Umuopara are a clan of the

Igbo people The Igbo people ( , ; also spelled Ibo" and formerly also ''Iboe'', ''Ebo'', ''Eboe'', * * * ''Eboans'', ''Heebo''; natively ) are an ethnic group in Nigeria. They are primarily found in Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo States. A ...

Umuahia Umuahia () is the capital city of Abia State in southeastern Nigeria. Umuahia is located along the rail road that lies between Port Harcourt to its south,and Enugu city to its north. Umuahia has a population of 359,230 according to the 2006 Nige ...

Nigeria, Nigeria Which is one of the five Clans that make up the present day Umuahia. Umuopara lies on the western border of Abia with Imo State. The natural boundaries between the Umuopara of Umuahia Abia State and its Umungwa and Udo-Mbaise neighbours both in Imo state is the Imo River. . The Umuopara reside in seven villages known as ''umunne asaa'': Ezeleke, Ogbodiukwu, Ekenobizi, Ehume, Ogbodinibe, Umuihi and Umunwawa.

Culture

Umuopara is generally regarded as the cradle of Umuahia civilization. It was known for the Egwu festival celebrated at Omaegwu. Umuopara later became known for the

Ekpe Ekpe, also known as Mgbe/Egbo (Ekoi language: ''leopard''; derived from the Ibibio term for the same), is a West African secret society in Nigeria and Cameroon flourishing chiefly among the Efiks. It is also found among a number of other ethn ...

festival which is also celebrated by Ibeku and Ohuhu clans in Umuahia. The first ever Ekpe festival took place in Ogbodiukwu Umuopara. The new ''Yam festival'' is also celebrated in Umuopara. The supreme deity in Umuopara during pre-colonial times was Ojam. Most of the modern-day residents are

Christians Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words '' Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρ ...

, predominantly

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...

and

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...

. Assemblies of God is the foremost

Pentecostal Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a Protestant Charismatic Christian movement

denomination in Nigeria. It began in Umuahia and is gaining ground in Umuopara.

Origin

Several beliefs describe the origin of Umuopara people. One view is that the Umuopara people did not migrate from anywhere. Some villages in Umuopara today trace their origin to places outside Umuopara. It has been suggested that at least sections of the people of Umuopara came from Obowu and

Mbaise Mbaise is a region in Imo State in southeastern Nigeria. In the heart of Igboland, the region includes several towns and cities. It is a group of indigenous clans, connected by intermarriage. With a population density of over 1,000 people per squ ...

areas. According to oral traditions Eku was the ancestor of the people of Umuopara. Eku had two sons namely Opara who became the founder of Umuopara and Ibe who founded

Ibeku Ibeku is a chiefdom consisting of seven clans nestled in the hilly terrain of Umuahia, in the southeastern part of Nigeria. It is located in the present-day Umuahia North Local Government of Abia State, Nigeria. The people of Ibeku speak Igbo, one ...

. Omaegwu in Umuopara was his first point of settlement. As the first son Opara remained while Ibe moved east. Nkwoegwu in present-day Ohuhu clan was a meeting point for the two brothers during the annual Egwu festival. This was before later migrations from Obowu area by the

Ohuhu people The Ohuhu clan of Umuahia north in Abia State Nigeria Igbo people, also referred to as ''Ohonhaw'', form a unique community of people in Umuahia, Abia state, Nigeria, consisting of several Autonomous Communities including Umukabia, Ohiya, Isi ...

. Some sons of Ibe later moved further east to establish Abam,

Ohafia Ohafia is an Igbo town in the Ohafia local government area (LGA) in Abia State, Nigeria. It is an Igbo speaking region. The ancestral capital of Ohafia town is the centrally located village of Elu. Ohafia Local Government Area, is an administrati ...

and Edda. Meanwhile, The traditions of origin of the Umuopara people are like those of most other Igbo Societies with diverse views on how the people came to be. These views usually seem contradictory and conflicting with regard to one epical father fathering all of the constituent units.http://www.unn.edu.ng/publications/files/images/UMUOPARA%20UNDER%20THE%20BRITISH%20COLONIAL%20ADMINISTRATION,%201905-1960%20BY%20ODIGBO%20CHUKWUDIKE.pdf

Culture

Origin

References

Sources

External links