Nnewi
Nnewi is a commercial and industrial city in Anambra State, southeastern Nigeria. It is the second largest city in Anambra state after Onitsha. Nnewi as a metropolitan area has two local government area, which are Nnewi North and Nnewi South, all centred around the Nnewi town. Even Ekwusigo local government area is now part of Nnewi urban area, as urbanization continues to spread from Nnewi to neighbouring communities. The Nnewi town which is the only town in Nnewi North, comprises four villages: Otolo, Uruagu, Umudim, and Nnewichi. Nnewi had been the centre of economics and commerce, being at a time the fastest growing industrial city east of the Niger, being the home of many industries such as The Ibeto Group, the Chicason Group, and Cutix Cables. The first indigenous car manufacturing plant in Nigeria is located in the city while the first wholly Made-in-Nigeria motorcycle, the 'NASENI M1' was manufactured in Nnewi.
In 2019, Nnewi population estimate was put at more than 900,000 people., Nnewi had an estimated population of 1,301,000. The city spans over in Anambra State. Nnewi Metropolitan Area and its satellite towns is home to nearly 2.5 million residents. Dimensionally, Nnewi has an edge over all other units, it was recognized by the 1953 census figures as the largest inland town of all others in the Eastern states of Nigeria.
Nnewi was projected to be the twelfth fastest growing city on the African continent between 2020 and 2025, with a 5.18% growth.
History
In Nnewi oral history and mythology, the rabbit played a great role in saving the founders of Nnewi during wars. Throughout its history, Nnewi has used its military might to maintain its borders and because of this, the killing or eating of ewi in Nnewi is forbidden to the present day. Nnewi existed as an independent kingdom from the 15th century to 1904, when British colonial administration occupied the kingdom.Nnewi kingdom was founded on four quarters, namely Otolo, Uruagu, Umudim, and Nnewichi. Towns are made up of communities which in turn are Each divided into family units called 'umunna'. Each umunna had a first family known as the 'obi'.
The origins of the four towns had been a source of controversy as it was difficult to ascertain the origin of the history of Nnewi and the development of the towns. According to Dr. Okonkwo Alutu in Nnewi History, the most probable progenitor of the Nnewi people was a man called Mmaku. He migrated from Ndoni and had a son whom he named Ikéngà. Ikéngà had four sons; Nnewi, Isu, Ifite and Ichi. Nnewi went on to father six sons namely Digbo, Uru, Eze, Eke, Ekweludikonwu and Nnagha. Digbo begat Otolo, progenitor of the only town named after a descendant of Nnewi. The other three towns were founded by the other sons of Nnewi and migrants.
The Place of Nnewi in Igbo History
Originally when the Igbos settled in the present day Eastern Nigeria, they arrived with three leaders, two were spiritual leaders and the youngest of the three a hereditary King known as Obi a King by birthright.The first was the Eze Nri of Awka a Priest King, the second the Eze Aro of Arochukwu a King and the third the Igwe of Nnewi a political and war ruler. The Aros know this history and this is part of the reason why there are no Aro settlements in Nnewi.
The Nnewi Amichi War Of the 1800s
Eze Ukwu was the 15th Obi of Otolo and Igwe of Nnewi. During his reign, important events took place. He declined to accept the advice of his uncle, Eze Enwe, to bring to consummation a war fought half-way against the Amichi.
Eze Enwe therefore took up the job. He invaded the Amichis and conquered them, crowning this achievement with the capture and execution of Nwamkpi, their leader. He successfully waged another war against Ųkpo and participated in the successful invasion of Oraifite. These successes qualified him for the heroic title of "Onuo Ora" meaning "Conqueror of Nations", which entitled one to the possession of Ikponasato, that is, eight very small bells.
Besides Okafo, the first son of Eze Ukwu, he had also the following sons - Eze Oruchalu and Unaegbu. When Eze Ukwu died, Igwe Okafo, his eldest son, became the sixteenth King.
Further Expansion
Beginning in 1891, the reign of Igwe Ezeifekaibeya saw the expansion of the Nnewi kingdom through warfare, and trade with the Aros. It was during his reign that the Úbárú War was fought. Led by Nsoedo who bore before him the charmed gourd, and joined by the Nnofo troops, they marched towards Úbárú. On their arrival, they discovered that the enemy's defenses were solid and difficult to penetrate. This was the time when Nsoedo invoked, it is said, through the charmed gourd the gods of Umu Enem and, through their aid, presumably, the Otolo troops broke through. The Ubarus were conquered, though among the losses suffered by the Otolos was the death of Obi Mmaduabum, a relative of Dala Oliaku.
The Ubaru War had some remarkable results. At its conclusion, every Otolo man who took part in it adopted a heroic name. Some of these were Eze Obiukwu of Udude who became known as Ogbujulukpa; Nsoedo, the okúkú carrier and native of Egbu Umu Enem became Ochibilogbuo; Unaegbu of the same Egbu became Ogbuotaba and Eze Udenyi, relative of Eze Odumegwu who became Kwambákwáisi. Eze Onyejemeni's success in the Ubaru War and his successes in others were to him a justification for the assumption of the Onuo Ora title.
Geography
Geographically, Nnewi falls within the tropical rain forest region of Nigeria. Though it suffers from soil leaching and erosion which has reduced the soil in some areas to a porous sandy terrain, it remains an area of rich agricultural produce and the epicenter of business trade. The city is located east of the Niger River, and about 22 kilometers south east of Onitsha in Anambra State, Nigeria.Government
The traditional monarch of Nnewi is called the Igwe. The Igweship in Nnewi kingdom predates the arrival of Europeans, making it a unique monarchy in Igbo land. The Igbos are known for not having kings, hence the popular Igbo saying 'Igbo é nwě Eze', meaning 'the Igbos have no king'. In other Igbo clans, the British colonial administrators created warrant chiefs who then assumed the office and title of Igwe and are elected to this day.In Nnewi, the Igwe is the isi obi and hence the Igwe, which literally translates as the heavenly one or highness as he is the holder of the Ofo, the religious and political symbol. He is born and not made or elected, and the institution of inheritance is the traditional right and privilege.
The position is neither transferable nor negotiable. He is also an Obi. Obi is the title held by ruling chiefs; it is the equivalent of a duke in the nobility.
File:Igwe nnewi.jpg|thumb|The 20th Obi of Otolo and Igwe of Nnewi Kingdom, His Royal Highness Igwe Kenneth Onyeneke Orizu III
The present reigning monarch is His Royal Highness Igwe Kenneth Onyeneke Orizu III; he is the longest serving monarch in Nigeria and he is currently the 20th monarch in the Nnofo Royal lineage. Igwe Kenneth Orizu III is the first class chief in Anambra state from Nnewi as well as the vice Chairman of the Anambra State House of Chiefs.
There are Obis in the four clans that make up Nnewi. The highest and the most senior obi is the Obi of Otolo, who is also the Igwe of Nnewi. Chief Afamefuna Obi, Obi Bennett Okafor and Obi George Onyekaba are the current obis of Uruagu, Umudim, and Nnewichi, respectively. These three obis with Igwe Orizu, III as chairman constitute the Igwe-in-Council and they deliberate on the spiritual, traditional, and communal matters, in Nnewi.
There is also an active town union called the Nzuko-Ora Nnewi. It is a forum through which adult Nnewi indigenes can contribute to the development of Nnewi. This union was set up to encourage and promote the establishment of structures and facilities that will promote and improve the quality of life of the residents of Nnewi.
Legal system
The ancient legal system of Nnewi was not based upon a written law. It was purely a natural law, involving custom, tradition, and civil and criminal cases. The legal process in Nnewi passed through the labyrinth of extended family system. A report against an offender or a criminal in the first instance, had to be made to the head of his family at his ancestral home known as obi. The head of the family would invite elders and minor obis from his extended family unit to sit in judgment, while the complainant would also invite the elders and minor obis from his extended family side, if both of them were not from the same family. These obis' would serve as the court of the first instance, depending on the nature of the offense or crime allegedly committed. The trial might end here, if both the complainant and the accused were satisfied with the judgment given, or they might take the case to the next senior obi of the same extended' family, in ascending order, until, probably, the matter got to the highest obi in the lineage. If the complainant was not satisfied at this point, he would appeal to the obi of the quarter and the leaders of his family could be summoned to defend their judgment.Through this legal procedure, guilt or innocence could easily be established, as the decision was based purely on natural justice. Punishments for offenses and criminal acts were given in relation to their gravity. A man who was found guilty of a serious crime might have no option than to be sold into slavery or expelled from the community for life. He would not be killed because the killing of human beings was against the injunction of Edo Goddess.
The judicial system in Nnewi seems to have recognized three classes of cases, the minor offenses, the true criminal case, and the civil suits of debt, bride price and land. The breaking of by-laws was really an offence against some particular juju and as such was to be expiated by a sacrifice. For example, it is forbidden to kill "eke" snake, a type of python, or to eat "ewi," rodent of rabbit family. It is probable these laws were never broken willingly and if broken by accident, the offender would automatically perform a sacrifice without any form of judicial trial being held.
The criminal code, with regard to serious crimes, appears to have been more developed in Nnewi than elsewhere in Igboland. There were seven main classes of offences, which were known as "ori-obi," offenses against the obi, as their investigation was always carried out in the obi of the quarter.