Olukumi: The Delta People Of Yoruba Extraction

They are called Olukumis. They equally speak Olukumi language akin to the Yoruba language as their mother tongue and they are in seven communities deep in the heart of Igbo-speaking Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State.

They traced their history to Owo in Ondo State via a sojourn in Edo State before finally settling down at their present location, surrounded by hills and mineral resources like kaolin and coal. The people inhabit the rich agricultural belt of Ugbodu, Ukwu-Nzu (originally called Eko-Efun because of huge deposit of chalk), Ubulubu, Ugboba, Idumogo, Ogodor and Anioma.

Although the people are one, in some quarters of the communities like Ubulubu, Ukwu- Nzu, some persons don’t speak the language. Two prominent personalities who made Nigeria proud within the beauty and sports spaces are proud Olukumis from Ugbodu. They are Miss Nigeria 1958, Helen Anyamelune of blessed memory and Captain of the Eaglets in 1985, Nduka Ugbade, who also is the coach of the victorious Golden Eaglets at the WAFU Cup in Cape Coast, Ghana 2022.

It’s on this premise of identity and sustainability of the language that the people decided to come up with an Olukumi dictionary and a translation of the New Testament of the Holy Bible. The bilingual Olukumi-English and English-Olukumi Dictionary is authored by Dr Bolanle Elizabeth Arokoyo, a lecturer in the Department of Linguistics and Nigerian Languages, University of Ilorin, who had been documenting Olukumi language since 2011, and Olamide Mabodu of the same department. According to the traditional ruler of Ugbodu, the Oloza of Ugbodu, Ayo Isiyemenze, in his forward to the dictionary, “this work represents a prime example of academic interests in the Olukumi language and its preservation.”Isiyemenze said: “This dictionary will prove valuable to the speakers of Olukumi desirous of improving their Olukumi vocabulary. It will also serve as a veritable resource for students of linguistics willing to undertake a study of the Olukumi language.”The Olukumi language which is closely related to Yoruba has over the years been infused with Igbo and Edo words as a result of the influences of the languages of the neighbouring communities. The uniqueness of the language, the number of the speakers and their location in the midst of non-Olukumis are, however, placing the language in such a tenuous position as to threaten its existence. As at today the language is not taught in schools but the people are deliberate in their efforts to stimulate and ensure that the language is sustained as it remains the first language the people speak among themselves in their respective communities before diverting to Igbo or Pidgin if they are convinced the next person doesn’t understand the language. Olùkùmi means ‘my friend’ in the Owé dialect of Yoruba and Igala.

Ugbodu in full is rendered as Ugbodumila in Yoruba. It means “the forest or this land saved me and I flourished/prospered.”

In a revealing interview with National Mirror, the traditional ruler of Ugbodu kingdom, H.R.M. Ayo Isinyemeze, the Oloza (Obi) of Ugbodu said in clear terms that Ugbodu people are of Yoruba stock and their dialect was Olukumi.

The monarch who is also a lawyer and the chairman of the Traditional Rulers Council in Aniocha North, explained that Ugbodu migrated from Owo/Akure axis in the present day Ondo State between 9th and 11th Century AD. They first settled in Benin during the reign of King Ogiso of Benin but had to leave Benin after a controversy in Benin Kingdom. At that time King Ogiso’s most neglected wife had given birth to the heir apparent of the throne which didn’t go down well with the nobles. They consulted the oracle which declared that the child should be killed for peace to reign in Benin Kingdom. The child was too handsome to be killed and a fowl was killed in his place.

Ugbodu people felt unsafe and had to leave. If a crown prince could be ordered for execution, anything could happen to them as their security wasn’t guaranteed. After leaving Benin, they make a brief stop at Ewohimi, an Esan speaking community before leaving for their present abode in Delta State.

According to historical records, the first six Olozas of Olukumi after years and decades of the establishment of the Ugbodu Kingdom bear typical Yoruba names namely: Adeola, Aderemi, Ariyo, Odofin, Adetunji and Oyetunde.

H.R.M. The Oloza of Ugbodu, Ayo Isinyemeze

You can Download “Olukumi-English” Dictionary for Free here, we need more people to learn Olukumi:
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