Igbanke

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Igbanke is a part of Ndigbo, they were forcefully attached to Edo state by Bri.Gen Samuel Ogbemudia. This was to weaken the Igbo race and to discourage self determination by the Igbo group. Igbanke's bear names like Chinedu, okeke, Emeka and even the famous Igbo four market days.

Igbanke
Community/ethnicity
Igbanke
Igbanke Location in Nigeria
Coordinates: 6°23′13″N 6°09′53″E / 6.38694°N 6.16472°E / 6.38694; 6.16472
Country	Nigeria
State	Edo
Traditional State	Benin Kingdom
LGA	Orhionmwon
Government
• Enigie	6 Enigie Enogie of Olije Enogie of Idumuodin Enogie of Ottah Enogie of Ake Enogie of Igbonto Enogie of Umuolua
• Councillors	Isan Chuks Osariemen Daniel
Area
• Total	170.3 km2 (65.8 sq mi)
Population  (2017)
• Total	30,500
• Density	24.41/km2 (63.21/sq mi)
Climate	Aw

Igbanke is a community located in Orhionmwon, Edo State. The primary language is Igbanke, a dialect of the Ika, an Edoid language predominantly spoken in the Ika South and North East LGAs of Delta State. The community is further divided into 6 villages: Omolua, Ottah, Idumuodin, Ake, Olije and Igbontor.

Igbanke consists of six villages which came together from the earliest times preceding the slave trade era. The people of Idumu Odin, Ake, Omolua, Oligie, Ottah, and Igbontor are the villages that came together to establish their settlement which over the years has been referred to as Igbanke.^[1]

The Igbanke people speaks an Edoid language known as ika(a language part of the Edoid language group)also found in Delta state.

The igbanke practice similar culture as other Edoid groups such as the new yam festival, masquerade, The Igue Festival. It is a religious feast done in honour of the head deity of Igbanke. This god is known as the god of harvest and sustainer of the people.

Igbanke is located within the rainforest belt of the vegetation zone of West Africa. Traditionally, the Igbanke people are majorly farmers. Their agricultural products are yams, cassava, vegetables and plantain. Other occupations include hunting, trading, and medicine. The women are mostly traders. The Igbanke Eke Market, located at Oligie, served as a major market that connected the northern and southern regions during the colonial era. some Igbanke people are also craftsmen/women and some specialize in blacksmithing, pottery, and basket making among others. There are also traditional midwives and healers, and diviners in Igbanke. However, in modern times, the Igbanke are represented in most fields of human endeavours across the world ^[2]

Igbanke people practice an autonomous kind of leadership. Each of the villages is governed by its traditional ruler, addressed as the Enogie/Omolua (King).