ABOUT US

The Migration

The people who occupy the territory known as Abiriba descended from the Igbo and Efik people of Calabar. They migrated from the upper Cross River area centuries ago led by a Nnachi Oken, from whom the title “Enachioken” (“The Monarch”) originates. Initially, they occupied a smaller territory which expanded when the Abiriba people routed the surrounding Nkporo people and took over their lands. The Abiriba people were war-like and quickly established themselves in the area.  The origin of the Abiriba people is not as speculative as the origin of other Igbos of southeastern Nigeria. Historical evidence supports the fact that Abiriba people have common ancestor with the Yakor tribe of Ekoi of Cross River basin and the people of Arochukwu. 

At Ekoi, constant disputes between the seven families under Ukpaghiri prompted the clan to move to Ena and finally to Akpa.   The settlement at Akpa was difficult for many years due to hostilities with neighbors. After the death of Ukpaghiri, Mbiriba and his group moved to Usukpam and stayed there for many years but were never at peace with the neighbors. Mbiriba decided to move to Udara-ebuo whereas Otusi led the other branch of the family down stream and eventually founded Arochukwu. The term Nwadim is often used between Abiriba and Aros because of our common lineage. Mbiriba who had advanced in age, moved his group once more and settled at Udara-ebuo.   Nature was inhospitable to the inhabitants at Udara-ebuo. There was no water and the place was overrun by monkeys. Oral history has it that monkeys used to visit homes to look for food, and the people became sick living on monkey meat only. Mbiriba died at Udara-ebuo and left his son Ifa Mbiriba in charge.  Ifa Mbiriba finally moved to Uruanta and Agboha and settled there. The new settlement was very fertile and had a natural fortress. Thus Abiriba was derived from the name Mbiriba or nickname “Ebiri-Aba”. 

“Ila Ikwu Nne” (Matrilineage)

Matrilineage refers to the systematic tracing of ‘ancestry’ through females. It is seen as an organizing principle that allowed men to exercise rulership in a social group while inheritance and succession passed in the female line. Powers were transmitted from males to males as in patrilineal system, the only difference being that such males share a common female ancestry instead of common male ancestry. In this system, a man’s next of kin is either his brother or his sister and her children. The brothers’ children cannot inherit his property because they came from another woman (his brother’s wife). So the membership of the matriclan (“Ikwu”) spreads across families, kindred and communities just like a social club. It is headed by the oldest member of the group whose home serves as a place of meeting throughout his life time. The custom of matrilineage recognizes three stake holders in a man’s life or death. These are the nuclear family, the matriclan (“Ikwu”) and the kindred (“ezi”). The biological son is entitled to inherit his father’s residence or house in the kindred compound, his father’s gun and machete (symbols of occupation in a horticultural society). The wife is entitled to pieces of new wrapper from his box if the man had the customary cloth box. The oldest half-brother (“umujiahuo”) in the kindred is entitled to a piece of wrapper. It is only after the above three provisions have been met that the matriclan (“Ikwu”) has the right to share whatever is left after paying the burial expenses which is usually conducted by the matriclan. Thus children in matrilineage enjoy dual inheritance. They inherit from their father and their matriclan. This is very contrary to the common but erroneous impression that matrilineage robs children of their inheritance .