Ibom kingdom was an
Ibibio nation with its seat of government in
Obot Okon Ita {{Infobox settlement
, name = Obinkita
, other_name =
, native_name =
, nickname =
, settlement_type =Village
, motto =
, image_skyline =
, imagesize = ...
. This kingdom was located between present day
Abia and
Akwa Ibom states in Southeastern
Nigeria. Around 1630, an
Igbo group from
Abiriba known as the
Eze Agwu arrived to Ibom. This caused a long term conflict and stalemate known as the
Aro-Ibibio Wars.
Origin
The kingdom of Ibom originated by the settlement of the
Ibibio people
The Ibibio people (English: / ɪbɪˈbiːəʊ/) are a coastal people in southern Nigeria. They are mostly found in Akwa Ibom and Cross River States. They are related to the Efik people. During the colonial period in Nigeria, the Ibibio Union as ...
from Usangale in the Cameroons around the 15th century.
Ibom is an old word used by the
Efik
Efik may refer to:
* Efik people, an ethnic group located primarily in southeastern Nigeria
* Efik language, the language of the Efik people
*Efik mythology, the mythological beliefs of the Efik people
*Efik religion, the traditional religion of t ...
/
Ibibio /
Annang
The Anaang (also spelled Annang) are a sub-ethnic group of the larger Ibibio people, whose land is primarily within 8 of the present 31 local government areas in Akwa Ibom State: Abak, Essien Udim, Etim Ekpo, Ika, Ikot Ekpene, Obot Akara, Oruk ...
/
Eket people of
Nigeria meaning the ancient universe, the cradle earth, or the cradle, original or ancient community from which others sprang forth. The word Ibom symbolizes the ancestral, the origin, the cradle, the source and theancient community or place or area from which other communities or people sprang forth or originated.
Akwa Ibom State is one of the present two states created from the old
Akwa Akpa kingdom,
Cross River State being the sister state.
Akwa
Akwa also spelled Aqua, meaning The Great One or The Essential One is believed to be the ancestor of the people of
Ibibio and
Efik
Efik may refer to:
* Efik people, an ethnic group located primarily in southeastern Nigeria
* Efik language, the language of the Efik people
*Efik mythology, the mythological beliefs of the Efik people
*Efik religion, the traditional religion of t ...
. Kwa or Qua therefore means Essential One or Great One. It is of no coincidence that their ancient Kingdom was originally known as
Akwa Akpa. The words Akwa, Aqua, Kwa, Qua are common names for places, rivers, in both Akwa Ibom State and in Cross River State.
It is now a town in
Arochukwu,
Abia state
Abia State ( ig, Ȯha Abia) is a state in the South-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria, it is bordered to the north and northeast by the states of Enugu, and Ebonyi, Imo State to the west, Cross River State to the east, Akwa Ibom State to the ...
in Southeastern Nigeria still called Ibom. an
Ibibio kingdom which last King
Akpan Okon lost to the
Arochukwu people after the
Aro-Ibibio Wars, which the Arochukwu won with the combined
Igbo and
Akpa armies. Ibom is also where the famous
Ibini Ukpabi oracle is located.
References
External links
*http://www.aro-okigbo.com/history_of_the_aros.htm
*https://web.archive.org/web/20080828190518/http://www.aronetwork.org/others/confederancy.html
*http://aronewsonline.org/html/Prologue.asp{{dead link, date=November 2017 , bot=InternetArchiveBot , fix-attempted=yes
Countries in precolonial Africa
Aros
History of Nigeria
Former monarchies of Africa
17th century in Africa
Ibibio
Towns in Abia State
Former countries in Africa
Ibibio people