Israeli Scientists carry out DNA tests on Igbos over Myths

Following popular myths about an ancestral relationship between the Igbo people of Nigeria and the Jews in Israel, a former president-general of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Dr Dozie Ikedife, has invited Jewish scientists to carry out tests at his hospital.

Scientists from Israel have been carrying out Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) tests at Ikedife Hospital along Igwe Orizu Road, Otolo-Nnewi, in Anambra State, to ascertain the possibility of Jews having links with Igbos.

Hundreds of persons were said to have participated in the exercise on Tuesday, with some of them believed to have arrived from outside Anambra state.

Vanguard reports that participants arrived as early as 7.00 am and there were policemen in the hospital premises to ensure a hitch free exercise.

Ikedife while addressing newsmen on the exercise, said there had been stories of Jewish/Igbo relations based on archaeological discoveries and mythology, saying he facilitated the Jewish scientist to come and prove the mythology.

He said the Israeli-Yaweh group came into the country to take a random sampling of cells from the people in the South-East for studies to carry out a DNA analysis and comparison in Houston Texas USA.

“The idea is to establish scientifically the relationship of the two groups of people. It is necessary to satisfy the curiosity and answer the question in the minds of many for quite some time,” Ikedife said.

Concerning the possible outcome of the tests and reactions to same, the former Ohanaeze president said, “If at the end of the day, it is confirmed that we are relations, we would remain brothers and friends, but if it proved negative we remain friends. My curiosity is based on the fact that I studied Anthropology as well as Medicine, the result of the cell examination is expected to be out in August this year.”