In this interview, Rabbi Chinedu Nwabunwanne-Yanum states some of what the Igbo nation can do, to seek the face of God.
May we meet you? Tell us about yourself.
I am Rabbi Chinedu Nwabunwanne-Yanum. I hail from Aguleri, Anambra State. Currently, I reside in Los Angeles California, USA. I am the Chief Rabbi of Apostolic Jews, USA. Apostolic Jews are heirs to the Sadducees.
What do you do?
I am a researcher and a forensic investigator. Also, I perform my duties as the Chief Rabbi of Apostolic Jews.
There is a Rabbi in your name, what does that denote?
A Rabbi is a Jewish religious teacher. The teacher must have character and successfully complete a degree in Rabbinics. I attended Los Angeles Valley College, Valley Glen, California, USA, where I obtained an associate degree in Rabbinics. From there, I proceeded to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) where I earned an undergraduate degree in Jewish history. Also, I went to Rio Hondo Police Academy, Whittier, California where I obtained a Graduate Certificate in Forensic Investigation and finally, I proceeded to California State University, Carson California where he completed interdisciplinary Graduate work in Israelite Literature.
As a Rabbi, what exactly do you do?
The job of a rabbi is to steer a community to be in good standing with God and to attend to the societal and spiritual problems of a community by proffering solutions. The solution we proffer for the current uncertainty in Ibo society is to return to Ibo customary laws as enshrined in the Jerusalem Talmud. Liberating ourselves from secular judiciary by establishing Talmudic customary courts as enshrined in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is the way to go. As some states in northern Nigeria embraced their oath by adhering to sharia laws, and states in western Nigeria continues to follow secular laws, let us in southeastern Nigeria return to our oath with God by returning to Jerusalem Talmudic laws. We are seeking for men and women who can help us advance customary court legislations in all the Ibo speaking states Houses of Assembly. This is one of the four ways to liberate ourselves.
Some people including the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra have propagated the Jewish origin idea, but it is yet to sink in because many are yet to understand it. Why did you choose to take it up as a task to be the loud voice in the wilderness and why now?
Our movement is a religious approach to problem solving. We seek a devaluation of power in a unified Nigeria. Our return to God is being hampered by Nigeria’s secularism. The book of Romans 11 stated that the reasons we fell out with God was sin. It also stated that we will reclaim our blessings when those who took our blessings sin. The United States and Britain are preoccupied with the promotion of homosexual sin today. So, we believe it is time to reclaim our blessings. We have started a movement, the Jerusalemite Organization International to teach our religion, history and the Laws of Return. We intend to evangelize the Ibo and Fang family members in Nigeria and Cameroon.
When our awareness campaigns become mainstream, the State of Israel must help us be free in Nigeria or open its doors for our return to Israel. Additionally, we want to unite Yidduh people who are members are nationalities in the senatorial zones bordering the river Benue on the north, the river Niger on the west, and the states between the River Benue and the Atlantic Ocean. Presidential election maps for 1979, 1983, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019 and 2023 proved beyond reasonable doubt that our political, social, and religious future will be better enhanced if we mend ways and reconcile with the Yidduh nations. Many Ibos in the United States agree that when our Fang brothers across Nigeria’s border awake, and we unite with the nationalities from River Benue to the Atlantic Ocean, our enemies in Nigeria must reconsider their ways.
You wrote a manuscript talking about Igbo being Israelites. Can you give us names of the tribes that first migrated to Nigeria and where they first settled?
There are two parts to fully answer your. Let me begin with the second part. The names of the congregation of Judah are as follows: Asher, Gad, Naphtali, Dan Zebulon and Judah. The tribe of Dan were the first set of Ibos that entered Nigeria. They were sacked from Kaybar in Saudi Arabia by Prophet Mohammed between 626- 629 AD. Danites occupies Ebonyi north and central senatorial zones. Also, they are in parts of Ebonyi south, parts of Enugu State and Benue State. The second set of Israelites that entered Southeast Nigeria were the following: Asher, Gad and Naphtali. They were sacked by Syria from 744-750 AD.
The tribe of Asher or Ani-Asher (which means I am Asher) are the Ibos on coastal east of River Niger called Delta Ibo and coastal towns west of River Niger from Onitsha, Ogbaru, etc. in Anambra, through Oguta, and Imo to Ndoni and surrounding areas of River State. The exceptions are Umu-INRI towns like Ogwuachi, Igbuzo, Akwukwu-Igbo, Okpanam, etc. in Anioma zone. The tribe of Gad comprises of the upper parts of Anambra senatorial zone, Anambra Central, Enugu East and West senatorial zones, and some enclaves in Anambra north senatorial zones. The tribe of Naphtali occupied the lower parts of Anambra south senatorial zone, Imo state except Asher along the coast and the Oratta/Owerri peoples of Old Owerri zone and surrounding communities.The third group of Israelites that entered southeast Nigeria were the members of the tribe of Judah sacked by King Juan II of Portugal to Sao Tome Island between 1481-1495 AD. King Juan II entered into a binding contract with the royal house of Judah and the priestly house of Levi in Portugal. When Israel failed to fulfil their obligations, King Juan gathered the Judaeans and the Levites and deported the Judaeans to Sao Tome Island, but the Levites he deported to Ibo Island, Mozambique. The deportees from Portugal are the INRI people in Anambra north and parts of Anambra central senatorial zones. Enugu north senatorial zone, Owerri/ Oratta in Imo south senatorial zone, and the Ngwa people in Abia South and parts of Abia central senatorial zones. Finally, the tribe of Zebulon entered Southeast Nigeria between 1666-1676. They came from Libya on the instruction of Shabbatai Zevi and Prophet Nathan of Gaza to proclaim the arrival of the false prophet Shabbatai Zevi in Southeast Nigeria. They are the Edeh (Adah) people who occupied parts of Ebonyi South senatorial zone, the Abriba/Ohafia and others in Abia north senatorial zone and the Ibeku and other parts of Abia central senatorial zone.
You wrote a manuscript talking about Igbo being Israelites. How can someone interested on the subject verify the entrance of Israelites into Nigeria?
This is the most important question. For more than two thousand years, Jewish scholars assert that members of the congregation of Judah comprising: Dan, Naphtali, Gad and Asher reside in the river Sambatyon region. However, both Jewish and Christian scholars were unable to identify the location of the mysterious River Sambatyon. And I, Rabbi chinedu Yanum, discovered the river in Nigeria. I was able to discover the river because I split the mysterious compound word Sambatyon into two parts making it possible to identify each of the two parts: Samba and Tyoan. I used the website fallingrain.com to locate Samba town (latitude 8,9166667 and longitude 11, 1166667) along the Benue River, and Tyoan town (latitude 7, 3667 and longitude 8, 7500) along the Benue River. This is significant because identifying the river Sambatyon signals the beginning of redemption. There are two witnesses that collaborate with my ndings. The first was David Reubeni who stated that it takes two months to travel by Carmel from Sambatyon to Ethiopia, and one half of a day to travel from Sambatyon to Sao Tome, Island. This is significant because it indicates that Sambatyon is the proximity of Sao Tome Island. The second informant Eldad the Danite mentioned 5-7 kingdoms that were always at war with the Jews of Sambatyon. The kingdoms: Kaloma (latitude 10,2833 and longitude 10, 4333), Kim# (latitude 10, 3333 and longitude 11, 9667), Kuba (latitude 10, 5667 and longitude 11, 6667), Takula (latitude 8, 8333 and longitude 11, 6833), and Karma (latitude 11, 7000 and longitude 13, 0667) are in present day Nigeria. I provided the latitudinal and longitudinal intersection to enable you or your audience to verify my assertions.
