Igarra (also known as Etuno) is the
Local Government
Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of public administration within a particular sovereign state. This particular usage of the word government refers specifically to a level of administration that is both geographically-loca ...
Headquarters of the
Akoko Edo
Akoko Edo is a Local Government Area in Edo State, Nigeria. Its headquarters is in the town of Igarra. It has an area of 1,371 km and a population of 262,110 at the 2006 census.
The postal code of the area is 312.
As of 2016, its populatio ...
Local Government Area
A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for. The size of an LGA varies by country but it is generally a subdivision of a State (administrative division), state, province, divi ...
of
Edo State
Edo, commonly known as Edo State, is a state located in the South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria. As of 2006 National population census, the state was ranked as the 24th populated state (3,233,366) in Nigeria, However there was controversy ...
,
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 town is made up of the Ubobo, Utua, and Uffa quarters. It is beautified with rocky terrains, and is surrounded by the
Kukuruku Hills.
Igarra residents, known as ''Anetuno'', speak the
Etuno language
Ebira (pronounced as /eh 'be ra/; also known as Igbira, Egbura, or Okene) is a Niger-Congo language. It is spoken by around 2 million people in North central Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , f ...
and share linguistic and cultural similarities with the
Egbira 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 the s ...
.
Igarra is also one of the ethnic nationalities that makes up
Afemailand.
The founding fathers of Igarra migrated from
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 o ...
in present day
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 the s ...
under the leadership of Ariwo Ovejijo who was a prince in Idah and who left Idah with his supporters because he felt cheated of his right to ascend the throne of the Attah of Igalla many centuries ago. He and his followers, made up of all the present families in Igarra, founded Igarra and he became the first ruler who ruled over his followers in the new kingdom under the title of “Otaru Ariwo Ovejijo Oshinoyi Etuno” meaning “Otaru Ariwo Ovejijo, King of Igarra people,” which, up till today, is still the traditional eulogy or appellation for the Otaru of Igarra.
Apart from the fact that the
oracle
An oracle is a person or agency considered to provide wise and insightful counsel or prophetic predictions, most notably including precognition of the future, inspired by deities. As such, it is a form of divination.
Description
The word '' ...
favoured the settlement at the present site called Igarra, other factors that contributed to their final decision to settle here, include the following:
# Cool refreshing spring water from the hills such as the Ivokoto, Ifege, Idiko and Usege springs. Even after the construction of pipe-borne waters, some people in Igarra still prefer the cool spring water from Ivokoto and Ifege.
# Hills offering protection against external aggression. Igarra is almost totally surrounded by rocky hills.
# Fertile agricultural soil for crops like Yam, Cassava, and Palm produce. “UNO” mean palm produce in Igala language). Igarra possibly derived its name from this abundant palm produce which they met on their arrival on the land.
# Flourishing trade in beads with the aborigine – Anafuas.
At the time of the migration, one of the women that came to the present site with Ariwo Ovejijo harboured in her had some grains of guinea corn accidentally or deliberately. This woman was believed to be from Eziakuta family – one of the families that was loyal to Ariwo Ovejijo. This guinea corn grew up, was harvested and regrown. This is probably the reason why the Eziakuta family play significant role in the (osisiakumete) “Ete” is Igarra means land or soil. “Osisiakumete” therefore means the appeasement of the god of the soil and harvest. It is on this day that Upe Enu date is fixed. (Upe Enu is the new yam festival in Igarra).
As stated earlier, Ariwo Ovejijo and his migrants met very few people residing on the hills of Igarra. These were the Anafuas (midgets), Anivas (foolish people) and Andokonis. Very little is known about these people except that they lived in caves and their life style was simple and unsophisticated compared to the Igarras. These people were eliminated when they began to constitute a menace to the Igarras after settlement. They were either killed or driven away from the area to join their