The Ezillo people are part of the Igbo ethnic group, one of the major ethnic groups in southeastern Nigeria.
Ezillo is one of the seven sub-ethnic communities in Ishielu Local Government of Ebonyi State (Nigeria).
Ishielu L.G.A has a population of 151. 048 (NPC 2006) with one of the largest concentrations of sub-ethnic and dialectic groups in Ebonyi State.
Ezillo and Ezza Ezillo has population of 37.022 (NPC 2006)
The Ezillo people are part of the Igbo ethnic group, one of the major ethnic groups in southeastern Nigeria.
According to oral tradition, the Ezillo descend from Igbo ancestors who settled in what is now Ebonyi State several centuries ago, forming stable agricultural communities.
Their history is closely linked to:
Land is extremely important to the Ezillo—not only economically, but also spiritually and culturally.
Traditionally, Ezillo society is organized around:
Important matters such as land ownership, disputes, and rituals pass through these structures.
Historically based on:
Today, many Ezillo people are also involved in:
Ezillo identity is strongly expressed through community and ancestral land.
One of the most well-known aspects of Ezillo history is the territorial conflict with the neighboring Ezza community.
This conflict has deeply shaped Ezillo identity, collective memory, and external relations.
Today, the Ezillo people:
Sub-ethnic and dialectic groups are:
Within some of these sub-ethnic communities are Ezza-settler-communites like Ezza-Ezillo, Ezza-Nkalagu, Ezza Ogboji-in Azuinyaba.
Ezza is an Igbo sub-group, in Southeastern Nigeria.
Ezillo community is made up of seven villages:
The Ezza-Ezillo community in made up of two villages:
Ezillo community is located at the North Southern fringe of Ishielu LGA and shares borders with Ngbo, Iyionu & Nkalagu communities in the North, Ntezi and Okpoto in the East and Inyaba in the south. Because of the strategic location of Ezillo across the Enugu-Abakaliki Expressway, it hosts both people and infrastructural facilities such as the Ezillo Farm Settlement, and the Ezillo Regional Water Scheme etc.
There are several schools of thought on the origin of the Ezillo people. However, popular documented literature traced the origin of Ezillo to Mgbom Eze in Ishieke Izzi in the present Ebonyi, LGA and Ikwo LGA. According to this thought, the Ezillos and their Ezzangbo/Ngbo brothers regard Mgbom Eze as the ancestral father of Amaleze village in Ezillo. This ancestral brotherhood accounts for the sacred relationship between Ezillo and Ngbo on one hand and Izzi people on the other hand. Hence the abhorrence of bloodshed between these groups (Enuke 2010).
The Ezza-Ezillo people came from Ezza South & Ezza North LGAs of Ebonyi State on the invitation of the Ezillo people to settle a land dispute between them and their Ngbo neighbour at Egu-Echara in the early 1930s (Ugbo et al, 2008 and Memo to Peace Committee,2008). Ever since the end of the dispute, the Ezzas have continued to live amongst their host community, Ezillo. However, the relationships between the two groups have not been harmonious as it has degenerated to indigene-settler conundrum. Even though, there have been several episodes of conflicts in Ezillo since the last 52 years, but the confrontational phase occurred on 10th of May 2008.
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