The question of what constitutes valid knowledge has remained a central concern in philosophy, particularly in the tension between Western epistemology and indigenous systems of knowing. Within Igbo thought, Odeshi represents an indigenous security practice through which knowledge of protection, vulnerability, and survival is generated and sustained. The problem addressed by this study is the persistent marginalization of Odeshi as superstition or irrational belief due to the dominance of Western scientific and epistemological standards that fail to account for indigenous modes of knowledge validation. Adopting a philosophical and analytical method grounded in Igbo epistemology, this study examines Odeshi through the lenses of experiential knowledge, communal testimony, embodied practice, and the performative power of nommo. The method involves a critical analysis of Igbo concepts of knowledge, force interaction, pragmatic rationality, and epistemic authority as articulated within indigenous philosophical discourse. The findings reveal that Odeshi functions as a coherent system of indigenous security knowledge whose validity is established through lived experience, communal regulation, and practical effectiveness rather than laboratory experimentation. The study further finds that Odeshi challenges scientific reductionism by demonstrating an alternative rationality oriented toward survival and communal well-being. The study concludes that recognizing Odeshi as a legitimate epistemic framework promotes epistemic justice and pluralism, and it recommends the inclusion of indigenous Igbo knowledge systems as meaningful contributors to global philosophical inquiry.

Odeshi, Igbo Epistemology, Nommo, Indigenous Knowledge, Epistemic Justice

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