Anioma: Gatekeepers of Igboland Against Old defunct Benin Empire

The Anioma people helped to keep Benin’s territorial expansion in check by resisting their wars; this is an important and complex part of Nigeria’s southeastern history.
The old Benin kingdom experienced one of their most fierce resistance from this Igbo area.
The long fights to capture Anioma also influenced Anioma’s political and societal structures, the wars and Benin’s problems made caused influx of migration from the old Benin kingdom to Anioma’s Igbo area.
These occurrences made Anioma communities to adjust how they lived, governed, and worked because of the conflicts.
Some Anioma communities began using Benin-inspired systems, like borrowing some titles from their neighbors to suit there war like environment,

The written record

Anioma communities settled closely together for better protection and strategy against the expansion of old Benin kingdom.
War chiefs managed town divisions in Anioma communities, similar to Edo war structures, Anioma communities still kept their Igbo language and culture, even with Edo influence well present in their way of life

Historical context

The Benin elements and quarters that settled in Anioma who weren’t Igbo started speaking Igbo and following Igbo traditions, leaving their Edo language and some old rituals behind.
Festivals till date in Anioma aside their dialects, shows the strong resistant Igbo spirit towards domination in, similar to other Igbo groups.

The Cultural interplay between Anioma and old Benin kingdom displays interaction and adaptation character of the people and the communities stayed independent with their leaders, adapting to new things while keeping Igbo traditions and culture strong

Ohadike, D. C. (1994). Anioma: A social history of the western Igbo people