Indigenous Igbos In Cross Rivers State X-rayed

Whenever the major ethnic groups in Nigeria are being talked about, the Igbos can not be excluded as they are one of the enormous ethnic groups in the country, alongside the Yorubas and the Hausas. The Igbos are a people who love spreading their tents in search of greener pastures, this has resulted in them traveling far and wide across the country and some parts of the world.

Aside from the fact that they occupy the Eastern region of Nigeria, they are also found in some other states within the country. We have indigenous Igbos in the North Central states, in the South-South region of Nigeria, with Cross Rivers State being one of them.

The purpose of this article is to x-ray these Indigenous Igbos found in Cross Rivers State.

Meet the Indigenous Igbo Communities in Cross Rivers State

Cross Rivers State is situated in the Southern region of Nigeria. Just as the name suggests, the State was named after the Cross River known as Oyono that passes through it, this river emanates from Cameroon Mountain. Like Rivers State, Cross Rivers was created by General Yakubu Gowon on the 27th day of May, 1967 from the Eastern Part of Nigeria.

Cross Rivers State consists of different ethnic groups and they can boast of the presence of Indigenous Igbo communities in the State. The Igbos are found in different communities and local governments areas.
Some of the places where these Indigenous Igbo communities are situated are:

Abi Local Government Area

This community houses twenty-six villages, out of which eight of them are Indigenous Igbos. The likes of Agarabe, Akpoha, Eboronyi, Eno-Evong, Igbo-Imabana, Agbo, Itigidi, Ntankpo, and Mkpanghi. The other communities speak either Kohumono, Hohumono, Akwo-Igbo or Agbo languages.

Abi Local Government Area is bounded by Yakurr Local Government to the east and Ebonyi State to the south, which is why they have some similarities with the people of Izzi in Ebonyi State. It is by far the largest local government area with Igbo natives residing in it.

Former Governor Liyel Imoke is from Abi.

Obubra Local Government Area

The Isobos are in Obubra Local Government Area that are Indigenous Igbos because they speak the language. The community is surrounded by Abakaliki and Ikom to the North, and Afikpo to the South.

The Indigenous Igbos in Cross Rivers State X-rayed

It is no doubt that the Indigenous Igbo communities in Cross Rivers State are an offshoot of the Igbo tribes who have traveled afar for a better life and to make a name for themselves, they have made a home in the State.

Their lifestyle is no different from any other Igbo tribes found in different States or the five Eastern States in Nigeria.

Read this – X-raying the Indigenous Igbos in Bayelsa

In terms of their cultural practices, they celebrate the New Yam Festival which they refer to as Orinji Festival every year in September. The New Yam Festival, is one cultural practice that the Igbos are famous for, as they celebrate it with an interlude of music, dance, food, and drinks, just like their brothers and sisters in the east.

Although the Festival of the Pumpkin Leaf starts off before the New Yam Festival takes place in Cross Rivers State. They also circumcise the male child eight days after he was born.

When it comes to their vocabulary, there are similarities between the Isobo natives in Cross Rivers and the Igbos at large. For instance, an Igbo man will name his son after himself by calling him “Ogbonna” the Isobos do the same thing but theirs is Omeji. They also bear Igbo names like Chisom, Chidimma, Chinaza, etc.

Even their numbering is almost the same with some slight differences here and there.

One of the past Governors of the State, in the person of Liyel Imoke, came from Agbo, an Igbo-speaking community in Abi Local Government Area. He was also a one-time Minister of Power and Steel, under Obasanjo’s administration.

This shows how much the Indigenous Igbo communities are part and parcel of the people of Cross Rivers State and they have rights which they exercise just like the Efik- and Ibibio-speaking natives alike but they were faced with the challenge of installing their king, one E. A Ezenweanyi as “Eze Ndi Igbo”.

It was frowned at by the Traditional rulers in Cross Rivers State. They claimed that they will be creating a kingdom which the law does not give them the right to do so.

By Grace O

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