The Eloyi (also called Afao, Afo, Afu, Aho, Epe, Keffi) are an ethnic group of central

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 ...

. About 100,000 people identify themselves as Eloyi. They are related to the Idoma ethnic group.

Language

As of 2000, about 25,000 people in the Awe and

Nasarawa Nasarawa is a Local Government Area in Nasarawa State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Nasarawa, located at 8°32'N 7°42'E, with a population of 30,949 (as of 2016). The local government area has an area of 5,704 km and a populat ...

Local Government Areas (LGAs) of

Nasarawa State Nasarawa State is a state in the North Central region of Nigeria, bordered to the east by the states of Taraba and Plateau, to the north by Kaduna State, to the south by the states of Kogi and Benue, and to the west by the Federal Capital Ter ...

and the

Otukpo Otukpo is a town in Benue State, Nigeria located in the Middle Belt Region of Nigeria. It is also the eponymous name of a subgroup of the Idoma people. Otukpo is the headquarters of the Otukpo Local Government Area. It was the headquarters of the ...

LGA of

Benue State Benue State is one of the North Central states in Nigeria with a population of about 4,253,641 in 2006 census. The state was created in 1976 among the 7 states created at that time.The state derives its name from the Benue River which is t ...

were reported to speak the Eloyi language, in the Idomoid branch of the Benue-Congo group. Many use

Hausa Hausa may refer to: * Hausa people, an ethnic group of West Africa * Hausa language, spoken in West Africa * Hausa Kingdoms, a historical collection of Hausa city-states * Hausa (horse) or Dongola horse, an African breed of riding horse See also ...

as their second or primary language.

History

Afo Maternity Figure in the Horniman Museum

Traditionally, most of the Eloyi lived in a range of rocky hills in what today is Nasarawa State. They revolted against the British in 1918, and were then forced to leave their homeland. Today they are scattered in different parts of Nasarawa and Benue states, although some have moved back to the original hills. The British divided the Eloyi into ten village areas in 1932, appointing a head for each village, but these village heads were not recognized by the Eloyi.

Society

The Eloyi are one of the more economically advanced of the Benue Valley tribes. In the hills they grow guinea corn, cotton, yams, and tobacco. They practice in weaving and dying, producing cloth that is much in demand and can be traded. The Eloyi villages in the hills are made up of round huts with conical thatched roofs grouped around a central courtyard. In the plains the Eloyi are mostly farmers, selling dried fish and palm oil for cash. The plains Eloyi build large houses within compounds and fortify their villages.

Organization and beliefs

The village is the largest political unit, independent of its neighbors. A chief is assisted by a council of elders in administering the village and resolving disputes. The ''gado'' is the father of the village, the authority on customs and law, in charge of planting and harvest rites. Most Eloyi practice their traditional beliefs, which center on the god Owo, who is symbolized by a white silk cotton tree or a fig tree. They worship their ancestors, whose spirits are thought to live on and to require food and care. Religious rites include masked impersonation of ancestors, witchcraft, magic, and divination with strings. A small number of Eloyi have adopted the Muslim religion.

References

Citations Sources * * * Ethnic groups in Nigeria Benue State Plateau State {{Nigeria-stub