History of Akpugo Nkanu West local government of Enugu state Nigeria

Origin of Akpugo in Nkanu Land:

What could been seen as myth about the origin or the history of Akpugo, has different interpretation. It is said that Akpugo originated from a particular town in the Orji-river local government area of Enugu state.

The name of the town known as Akpugoeze was the man that gave birth to Akpugo city, Agbani and Akpawfu.

His name was Ezenevo. He was a hunter who moves from town to town in search of animal, so he moved from Akpugoeze with his two brothers “Chinwachievu” who later became the father of Agbani today, and the younger brother “Onyinwodo” who also later became the father of “Akpawfu”.

As there were moving for their hunting business, “Ezenevo” along with his two brothers moved to the present land and city known as “Akpugo Mba city” today, and made their settlement first at an Akpu tree from where the name of Akpugo was caved out.

They were together under the Akpu tree for some months after they now decide to separate themselves. Ezenevo then relocated from the Akpu tree to “Obere” where he settled with his wife and started having children. Obere was said to be the stool of Akpugo from then till date, because that was where “Obuno njoku-ani” community started from and “Chinwachievu” on his own, hunted and moved to “Agba” tree where he found greener pasture and then he settled there with his own wife. This is why he was nicknamed “Agbani”, because he was cultivating the land under “Agba” tree. When his bother “Ezenevo” started looking for him, people of the area can only help in taking him to the very  “Agba” tree where his brother “Chinwachievu” was digging the land under the very “Agba” tree and they call him “Agba-ani” your brother is looking for you. And that is where he got the name “Agbani”.

“Onyinwodo” being a great hunter and farmer also moved to the Eastern part of the land in search of greener pasture and also for a fertile land for his farming business. Along the line Onyinwodo and his wife were there when the people started calling them “Okpufu na uno afuta afuta”. Meaning that they are always on a hidden place, when his brother (Ezenevo) started looking for him, people can only describe him to his brother as “Okpu akpu man” as a nickname and the nick name later took over his name and that was where the name Akpawfu of today was born.

Ezenevo later moved his settlement from “Obere” to “Akpaene” where he started having children from there he gave birth to his first son “Akpa-Nevo”, the second son “Njoku-Ani”, and the third son “ Nneji Igwe Oyi” and the fourth son which is the last “Aneke-Aniofu”

(1) Akpa-Nevo,

(2) Njoku-ani,

(3) Nneji Igwe Oyi.

(4) Aneke-Aniofu

After all he made “Akpa-Nevo” to stay at the main place as his inheritance as the first son and he occupied the land of “umuizzi”. The second son Njoku Ani was made to occupy the land of Obuno known as Obuno Njoku Ani community today.

Nneji Igwe Oyi was then living in the land of Ogonogeji community. The fourth son of Ezenevo was Aneke-Aniofu who was giving the land of Amuhu, for settlement that is the present Amugo.

As development started, people started moving around for better settlement. The people of umuizzi were divided into two communities namely Obinagu Uwani, which is the people of (Aniyi) and his brother was made to move down to Ndiuno Uwani that is the people of “Mkpune-umuizzi”.

The same school of thought has it that the people of Ndiuno Obuno Njoku Ani were also divided and split into two and that was where Ndi Agu Abuno community was born.

From Nneji Igwe Oyi families were the people of Ogonogeji and Ogbo shinne. It was from Ezenevo that Akpugo got their name as “Akpugo Ezenevo Ogwa Obodo Asato” meaning eight big town of Akpugo.

From Ezenevo and his brothers you can attest to this that they are born from the same parents and come from the same place by the name given to each and every one of them; Ezenevo “Akpugo” Chinwachievu “Agbani” and Onyinwodo “Akpawfu”. This bound of unity has been what is holding the three towns together till date. They both share the same cultural values and heritage.

The people of Ihunekwagu as history have it came from a town in Nsukka in the Nsukka senatorial district to come and settle at a land with Ezenevo and now they have become friends and neighbors with different custom, the people of Ihunekwagu are also part and parcel of the Akpugo community.