Nation
Author Tasks FG On National Unity
Author of the book, “The Hebrew Evidence of Nigerian Jews: A Scriptural Insight”, Innocent Agu, has urged the Nigerian Government to explore the common ancestry of most Nigerian languages to promote national unity.
Agu, who made the call yesterday in Abuja during the book launch, said that majority of indigenous Nigerians were originally Israelites and Idumeans.
According to him, exploiting the common ancestry will help douse the current tension in the country, since the various geopolitical zones are more connected ancestrally.
It will reduce or even eliminate hate and distrust among Nigerian ethnic groups and bring about political harmony, the author said.
Agu added that it would also reduce religious tension seeing that the original Nigerians, both Christians and Muslims, migrated from Israel and Jordan.
“It will further show that Nigeria has the most glorious history on earth.
“It will make Nigeria a tourism destination of the world and a centre for linguistic and anthropological research, thus impacting the nation’s economy.
“It will modify the Nigerian education curriculum on history of its ethnic groups and it will ultimately unite the country,’’ he said.
The author also gave reasons why ECOWAS and the African Union should adopt findings in the new book in promoting integration of the continent.
According to him, Africa is host of the entire dispersion of Israel and Idumaea/Edom kingdoms.
“The one antediluvian language of the world which is Igbo is still spoken in Africa as can be seen in Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea, Southern Cameroon and some other African countries.
“This discovery will enhance African integration and cultural exchange and ultimately promote Africanism,’’ he explained.
He urged Israeli authorities to also key into the project, which would be of benefit to them.
“Whether or not people in Israel were all biological Israelites or not, it does not matter because God already said that Israel would be joined with strangers on their restoration.
“Isaiah 14:1 said: For the Lord will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land: and the strangers shall be joined with them, and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob.”
He added that the discovery captured in his book would enhance Israeli-African affinity and remove possible future tension or dispute about who legitimately owns the land of Israel.
The author called on policy makers, scholars, interest groups and people of goodwill to also support the full restoration of the house of Jacob as said by God.
“ But, The Lord liveth, that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the lands whither he had driven them: and I will bring them again into their land that I gave unto their fathers,’’ he qouted the Bible as saying.
Earlier, the book reviewer, Dean Faculty of Arts, Federal University Lafia and President Historical Society of Nigeria, Prof. Okpeh Okpeh, said the 738-page book had unravelled the 12 tribes of Israel in Nigeria.
Okpeh said the tribes included those from Northern Israel that were captured by the King of Assyria in 722 BC and the dispersal tribes of Southern Kingdom after the invasion and conquest by the Roman soldiers in 70 AD, led by Vaspasian in the Jewish-Roman war.
According to him, the book unravels the age-long mystery surrounding Igbo people and some other Nigerian tribes.
“The research findings point to the fact that several indigenous Nigerian ethnic groups share common ancestry that is traceable to the lost tribes of Israel and Edom/Iduma – the country of Esau called Edo and Idoma in Nigeria.
“The research also revealed that the Paleo-Hebrew in which the Old Testament Bible was originally written is the same as Igbo language, both in words and dictionary meanings.
“Over 1,000 different Hebrew words, phrases and sentences are recorded in the book to attest to this fact,” he said.
He said that the book described Igbo language as one of the prehistoric languages as it was the same as the Paleo-Hebrew, the original Hebrew language of the Bible.
He said that the work recorded about a thousand ancient Nigerian towns from across the country, which corresponded to the same ancient Israeli/Idumean towns recorded in the Bible.
According to him, while most of the listed towns are located in the Southern and Middle Belt of Nigeria, considerable number are also found in northern Nigeria.
Okpeh further said in the book identified many ethnic groups in Africa that are connected to the nation of Israel and that the original people of the nation of Israel were black.
The professor noted that while tracing the origin of Igbo people of southeastern Nigeria, the author used linguistic and anthropological evidences.
He said the book established that the name Igbo was derived from Eber, the great-grand son of Shem and whose entire race was called Ebeo, Ebo, Ibo or Igbo.
He said that the findings in the book would open a new vista in historical traditions of most Nigerian ethnic groups, while it solved the puzzle that had heralded the Igbo’s origin, tradition and cultural practices.
The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project(HYPREP) has inducted and given orientation to 100 Ogoni youths for training on Creative Arts. The beneficiaries were drawn from Khana, Gokana, Tai and Eleme Local Government Areas of Rivers State.
The induction and orientation ceremony, which took place at the CRAB of the Department of Theatre Arts of the University of Port Harcourt on Wednesday, was a prelude to the training proper, billed to commence next Tuesday.
As usual, HYPREP issued undertaking forms to the trainees, for them to complete and submit as a guarantee that they would subject themselves to the requirements of the programme as well as be of good behaviour throughout the four-month duration of the training.
HYPREP also announced that it would pay N150,000 to each of the beneficiaries monthly, as transport and feeding allowance, stressing, however, that only those who fully participate in the training would be entitled for the allowance.
Speaking at the event, the Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, welcomed the trainees to the programme, saying, HYPREP’s projects are evolving and that one thing that is happening today is that the Project has gotten leadership right, by making promises and keeping those promises.
According to him, the Project had equally promised to move away from rudimentary skills acquisition to high impacts acquisition levels, which it has kept today by sponsoring the training on Creative Arts.
He noted that in planning its livelihood programmes for Ogoni youths, HYPREP has taken time out to look for skills that would add value to the lives of the beneficiaries.
Zabbey, who was represented at the event by the Director of Technical Services, Prof Damian-Paul Aguiyi said by packaging the Creative Arts training, it was expected that the Ogoni people would have their own version of Nollywood known as Ogoniwood just as Nigerians are familiar with Hollywood, Bollywood, Kannywood and Nollywood.
To achieve this goal, the Project Coordinator explained that it was the reason for choosing a reputable establishment like Halibiz Consult Limited, to partner with the Department of Theatre Arts of the University of Port Harcourt, which he described as one of the most prestigious in the Niger Delta, for the training of the beneficiaries.
He also indicated that in doing this, HYPREP was desirous of going for talents that would help the Ogoni people grow in the film industry, and urged the beneficiaries to take the training seriously.
Zabbey equally enjoined the trainees to put in their best so that in the next three to five years, they would carve a niche for themselves and become forces to reckon with in the film industry.
On her part, HYPREP’s Head of Sustainable Livelihood, Mrs Josephine Nzidee said HYPREP does what it says it will, stressing that the process of training Ogoni youths on specialised skills started three years ago.
According to her, the selection process for the training was rigorous and transparent, and was carried out by renowned actors actresses.
She disclosed that the training consists of three major aspects, which include acting, script writing and make-up, while Nollywood actors like Charles Nnoje, Ngezu J. Ngezu and award-winning make-up artist, Jude Odo would be on hand to drill and groom the beneficiaries.
Mrs Nzidee noted that the programme is a specialised training that does not have anything like starter packs but that it is purely a professional certification programme that would launch the beneficiaries into the Nollywood industry in Nigeria.
According to her, the Creative Arts training is one of the four specialised trainings organised by HYPREP to ensure that the Ogoni people are well positioned in vital industries like Aviation, Maritime, Creative Arts and Mechatronics.
She said the last of such trainings on Mechatronics would take place in the coming months, and urged the beneficiaries to take the training seriously so as to put the Ogoni people on the Nollywood map.
She further indicated that while Charles Nnoje and Ngezu J. Ngezu would take the beneficiaries on the practical aspects, Jude Odo would take them on the make-up aspects.
Also speaking, the External Relations Manager of Halibiz Consult Limited, Alabo Experience Douglas said his company gives much premium to standard and quality, and assured that the firm would give the trainees value for the money spent on the programme.
While charging the beneficiaries to be dedicated and punctual, he stressed the need for them to approach the programme with the mindset of being empty so that at the end of the day, they would benefit maximally.
On his part, the Head of the Theatre Arts Department of the University of Port Harcourt, Dr Ovunda Ihunwo said the CRAB is an acronym for Creative Review of Arts and Books, stressing that it was named by renowned playwright, Prof Ola Rotimi.
According to him, the CRAB had nurtured, groomed and produced Nollywood actors and actresses like Bobmanuel Udokwu, Ejike Asiegbu,Francis Duru, Hilda Dokubo, Monalisa Chinda, Julius Agwu, and a host of others, assuring the beneficiaries that they were on fertile environment to hone their talents.
He noted that symbolically, the crab is a nutritious seafood common in the Niger Delta, and reiterated the need for the beneficiaries to come empty for the training, as it were.
Ihunwo disclosed that the theory classes of the programme would run for three weeks while the fourth week would be for the master classes, and urged the trainees to avail themselves of the opportunity to make a difference by telling the Ogoni story, which he described as inexhaustible by themselves, in order to put Ogoni on the map.
A 23-year-old student of Nasarawa State University identified as Jatau Rilokwah, has been reportedly found dead in the university’s senior staff quarters.
A counter-insurgency expert, focused on the Lake Chad region, Zagazola Makama, disclosed this on his X handle on Tuesday.
According to him, the discovery was made on April 27, 2025, by a security officer at the university, Emmanuel Gyawo.
He stated that Gwayo was directed by Prof. Shedrack Jatau to check on his son upon arriving at the residence, and he found Rilokwah hanging from the ceiling.
“Professor Jatau, who was reportedly out of the State at the time, was informed of the incident. A team of police detectives, led by the Divisional Crime Officer of Angwan Lambu, was dispatched to the scene.
“The body showed no signs of violence, and no suicide note was found. Rilokwah was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre in Keffi, where he was confirmed dead by a medical doctor,” he further stated.
He added that the student’s corpse had been deposited in the hospital morgue.
He also quoted police sources as saying that investigations were ongoing to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The Ogun State Government has partnered with Nike Art Gallery to establish a new exhibition space at the Olumo Rock Tourist Centre in Abeokuta, a move Governor Dapo Abiodun says is aimed at boosting annual tourist visits from 20,000 to over 100,000.
Abiodun disclosed the plan on Wednesday while receiving the founder of the Nike Art Gallery, Chief (Mrs) Nike Davies-Okundaye, at his office in Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
“I went to Olumo Rock about a month ago and I decided that we needed to do something about restoring Olumo Rock to its old glory. From statistics, Olumo Rock hosts about 20,000 people a year in its current state, and I felt that we could increase that to at least ten times,” the governor said.
As part of the plan, an events hall within the tourist centre will be repurposed as a permanent gallery operated by Nike Art Gallery.
“I told them to shut it down. Practically, we want to bring it down and turn it into a gallery for you to use as an exhibition gallery,” he told Davies-Okundaye.
He added that the gallery will be ready before the National Sports Festival in May, when the State will host about 15,000 visitors.
“I want them to be able to see our tourist sites,” he said, listing attractions such as the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, the Ransome-Kuti family home, and the Adire market among key heritage spots to be showcased.
Highlighting Ogun’s improved infrastructure, the governor said, “Now that we’ve succeeded in having the intra and inter-state roads in place, you can come to Ogun State by rail; you can come by air. We’ve constructed one of the best airports in Nigeria, and very soon, you will be able to come by sea.”
Davies-Okundaye, in her remarks, praised the state’s efforts to promote tourism and pledged to use the new gallery to attract global attention.
“This gallery will bring many Heads of State. The one I opened in Abuja already has more than 10 Heads of State, including those from South Korea and the Czech Republic. The same will happen here,” she said.
She also applauded the Governor for his commitment to the Adire fabric industry.
“Adire is all over Nigeria, but Ogun has been promoting Adire for over 50 years. Today, the only cloth we can call our own is called Adire. This is what we can sell to the Europeans,” she said.
Abiodun reaffirmed his administration’s backing of the Adire industry, citing policies such as the Adire Ogun Digital Marketplace, compulsory wearing of Adire in the state, and provision of solar-powered production equipment to support artisans.
He also revealed plans to open a creative arts and entertainment village in partnership with Bolanle Austen-Peters, expected to be completed within two months.