Igbo · Town · Northeast Igbo

Onicha

Recorded in Ebonyi. A register entry gathers the towns the sources list, the names borne there and the records the archive holds, instead of opening only one article.

The record

What the archive holds for Onicha

Region	Ebonyi
State	Ebonyi
Local government	Onicha
Division	Northeast Igbo
Ethnic group	Igbo
Recorded as	town

Onicha is a local government area of Ebonyi State. Its headquarters is the town of Isu, and it is made up of Oshiri, Onicha-Igboeze, Abaomege, Ukawu, Isu, Ugwulangwu and Isinkwo. Two subgroups live there, Ezza and Ohaozara.

Like Agba, Isu and Uburu, it is given no origin and no relationship: these are simply not given.

Settlements in this section are widely dispersed, and nobody farms a large block of land jointly with others. Each house is square, with walls only some three feet high, a round roof of grass and a small verandah in front, and stands in a compound fenced with sticks or a mud wall, entered through a clay porch. Onicha's own settlement pattern, like that of the other communities entered as village groups, is said to be similar to that of village groups elsewhere in the Eastern Plains.

Head-hunting was strongly developed here, as it was east of the Cross River, though it was widespread among other Igbo too, and, unlike the semi-Bantu peoples living east of them, the people are notably free from any fear of witchcraft. Several of these groups, moreover, live near the middle Cross River without having taken up Cross River customs.

Sources

Wikipedia: Onicha; Ohaozara; Afikpo North (accessed 2026-09-28)

Towns

The 4 towns recorded inside Onicha

Onicha Mmili
Onicha-Olona
Onicha-Ugbo
Onicha-Ukwu

Names

Names borne in Onicha

Achebe · He is under a goddess's protection; a contraction of Anichebe
Adichie · (of filial succession). To live in succession to another. The full expression is in Madichie
Ajulu · Did one inquire? Short for Ajuluchukwu
Ajuluchukwu · lit: (of a blessing received) did one inquire of God, or question God? imp: one is not worthy of the blessing (child) that arrived; we ask God
Amarachukwu · "God's grace" in Igbo. (See Amara 1 and Chukwu); grace of God
Azìkìwè · Azikiwe is a name coined from three words: azi + ka + iwe. Azi means to merry or celebrate. Ka means greater or better. Iwe means anger. Azikiwe: Merriment is better than anger.
Chikamma · It is God I know; God is the best
Chinweokwu · God will rule on (the) case. See also Chinweikpe
Chuka · God of might; Contraction of the name Chukwuka
Chukwukadibia · God is greater than a native doctor; God is mightier than the medicine man
Emọdị · One reaps what one sows
Enweonwu · lit: can anyone claim ownership of death? imp: death is not our curse?
Iwenofu · Let the anger cease
Mbanefo · The community grows with each new day; may the nation/community remember. Other "Efo" names are Agulefo, Anoliefo, Efobi, Efondu. Other types: Ufondu, Ufomba, Ufoegbunam, Nwabufo. *Ufo and Efo are dialectal variants of the same word, meaning "thoughts/wishes" or "memories" or "to recollect", depending on the context in which they are used.
Nwadiogwa · Children come in variety
Nwàndọ̀ · A child born into shelter; a child who will not suffer; a child of peace
Sopuruchukwu · Honor
Àkụ̀nnè · The mother's wealth

Archive records

Photographs, oral testimony and documents connected to Onicha appear here with their provenance.

The archive holds no photograph, recording or document filed to Onicha yet, so this section names nothing rather than being filled with something else.

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