Abiriba
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Abiriba pronounced E`biriba`/is an ancient Enuda kingdom in
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 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 ...
, traditionally an Igbo speaking region. It is in the
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 ...
local government area.


History

The origin of the Abiriba people is not as speculative as the origin of other
Igbos 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 siz ...
of
southeastern Nigeria Igboland (Standard ), also known as Southeastern Nigeria (but extends into South-Southern Nigeria), is the indigenous homeland of the Igbo people. It is a cultural and common linguistic region in southern Nigeria. Geographically, it is divided b ...
. Historical evidence supports the fact that Abiriba people have common ancestry with the
Bahumono The Bahumono (Ehumono, Kohumono) people are the ethnic group in Nigeria located primarily in the Abi local government area of Cross River State. They are the largest ethnic group in the region. They speak the Kohumono language. History The E ...
, Yakor,
Ekoi "Ekoi" or "Ejagham" may refer to: * Ekoi people, a group of people found in south-eastern Nigeria, also known as Ejagham * Ekoid languages, the language spoken by the Ekoi people of south-eastern Nigeria * Ekoi mythology The primary traditional ...
tribes of cross river basin and the people of
Arochukwu Arochukwu Local Government Area, sometimes referred to as Arochuku or Aro Oke-Igbo, is the third largest local government area in Abia State (after Aba and Umuahia) in southeastern Nigeria and homeland of the Igbo subgroup, Aro people. It is ...
. At
Ekoi "Ekoi" or "Ejagham" may refer to: * Ekoi people, a group of people found in south-eastern Nigeria, also known as Ejagham * Ekoid languages, the language spoken by the Ekoi people of south-eastern Nigeria * Ekoi mythology The primary traditional ...
, constant disputes between the seven families under Ukpaghiri prompted the clan to move to Ena and finally to
Akpa The Ibom Isi also known as the Akpa are one of the three main lineages compromising the Aro people. They are centered in Ibom, Arochukwu in Nigeria. This Aro lineage is originally from the present day Akwa Ibom State in Southeastern Nigeria. Dur ...
. However, the Abiriba people found it difficult to settle in Akpa due to several issues with neighbours. Nevertheless, the death of Ukpaghiri led to the movement of Mbiriba and his group to Usukpam. Despite staying there for many years, they were still never at peace with the neighbours. Abiriba is made up of three main villages: Ameke, Amogudu, Agboji and it operates a
monarchical A monarchy is a form of government in which a person, the monarch, is head of state for life or until abdication. The political legitimacy and authority of the monarch may vary from restricted and largely symbolic (constitutional monarchy), ...
system. It operates on a tripodal system where the Eze of each of the three communities come together to form the Enachioken-in-council with the Eze Ameke as Enachioken on the basis of first among equals. The Paramount Ruler of Abiriba kingdom and the Enachoken of Abiriba, Kalu Kalu Ogbu.


Succession to the throne of Enachioken

Due to the tradition of the Nde Abiriba, the rule is that the descendants of the founder of Abiriba would rule over the kingdom. This is due to the fact that the succession to the throne of the Enachioken is by hereditary which is made up of the three royal compounds, that is, the ruling houses in the Abiriba Kingdom


Culture


Okpu Achi tree and its myth

At the heart of Abiriba —the very centre of the town—is a large,
ancient Ancient history is a time period from the History of writing, beginning of writing and recorded human history to as far as late antiquity. The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000 years, beginning with the Sumerian language, Sumerian c ...
tree "Okpu Achi" (Achi tree). The tree is both symbolic and spiritual and many believe that in the event of its fall, water from Okpu Achi would engulf the entire Abiriba land. Legend also has it that the Ishimokoto River is so
mystical Mysticism is popularly known as becoming one with God or the Absolute, but may refer to any kind of ecstasy or altered state of consciousness which is given a religious or spiritual meaning. It may also refer to the attainment of insight in u ...
that when foreigners tried to leave town with a bottle of water from the river—the bottle broke apart and the water flew miles back to the river.


Ceremony

"Itu Eye" is a traditional law enactment period in Abiriba kingdom. The ceremony marks the enactment of new laws in the ancient kingdom by the paramount ruler, Enachoken of Abiriba, after which the laws are handed over to an age grade group for enforcement. The ceremony starts with the picking of the palm leaf, Iburu omu, by the Okezie age grade group.


Age Grade

Age-grade also known as UKE in Abiriba language was structured to ensure a peaceful coexistence in their abode. The age grade with its unique features was introduced in the community such that in the contemporary time, the traditional institution had become the backbone behind probably all the developments in Abiriba. Thus governance and development of the people have gone on orderly for centuries through this indigenous system (Age-grade) of the people.


Notable people

Notable people from Abiriba include: * Uche Jombo Rodriguez (Nollywood Actress), Bourdex Telecom (The first Telecom operator in Nigeria before MTN or GLO). *
Ebitu Ukiwe Okoh Ebitu Ukiwe (born 26 October 1940) is a retired Commodore in the Nigerian Navy who served as the de facto Vice President of Nigeria under military head of state General Ibrahim Babangida from 1985 to 1986. Family Ukiwe was born on 26 Octobe ...
(The Vice president and former Governor of Lagos State). * * * *


References


External links

*Uche, K.O.(2008). The African community life. Lagos: Nelag & company Ltd *Akuma, E.(n.d). The comprehensive history of Abiriba. Unpublished noteNdukwe, O.R.(2015). Public perception of community policing in Abiriba. Msc Thesis. University of Nigeria,Nsukka * Newsbearer Weekly Vol. 6. No. 11. July 16, 2007 pages 33 – 37. * https://web.archive.org/web/20071009102122/http://aciu.org/ourhistory.html * https://books.google.com.ng/books/about/History_and_Development_of_Abiriba.html?id=vKV6HAAACAAJ&redir_esc=y {{Authority control Ethnic groups in Nigeria Towns in Abia State Cities in Abia State