobi Nnewi platform)
1. Agbaja begat Ikenga
2. Ikenga begat Ezeana Isu
3. Ezeana Isu begat Mkpidike (who is also said to be 9th son of Isu)
4. Mkpidike begat Ọbịa
5. Ọbịa begat Ọta
6. Ọta begat Ezeọbụọ
7. Ezeọbụọ begat Ezeubi
8. Ezeubi begat Dim Akum
9. Dim Akum begat Ezenwa
10. Ezenwa begat Ezeyim
11. Ezeyim begat Eze Orumba
12. Eze Orumba begat Eze Oduma
13. Eze Oduma begat Ononenyi
14. Chief Joseph Onyekaba (Ononenyi) begat Chief George Onyekaba (Obidiugwu). Chief George Onyekaba is the current Obi of Nnewichi.
Compiled by Chief Anayo Nwosu, Ikenga Ezenwegbu of Nnewi Kingdom.
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