Isu is a local government area in the Imo State of Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Umundugba. The majority of the villages in Isu Local government are a traditionalist and uphold their belief in deities of the land.
This has resulted in the appointment of the chief priest who intercedes to the gods (Ezenmuo) of the land on behalf of the people. The chief Priest Anyehe Ngameduru is highly acknowledged and respected among the people. No one dares to oppose is instructions. The tradition of the origin of the people, however, says that Njaba is also the birth-place of Isu njaba people.
According to this version which gives the people autochthonous status, Chukwu Abiama (the Supreme God) created the River, and out of the river emerged a man named Njaba. God then gave Njaba a wife named Lolo. The union of Njaba and Lolo produced a male child whom the couple called Isu; hence, Isu Njaba (Isu, the son of Njaba). Eke Njaba is a welcome visitor in the home of every Isu man, and it is usually treated with the warmest hospitality. Sometimes sacrifices are made to herald its visit.
At other times eggs and chicks are offered to it because by so doing, it is believed that the supplicant is placing himself in a position to obtain favor from the deity. Tradition forbids anyone, indigene and visitor alike, to raise a hand against it or to kill it, anyone who violates the tradition, willingly or accidentally, must accord the snake a befitting burial surpassing that of a titled man to cleanse the land he has polluted. The alternative punishment is ostracism.
However, much of the above practices have been overtaken by Christianity. Some Christians, in their overzealousness to eradicate all forms of what they tagged heathenism, began to kill Eke Njaba with reckless abandon.
Esan (pronounced /aysan/) on the other hand is one of the major ethnic groups in Edo State, Nigeria. The name 'Esan' owes its origin to Bini and was once corrupted to 'Ishan' by colonial Britain. Esanland is bordered to the south by Benin, to the south-east by Agbor, to the north and east by Etsako, to the west by River Niger.
Esan has prominent traditional rulers who keep order in a society where beauty and manners are intertwined. Despite the long-term impact of Christianity, the Esan are largely traditional and a large number practice traditional beliefs in the form of worship of ancestral spirits and other gods. A large percentage of Esan are Christians, mostly Catholic and recently of other denominations.
The British colonialists found it difficult to pronounce the same so it was anglicized to ‘Ishan.’ It is believed that the modern Esan people have been organized during the 15th century when citizens left the neighboring Benin Empire for the northeast.
35 kingdoms made up Esan land, they are as follows: Amahor, Ebelle, Egoro, Ewohimi, Ekekhenlen, Ekpoma, Emu, Ewatto, Ewosa, Idoa, Ifeku, Iguebeu, Ilushi, and Inyelen. Others are Irua, Ogwa, Ohordua, Okalo, Okhuesan, Onogholo, Opoji, Oria, Orowo, Uromi, Udo, Ugbegwu, Ugboha, Ubiaja, Urhohi, Ugun, Ujioba, Ukhun, and Uzea.
All these kingdoms and communities are referred to as the ‘’Eguares.’’ In recent times, the clans/kingdom in Esan land is arranged under five local government areas in Edo state. They are Esan North-East, Esan Central, Esan West, Esan South-East, and Igueben local government areas. There are about 1.5 million people in Esan land.
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