"The Aro occupy the east of Igboland and the Efik and Ijaw the far south along the Niger Delta" (Nigeria: A Historical and Cultural Overview, n.d.). In his book Anioma: A Social History of the Western Igbo People, Don Ohadike states that "East of the Niger, the Aros were a major target" during the British conquest of Igboland. "The Aros used a great many mercenary soldiers and forged militiary alliances against the British, but the Aniocha communities of Anioma...adopted silence and guerrilla tactics as their primary strategy" (1994, 150). Ohadike explains that Anioma denotes Western Igboland (ibid., 145).

The Website of the All Aros organization in the USA provides the following information:

There are over 100 Aro settlements (communities) in Nigeria.

Until the British firmly established authority in what became Nigeria in 1901, various peoples of Nigeria moved freely and settled in different parts of the country. Some settlements were achieved by peaceful means, others were through a mixture of diplomacy, localized wars and negotiations

Whereas Aro Okporoenyi and Izombe typifies the first category, Aro Nidizuogu and Ndi-Eni (Ndikelionwu, Ndiokparaeke, Ndiokpalaeze, Ajalli, etc) are of the second order.

Some Aro settlements (communities) within the second order (diplomacy and negotiations) signed away their rights (of conquest) recognized at that time by international law as the strongest right of any nation.

Aro Ikwere, Aro Cameroon and Aro Ajalli, among others, have either lost their settlements or are in heated micro-battles with dominant cultures for their independence and sovereignty (n.d.).

Specific information on domestic violence and forced marriage among the Aro could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

All Aros (USA). "Re-integrating the Aros." n.d. http://www.aro-okgbo.com [Accessed: 26 Apr. 2001]

"Nigeria: A Historical and Cultural Overview." n.d.http://www.lumes.lu.se/student99/stanleyW/countrys.htm [Accessed: 19 Apr. 2001]

Ohadike, Don, C. 1994. Anioma: A Social History of the Western Igbo People. Athens: Ohio University Press.

Africa News Bulletin: Political, Social and Cultural Series.

Amnesty International Report 1999-2000.

Country Reports for 2000. 2001.

The New Encyclopaedia Britannica. 1989. Micropaedia. Vol. 6. London: Encylopaedoa Britannica.

IRB Databases. LEXIS/NEXIS.

Keesing's Record of World Events.

Nigeria: A Country Study. 1992. Edited by Helen Chapin Metz. Washington, DC: Secretary of the Army.

Ohadike Don. 1994. Anioma: A Social History of the Western Igbo People. Athens: Ohio University Press.

Resource Centre. Country File. Nigeria.

West Africa.

Internet sites including,

Africa News.

Post Express Wired.

Religious Freedom.

Vanguard.

Search Engines including:

Google

Mamma