Nsukka: History
Nsukka is made up of Nkpunano, Nru, and Ihe'n Owerre. There is a trend of referring to all the towns under Enugu North Senatorial Zone as Nsukka. This trend could be as a result of Nsukka housing the headquarters of the now defunct Nsukka province under colonial rule.
NSUKKA ASADU IDEKE ARỤMỌNA
Let me explain better.
According to oral history, a man named Asadu Ideke Arụmọna gave birth to three sons namely:
1. Nsukka Asadu Ideke Arụmọna
2. Ọbụkpa Asadu Ideke Arụmọna
3. Okpuje Asadu Ideke Arụmọna
The three sons settled at their respective territories and formed their respective communities. So, the three of them are sons of Asadu Ideke Arụmọna and are called after their father, Asadu Ideke Arụmọna. So, if you're referring to Nsukka Asadu Ideke Arụmọna, you're referring to that particular son of Asadu Ideke Arụmọna named Nsukka. Nsukka gave birth to three sons subsequently namely:
1. Nkpụ̀naanọ́
2. Nru Nsukka
3. Ihe_N_Owerre
These three sons gave birth to other sons that make up the numerous villages within Nsukka town. So, when you say Nsukka Asadu Ideke Arụmọna, automatically you are referring to a person from either Nkpụ́nanọ́,Nru Nsukka and/or Ihe_N_Owerre.
With the creation of Local Governments, Nsukka Local Government was created comprising Nsukka and her neighbouring communities like Ọbụkpa, Okpuje, Eha-Alumona, Edem Eke Odobo, Ede-Oballa, Lejja Ugwuoke Ugwuinyi, Opi Naatọ́ Emelege Ogwugwu, Ẹ̀rọ̀ Nkpoke, Ibagwa-Ọ̀hanị̀, Obimo Asebere Mgboko Odobo, Okwutu, Anụ́ka and Ọ̀kpawar'Igbo-Ọ̀gụ̀. They were grouped by the Nigerian government and named Nsukka Local Government. In this Nsukka Local Government there's a community named Nsukka Asadu Ideke Arụmọna which is Nsukka city. The headquarters of this Local government is located there at Ugwu Ashọ́! Ashọ́ is a deity in Nsukka that has the Hill of the local government headquarters dedicated to it, below the hill is the valley that houses Ashọ́ stream at Ọnụiyị́. However, for the fact that anybody from these other neighbouring communities to Nsukka have found themselves as members of Nsukka Local Government Area, they're not wrong in that context to answer that they're from Nsukka (in the context of Nsukka Local Government Area).
Now, aside the local government created with the name of Nsukka, the British colonial government also created a colonial division named Nsukka. Also, the Nigerian government of the first and second republic created a Senatorial Zone named Nsukka Senatorial Zone. Same thing was recognised by the Federal Republic of Biafra that created Nsukka Province. This Nsukka Senatorial Zone comprised Nsukka Local Government and other local governments that shares cultural affinity with Nsukka (Odo and Ọmabẹ́ masquerade cults) like Igbo-Etiti, Igboeze (now divided into North and South), Udenu, Isiuzo, Ụzọ Uwani (including Ayamelum now carved out to Anambra). These various local governments were grouped together and named Nsukka Senatorial Zone. From then, these group of Igbo Odo and Igbo Ọmabẹ́ communities were referred to as the people of Nsukka Senatorial Zone. This name continued until as recently as 1996 when General Sani Abacha created Ebonyi State out of Enugu and some part of Abia. Before the carving out of Ebonyi out of Enugu, Enugu was made up of three Senatorial zones namely:
1. Enugu Senatorial Zone (comprising the present Enugu East and Enugu West Senatorial zones excluding Isiuzo)
2. Nsukka Senatorial Zone (including Isiuzo and Ayamelum)
3. …