Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
. The Igala played significant roles in the formation of Nigeria having been made host to the capital of Nigeria at Lokoja in the past, with Lugard as the Governor. The Igala Kingdom expanded beyond the present-day boundary. Their homeland, the former
Igala Kingdom
Anẹ Igáláà (Igala Land) also known as the Igala Kingdom. Igala Kingdom is a pre-colonial West African state, located at the eastern region of the confluence of River Niger and River Benue in the Middle Belt or North-central of Nigeria. T ...
, is an approximately triangular area of about in the angle formed by the Benue and
Niger
)
, official_languages =
, languages_type = National languages The area was formerly known as the Igala Division of
Kabba
Kabba is a city in Kogi State in mid west Nigeria. It lies near the Osse River, at the intersection of roads from Lokoja, Okene, Ogidi, Ado-Ekiti, and Egbe. The town is about 295 kilometers away from Abuja. It is 511 kilometers from Lagos.
...
province and is now part of
Kogi State
Kogi State is a state in the North Central region of Nigeria, bordered to the west by the states of Ekiti and Kwara, to the north by the Federal Capital Territory, to the northeast by Nasarawa State, to the northwest by Niger State, to t ...
. The capital is
Idah
Idah is a town in Kogi State, Nigeria, on the eastern bank of the Niger River in the middle belt region of Nigeria. It is the headquarter of the Igala Kingdom, and also a Local Government Area with an area of 36 km. Idah had a population ...
in Kogi state. Igala people are majorly found in Kogi state. They can be found in Idah, Igalamela/Odolu, Ajaka, Ofu, Olamaboro, Dekina, Bassa, Ankpa, Omala, Lokoja, Ibaji, and Ajaokuta Local government all in Kogi state.
Culture
The
Igala kingdom
Anẹ Igáláà (Igala Land) also known as the Igala Kingdom. Igala Kingdom is a pre-colonial West African state, located at the eastern region of the confluence of River Niger and River Benue in the Middle Belt or North-central of Nigeria. T ...
is ruled by an "Atta", of all of whom Atta Ayegba Oma Idoko and Atta Ameh Oboni are the two most revered. In Igala lore, Oma Idoko is said to have offered his beloved daughter by burying her alive to ensure that Igala won a war of liberation from Jukun dominance. Atta Ameh Oboni is known to have been very brave and resolute because of his stiff resistance against the British and struggle to uphold the ancient traditions of Igala land. He died by suicide in order to forestall the plans of the British, who wanted him deposed and exiled.
Idakwo Micheal Ameh II became the twenty-seventh Attah following the death of his predecessor Attah Alhaji Aliyu Obaje in 2012.Igala Kingdom Gets New Attah Information Nigeria. In Igala culture, most parts of the kingdom, like Ankpa, recurved three deep cut horizontal cuts on each side of their face beside the mouth as a way of identifying each other. This practice, which was prevalent during inter - tribal wars in the 17th century and 18th century has now become very uncommon among the Igala people.
By Igala native law and custom, an Attah newly nominated by the four ruling royal houses ( Aj’Ameacho, Aj’Aku, Aj’Akogu and Aj’Ocholi) is verified by the Igalamela Kingmakers, traditional chiefs of the Igala kingdom. The Igalamela kingmakers are made up of nine chiefs (Etemahi Igalamela, Agbenyo, Onubiogbo, Onede, Aleji, Okweje, Achadu Kekele Ukwaja, Ananya Ata, Achanya Ata) with Etemahi Igalamela as the head of the Kingmakers. The Kingmakers forward the nominated name to the prime minister of the Igala kingdom, known as the Achadu oko-ata, for onward approval by the Kogi State Government.
History
The word anẹ̀ Igala means Igalaland is regarded to be the territory where the people are speaking the Igala language. The early settlement in the Igala kingdom were founded by the ancestors of the people now known as the Igala-Mela with traditions that means "the nine Igala". The efunyi or ofigbeli was a large unit of settlement consisting of two or more several headsteads under their am'onofe -unyi, the family heads. In these primary settlements, membership was strictly based on
agnatic kinship
Patrilineality, also known as the male line, the spear side or agnatic kinship, is a common kinship system in which an individual's family membership derives from and is recorded through their father's lineage. It generally involves the inheritanc ...
ties such as Am'om'onobule, the am'ana, the in-laws, the am'adu, the domestic slaves were absorbed into the settlement on the understanding that they accepted their social and political limitations in certain issues.
Igala Concept of God
àbó Ígáláà regard God or Ọjọ́-chàmáchālāà as all-knowing and all-seeing, a similar worldview to that of the
Abrahamic faiths
The Abrahamic religions are a group of religions centered around worship of the God of Abraham. Abraham, a Hebrew patriarch, is extensively mentioned throughout Abrahamic religious scriptures such as the Bible and the Quran.
Jewish traditi ...
that originated in the
Middle East
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Province), East Thrace (Europ ...
and have now started to eclipse traditional faiths.
However, to access this God and to ascertain what He is saying per time,
Ifa
IFA or Ifa may refer to:
Organisations
Economics
* Independent financial adviser, a type of financial services professional in the UK
* Index Fund Advisors
* Institute and Faculty of Actuaries, representing actuaries in the UK
* Institute of Ac ...
needs to be consulted.
To this end, all the demigods, especially the natural elements of water and land, are given sacrificial offerings periodically. This is done to gain their favour.
Another aspect of deity amongst the Igalas is the Ibegwu, Ibo (people) egwu (dead). The spirits of the departed souls play an important role in the various clans. It is believed that they see everything and know everything, and hence are good in arbitration. The Ibegwu judges the actions of the living, especially in cases of land disputes,
infidelity
Infidelity (synonyms include cheating, straying, adultery, being unfaithful, two-timing, or having an affair) is a violation of a couple's emotional and/or sexual exclusivity that commonly results in feelings of anger, sexual jealousy, and ri ...
, family disputes and general conducts regarding sex and sexuality (Ibegwu forbids sex in daytime, oral sex, brothers sharing the same sex partners, etc.). However, Ibegwu is only potent on individuals whose families are connected to it. Families that have no ties with Ibegwu do not usually feel their impact. When Ibegwu judges a person of wrongdoing, the consequence is the manifestation of diseases that defy medical solution.
Notable Igala people
*
Abubakar Audu
Prince Abubakar Audu (24 October 1947 – 22 November 2015) was a Nigerian career banker and politician who was the first civilian governor of Kogi State. He ruled Kogi State twice (first in the Third Republic and second, in the Fourth Republ ...
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Aliyu Obaje
Àlíì Ọ̀chẹ́ja Ọ̀bàje GCFR (1910 – July 16, 2012) was the 26th Àtá Igala (paramount ruler) of the Igala Kingdom in Nigeria. Obaje reigned for 56 years making him one of the longest serving monarch in Nigeria's history.
Lif ...
*
Emmanuel Dangana Ocheja
Emmanuel Dangana Ocheja is a Nigerian Senator who represented Kogi East senatorial district in the National Assembly, and a member of the All Progressives Congress.
Ocheja is the principal of Dangana Global Legal Services (formerly Dangana, M ...
Ogwu James Onoja
Ogwu James Onoja , SAN, (born 19 February 1968) is a legal practitioner and notary public with the Supreme Court of Nigeria. Onoja has authored several publications on legal and social subjects in Nigeria, including ''The Supreme Court Rules: Pr ...
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Praiz
Praise Ugbede Adejo (born 8 March 1985), better known by his stage name Praiz, is a Nigerian multi award-winning R&B singer, songwriter, and producer. Praiz's music career hit the limelight after he finished second runner-up at the maiden seas ...
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Jeremiah Attaochu
Jeremiah Ojimaojo Attaochu (born January 17, 1993) is a Nigerian born American football outside linebacker for the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2 ...
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Lucy Jumeyi Ogbadu
Lucy Jumeyi Ogbadu (born 25 September 1953) is a Nigerian microbiologist and served as the Director General/CEO of the National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA), a research agency under the Nigerian Ministry of Science & Technology until ...
Ibrahim Idris
Ibrahim Idris (born 1949) is a Nigeria businessman who was elected governor of Kogi State in Nigeria in April 2003, and reelected in April 2007. He is a member of the People's Democratic Party (PDP).
Idris was succeeded by his brother-in-law C ...
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Idris Wada
Idris Ichala Wada (born 26 August 1950) is a Nigerian retired pilot and politician. On 9 December 2011, he was elected as the 3rd governor of Kogi State under the platform of People's Democratic Party. Idris was however succeeded by Yahaya Bell ...