Toru-Angiama

 


Toru-Angiama is a place in the region of Delta  state in Nigeria. Find all facts and information about Toru-Angiama.

 Name: Toru-Angiama (Toru-Angiama)

Status: Place

Region name (Level 2): Patani

Region name (Level 1): Delta

Country: Nigeria
Continent: Africa

Toru-Angiama is located in the region of Delta. Delta's capital Asaba (Asaba) is approximately 136 km / 84 mi away from Toru-Angiama (as the crow flies). The distance from Toru-Angiama to Nigeria's capital Abuja (Abuja) is approximately 460 km / 286 mi (as the crow flies).

Toru-Angiama I town is an Ijaw (Izon, Ijo) community situated in present day Patani Local Government of Delta State along the River Forcados branch of the River Niger Delta. The Toru-Angiama community comprises of Toru-Angiama I (Toru-Engowari) and Toru-Angiama II (Etiawari) on the opposite side of the river, which is in present day Bayelsa State, Sagbama Local Government Area.

The Angiama Community, comprising of Bolou Angiama, Toru-Angiama I and Toru-Angiama II is an integral part of the Kumbowei Clan (Kingdom) whose headquarters is Sagbama Town, Bayelsa State where the PERE of Kumbo is seated. It is also under the jurisdiction of the IBENANAOWEI or EBENANAOWEI of Kumbo seated in Agoloma, and of which is rotated among the Kumbowei towns of Patani Local Government Area of Delta State.

 Some Historical Facts

The Angiama community is said to be over 1500 years old, with the ancestors or founding ancestors of the community deriving from even more ancient Ijaw communities of the Oporoza (Gbaranmatu) section of Ijaw People.

The whole Angiama Community previously had a traditional ruler in the form of the Amanaowei of Angiama, and Amaokosuowei (Eldest man of the town) and the traditional priest who helped administer the community. The first Amanaowei of the whole of Angiama was Benabo of Etiawari, He was followed by the late Professor Patrick Kurokeme Akponwei of Toru-Engowari. Of recent each village has elected to have their own head, in the form of the Amananaowei in all 3 towns that make up Angiama community. 

The 1500s - The Angiama Community existed as a pristine community around 1500AD, made up of extended family members who were the sons and daughters of Aken or Akendeinowei (Angi or Ange), the founding ancestor, who was one of the sons of Kumbo, who derived from Oporoza.

The community successfully defended itself against slave raiding activities of criminal raiding gangs that roamed the Niger Delta during the slave trade period.

Signing of Treaties with the British – In 1884, Angiama Community signed protection treaty (treaty of friendship and protection) with the British Consul, placing it, along with most other Ijo (Izon) autonomous communities and clans/kingdoms, under the protection of Her Majesty’s British Government, as a Protectorate, originally called the Oil Rivers Protectorate. Later Angiama Community became a part of the Oporoza Native Authority, under Delta Province, then administratively a part of Western Ijaw Division, then Bomadi Local Government Area and finally Patani Local Government Area.

As Toru-Angiama I, the Primary School was founded in 1944 through the efforts of the community and the Church Mission Society (CMS). Originally called CMS Primary School, it was later changed to Akedeinowei Primary School (after the founding ancestor Aken, also known as Akendeinowei)

The 1950s/60s - In the 1950s/60s Shell came to Toru-Angiama exploring for Petroleum deposits. It is said that crude oil was discovered but was not commercially viable. It is also claimed natural gas deposits exist within the oil field, but it is not clear if this is being tapped from elsewhere. There are no indications that this is the case.

In the 1980s the Secondary School was founded along with the health centre.

A road mapped out since the 1060s that has been abandoned by successive government administrations links Toru-Angiama to Toru-Apelebiri, on to Agoloma and then Patani. It is mostly not usable for road vehicles during the greater part of the year. Toru-Angiama has a lot of challenges such as health care provision, education, as teachers are not enough, road access and waterside erosion, which has eroded a greater part of the old waterside village.

Toru-Angiama is a community of farmers, fishing folk, palm oil refiners, gin makers from palm wine and small traders. It has a considerable educated class that live outside of the village. Despite all this it is a severely neglected community of Patani Local Government Area.

The Present Ebenanaowei, the traditional ruler overseeing Kumbowei towns and villages in Patani Local Government, HRM Jackson Angalabiri hails from Toru-Angiama Community.

Toru-Angiama I and its inhabitants live by a culture of enjoying a good and peaceful relationship with their neighbouring communities.

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