Emeka Esogbue

 August 31, 2026  *PRESS RELEASE*  Anioma Watch Association Commends Onicha-Olona on the  Successful Enthronement of the Omu Institution  The Anioma Watch Association, a socio-cultural organisation of the Anioma people at home and in the Diaspora, warmly congratulates the people of Onicha-Olona on the  successful enthronement of the Omu institution in the community. The Association considers this significant development a welcome reaffirmation of Onicha-Olona’s rich cultural heritage, traditional values, and enduring commitment to preserving institutions that promote unity, identity, and continuity for present and future generations. We are particularly delighted that Onicha-Olona, one of Anioma’s foremost communities renowned for its rich cultural practices and one of the earliest Enuani communities in which the Omu institution was traditionally practised, has collectively chosen to revive this important cultural institution. This remarkable development un...

 The Rare Picture of HRH Justina Okuakeleke Ntorka, the Last Omu of Onicha-Olona From the Pen Master Archives Here is a rare picture of HRH Justina Okuakeleke Ntorka, the last Omu of Onicha-Olona, a woman whose name remains etched in the history and memory of the community. Born Justina Monyei, she ceased to be known by that name following her coronation as the Omu of Onicha-Olona, assuming the royal identity and responsibilities that came with the revered stool. Historically, Omu Ntorka succeeded HRH Ada Ifesimehone Amambiwemdi-Okoh, one of the most remembered Omus in the modern history of Onicha-Olona. Born in 1906 at Idumugbe, Ogbe-Obi, Omu Amambiwemdi-Okoh occupies a special place in the community's history, particularly for the role attributed to her during the Nigerian Civil War, an episode preserved not only in historical accounts but also in the enduring oral traditions and legends of the people. With the planned installation of Cynthia Nwamaka Jibunoh, the recent history o...

 Pen Master Unveils Photos of Cynthia Nwamaka Jibunoh, Set to Emerge as New Omu of Onicha-Olona For the first time, Pen Master is unveiling photographs of Cynthia Nwamaka Jibunoh, the woman widely favoured to succeed the late Omu Ntoka, the former Omu of Onicha-Olona, and assume the revered traditional leadership position of the community’s female institution. The development follows recent efforts by the Onicha-Olona community to revive its female traditional institution after a six-year interregnum. In the course of the process, Cynthia Nwamaka Jibunoh, an indigene of Idumu-Ozolumuna in the Ogbe-Obi axis of Onicha-Olona, has emerged as the leading candidate for the prestigious position. Her anticipated emergence is significant, as the installation will restore continuity to an institution that has remained without an Omu for six years. If installed as expected, Jibunoh will become the latest Omu in the Anioma region, further underscoring the cultural importance of the occasion. P...

 Onicha-Olona to Install Nwamaka Jibunoh as the New Omu of the Community By Emeka Esogbue All is set for the people of Onicha-Olona, an ancient Anioma community in Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State, to install Nwamaka Cynthia Jibunoh as the new Omu of the community. The installation ceremony is scheduled to take place on August 28, 2026, at Umuozolumuna, Ogbe-Obi Quarters, Onicha-Olona. In a message to the Ogbe-Obi family and the general public, the community called for collective prayers for the new Omu and expressed hope that her reign would usher in blessings, peace and greater development for Onicha-Olona. The message also charged the incoming female traditional leader to deploy her leadership to advance the fortunes of the community and take Onicha-Olona to greater heights. The installation will mark a new beginning since the passing of Omu Ntoka, the last Omu of the community. Before Omu Ntoka was Her Royal Highness Omu Ada Ifesimehone Amambiwemdi-Okoh. Onich...

 My Father Did His Best to Document Onicha-Olona History and I Have Taken Over, Felix Nwabuokei, Historical Researcher and SWADAA Regional Commander – Part One Rev Felix Ifeanyi Nwabuokei is a historical researcher, clergy and Regional Commander of the Social Watch Anti-Drug Abuse Advocacy (SWADAA). Nwabuokei has remained in the forefront of the documentation of his people’s history and has been heavily relied on by other researchers. Recently, he authored the book, “A Historical Account on Onicha-Olona Kingdom,” now one of the widely sought-after books in the community. In this interview with media personality, EMEKA ESOGBUE (PEN MASTER), Rev Felix Nwabuokei tells readers the history and origin of Onicha-Olona settlement with names of the founders, why the community is of Ezechime Clan even though it did not originate from the Ezechime ancestry, and why the people of the community have hardly documented the community’s history in books. Nwabuokei further explains the reasons behin...

 HOW OMU IFESIMEHONE REPELLED MURTALA MUHAMMED AND SAVED ONICHA-ONA FROM THE CIVIL WAR MASSACRE By Emeka Esogbue What is underreported even by Anioma writers of the Nigerian Civil War are roles played by the Omus of the Anioma people in preventing their communities from the massacres tied to the 1967-1970 civil war. It is this perspective of Omiship that this Author is finding interest in documenting Anioma history enthusiasts. The gruesome massacres carried out in the defunct Asaba Division but concentrated in Asaba were repellently frightful. In Igbodo, it was a combination of the old and young. In Isheagu, the concentration was on the aged, especially the chiefs and traditional leaders of the community, and in Asaba, it sweepingly involved the old and young with the youths s targets. Subsequently, Asaba was denied viable young men for a very long time.  That of Ibusa, a community, only 6 miles from victimized neighbouring Asaba, was more of terrorism, with Nigerian soldiers...