Sunday 1 November 2015

The Nigerians You Probably Don't know.


The People Of The Ancestral Spirits.




This people are majorly found in north central nigeria in Benue state and are popularly known as Idomas. The Idoma people are overwhelmingly christians, but still believes in what they popularly called "Aleikwu" (the ancestral spirit).
When it comes to certain issues which christianity does not have immediate  answers to, the people will have to consult their ancestral spirits (Alaikwu) through the community chief priest.
The amazing things about the ancestral spirits as claimed by the idoma people is that, they act as an invisible police, the spirits can arrests any adulterous woman and can also kill anyone one who is planning evil against his or her brothers or sisters, meaning a woman who is married cannot have sex with another man, but if however she commits adultery  she will be attack by the ancestral spirits with  strange illnesses, when this happens the adulterous woman is left with two options, either she at the early stage of the attack by the spirits confesses and stay alive or confess very late and still die.
No man in idomaland who believes in the ancestral spirit dares suspect his wife of adultery without reporting such suspicion  to his kinsmen because keeping such thoughts to oneself is more or less committing suicide, because such man will be attack by the spirits which could lead to the man's death upon confession.
In Idomaland no lady is allowed to use her father's money to do abortion except the lady wants her father dead within two months. This is why men in Idomaland finds it difficult to give their grown up daughters money without knowing what they want to use the money for.
The believe in Aleikwu is seriously phasing out of Idomaland, but it is still upheld in idoma towns like Otupka, Orokam and Owukpa.

The People Of The Pythons

This people are found in southeastern part of Nigeria, Anambara and Imo state, but I am going to look at the group in Imo state those in isunjaba particularly.
The things you may not know about the Isunjaba People is the reverence the whole town accords to the sacred python – Eke Njawa. This python is treated with utmost reverence by all the inhabitants of the town, irrespective of one’s religion and social standing. It is neither killed nor eaten. Strangers, including religions leaders, are not allowed to tamper with it. This explains why neighbouring and outside communities regard Isunjaba as a totemic entity.
Unlike some other towns in Imo State,Nigeria where pythons are freely killed and used as meet,the killing of python in Isunjaba is an abomination.
According to some people from the town, this practice dates back from the days of their forefathers.
You can easily spot huge,massive and scary pythons in the town.These pythons are friendly to the indigenes of the town.
Pythons are given befitting burial in Isunjaba. If you dare kill any, you will organize a befitting burial for the python.The burials sometimes cost more than the amount required to organize a human being burial.Villagers and neighbours are invited to eat,drink and have when a python is buried.
Some people here also worship pythons. In fact,python has been god for some people since they were born.Huge amount is spent to feed these pythons. In addition,the way these pythons are pampered is beyond human reasoning. Specially made foods and houses are designed for them.Many of them feed better than humans and are often consulted by their worshippers in difficult times.

The Hill-Dwelling People


Koma is a relatively primitive hill-dwelling ethnic group in northeast Nigeria in northern Adamawa state in the Atlantika Mountains, which shares a border with southern Cameroun.
They are committed to their traditional culture. The men wear loincloths and women wear fresh leaves. Koma men are much more receptive to wearing of contemporary clothes than the women. Customarily inheritance in Koma is in the maternal lineage. As a mark of acceptance and friendship, a Koma man may share his wife with friends, especially visitors. They have an average population of about 400 people per village, and many engage in rearing of animals.
Among the Komas, a twin birth is regarded as evil, and twins are considered abominable so much so that until recently babies of multiple births used to be buried alive with the women who had the 'misfortune' of being their mothers. This obnoxious practice of twins killing is out of vogue among Komas who dwell on the plains, but in the out-of-the-way settlements on the hills, the ancient practice still thrives untainted.

Fulani Sharo tradition

The Sharo tradition is widely observed by the Fulani people but is not mandatory to some subgroups while others don’t necessarily observe this ancient practice. The upper cast Fulani nobles are excluded from the interesting test of manhood.
Sharo tradition is a public flogging of a potential groom before his nuptial; it is also practiced during important occasion like chieftaincy coronations, sport, and rite of manhood ceremonies. Nomadic Fulani like other tribe members are proud warriors instilled with discipline, courage and hard work.
The Sharo tradition is a highly revered tradition they hold dear going through the flogging to show courage and strength. A Jafun Fulani tribe’s man most endures brutal flogging on his back or ribs as part of a marriage ceremony to show courage and readiness for marriage.
The rule is simple show no fear or pain while he publicly endures brutal flogging with arms akimbo holding a stick and dancing to drum beats with chants and incantations. The Sharo tradition is attended by several tribes and might be a week long festivities with songs and dances.
Special renditions by local bards, dance troupes, young maiden dances, horse riding, pulsating drum beats, trade and revelry are common on such occasions making the ceremony colorful and interesting. The Sharo tradition is sometimes observed when his wife delivers his first male child or sport.

1 comment:

  1. Well played I must say. Keep bringing us this original piece of literature. I read here first.

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