IDOMA PEOPLE
June 23, 2020 at 12:56 pm,
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Background of the Idoma peopleBy Okwoli Moses Elaigwu
Idoma people are the second largest ethnic group of Benue State and are among the ten largest ethnic groups in Nigeria, there are over 3.5 million living in seven (adding other subgroup making up nine local government which will rise the population to over 4.5 million) across the state. Based on that figure, the Directorate of information, office of the Governor, Benue State of Nigeria indicates that Idoma people are the second largest ethnic group in Benue State. They live in an area of 13,015 kilometers, covering: Otukpo, Okpokwu, Oju, Ado and Apa Divisions, with Otukpo as their Quarters town. Idoma land is bounded on the North by the Benue River, on the West by the Tiv, on the south by Nsukka and Abakaliki areas respectively. Also, on the East reside the Igala people of Kogi State. Most of the Idoma area is inland south of the Benue, 72 kilometers East of the confluence with the Niger River (qtd in Igboaka 2007).
According to R. G. Armstrong “the country is nearly all ‘Orchard bush though changing into the forest at the beginning of the rain, along the southern fringes of the territory”. But currently, Indigenous Idoma in Benue People are spread across nine big local government areas of Benue State comprising Ado, Okpokwu, Ogbadibo, Agatu, Apa, Otukpo, Ohimini,Obi and Oju.
The language of the Idoma people is known as Idoma as stated by Armstrong, belongs to the Kwa language groups. The Idoma langauge is very rich, with five main dialects, which are categorized into the following: The central or Otukpo dialect spoken in Otukpo, Adoka, Ugboju, Oglewu, and Onyangede districts; The Igumale dialect spoken in Igumale and Agila districts; The Agatu dialect spoken in Agatu and Ochekwu districts; The Okpoga dialect spoken in Okpoga district, (It is closer to the Igumale – Agila dialects, but not the same), and the western dialect spoken in Otukpa and other districts in Ogbadibo (qtd in Igboaka 2007).
The geographical spread of Idoma people is indeed very wide and diversified. The Afor in the Nasarawa State, the Akweya-Yachi in both Akpa and Ogoja in Cross Rivers State, and the Idoma Iyala in Cross rivers state, as well as the Igede, all speak a language relatively close to that of the Idoma. Taking into account the fact that these groups are linguistically very near to each other, one can affirm that people speaking Idoma are spread from Keana, North of Benue River, to the region of Ogoja, and even further south to the bank of the Cross River, north of Ikom. The Etulo (Utur) also represent another isolated group near Katsina-Ala, in Tiv country. The Idoma people, as already mentioned are divided into numerous clans each with its particular history. Therefore, the Idoma unity is essentially a linguistic unity, and not a political one, as is the case with the Yoruba or the Igala, united into large kingdoms, whereas the Idoma language is essentially composed of many and varied dialects, as stated by Armstrong (qtd in Igboaka 2007)
Similarly, historically the Idoma people are said to have migrated from the Old Kwararafa Empire to their present location, though settling at Apa. Erim’s study, enables us to follow step by step the settlement of each Idoma group at it’s present day location
Reference:
Okwu history, Ejalekwu narrative of genealogy
V.G. Okwu; Idoma under colonial rule.
Prof. Idris O. O Amali; Alekwu Chant reconstruction as source of history.
Erim O. E. Idoma Nationality 1800 - 1900, Enugu fourth dimension publicatilers Ltd.
Prof. Armstrong M. A. The political evolution of the Idoma in Nilew Nigeria.