Former Niger Delta militant leader Asari Dokubo has ignited a fresh controversy after declaring that the Ikwerre people of Rivers State are Igbo, while also identifying himself as an Igbo man from Abia State.
Dokubo, widely known as an Ijaw figure, made the statement while addressing the long-running debate over ethnic identity in Rivers State. He argued that a large portion of the state is historically Igboland and questioned why Ikwerre people continue to reject an Igbo identity.
According to him, about 80 percent of Rivers State land belongs to Igboland. He said that although he aligns himself with the Ijaw struggle, his ancestral roots are from Abam in Abia State, just like many people living today in Ijaw areas.
He also dismissed claims that Ikwerre people have links to Benin heritage, insisting that their names and language are clearly Igbo in origin. As an example, he pointed to names like “Ezewuwo,” noting that “Eze” is an Igbo word that cannot be erased no matter how names are modified.
Dokubo accused those rejecting an Igbo identity of living in denial, arguing that deep down, they know where they come from.
The remarks have immediately stirred strong reactions. While some agree with his historical interpretation, many Ikwerre people have long maintained that they are a distinct ethnic group, separate from the Igbo.
With emotions running high, Dokubo’s statement has reopened one of the most sensitive and unresolved debates in the Niger Delta — the question of who is who, and where they truly belong.
