HISTORY 👏
Akpoto(Okpoto) dynasty was a LARGE dynasty of the heterogeneous population identified as Akpoto people. These people are to be what we have today as the Idoma, Igala, northern Igboland (Nsukka and some Anambra communities), Anioma people and some part of Abakaliki people and northeast and northwest to Ebira, Nupe and part of South Gwari people. All these people were Akpoto (Okpoto) People.
NOTE: Much was not recorded about the Okpoto civilization mainly because it existed and fell prior to written historical era in African setting, and long before the coming of the European explorers who would have collected much Historical documents of the civilization. Okpoto history also failed to be well documented because much that was to be said about her was already recorded to the benefit of its succeeding empires such as the Igala, Idoma, Kwararafa and Aro.
The Orring and their kins in Cross River, Benue and Ebonyi were also part of that civilizations which flourished until the end of 300AD when the dynasty disinterested as a result of pressure from the Jukun empire which stranded from it's capital in Wukari in present day Taraba state. Okpoto paved the way to Kwararafa empire assimilating some part of the defunct Okpoto to created its Southern boundary. The Kwararafa empire flourished until it dismantled which could be qs a result of warfare, external pressure and internal crisis. With the fall of Kwararafa, Kingdoms such as Igala (Idah) began to emerged and Idoma states began to grow but almost under the Attah Idah King.
The fall of Okpoto however, gave rise to massive migration of people who were formally settling around the Niger and Benue river to southwards in search of better settlements to forge ahead in the south through the Cross River route "Ebo-Enyi" (the Elephant water route), and only to be apprehended by the Atlantic Ocean. This was the case of the Orring (Ukelle), Akpa (Akwaya), Obubura, Ugep, Ekoi, Effik and Ibiobio people and their other kins.
Our people who are later to be called the Bantiod speakers of the Niger-Benue language of the Cross River language phylum was to settle in ancient places including Ekoi (Ejagham), Obubura and Anru- Eburutu (Aro Chukwu), Abakaliki, Afikpo etc.
By 300 AD, Both the Ekoi and their kins the Effik Eburutu people who later created the pictogram called *INSIBIDI* that became popular among the Aro confederation and used throughout the Aro-Ibiobio confederation and which Abakaliki was a part and across entire Igboland, have already build communities including Obom, Ita (three), Ikom and Okon. Aro and Abam people came to settle near the Efik Eburutu settlements and built their own 19 villages having the Eze Enru as their king. Following many crisis between the Aro and Ibiobio which our kins including Ukelle people help Nnachi the leader of the Aro win the war, Aro Chukwu rises into prominent and created a massive civilizations amongst some of the Okpoto people around them called Ekpe Leopard Secret Society.
One important and significant impact of the Aro civilization was the imposition of the ancient Akpoto gods Ibini Ukpabi people. Ibini Ukpabi is an Ekoi language.
To this Day, the people of Aro, Abam, Afikpo, Edda, Abriba, Ohafia, etc hold part of their history that they have common ancestry with other non-Igbo Cross River Groups including the Ekoi, Effik Eburutu and Ukelle, Obubura people. That is why they called themselves the Cross River Igno groups.
IN SUMMARY 👏
OKPOTO CIVILIZATION
Orring people belongs to the ancient Okpoto (Akpoto) dynasty which is notably one of the most ancient civilizations in Nigeria dating far back to the Bantu civilization.
Orring people include:
1. Ufia (Utonkon) people in Ado and Oju and their other kins including, Ogbala, Uzelle all in Benue Benue state.
2. Ukelle, Umon, Agwagwune, Isobo, Bahomono, Obubura, Ekumeku, Mbembe people, etc in Cross River state.
3. Effium, Okpoto, Ntezi, Amuda, Okpomoro and Oza people in Ebonyi state.
3. There are also the present of Orring people in northern part which of Enugu state, in Kogi state, Taraba and Abia state.
All these people among their kins and neighbors including the Igala, Idoma, Ebira, Nupe, Nsukka and Anam and other northern Anambra groups were formerly members of the ancient civilizations called Okpoto (Akpoto), a heterogeneous society of different languages and kingdoms living together and sharing similar value, beliefs and traditions.
Some of us who grows up in Igede land, you always heard our forefathers referring to Idoma people as akpoto or Ikpoto or okpoto Group. 💜 🤎 🖤
Picture: 1. A reciprocal of Abriba dancer in Ebonyi.
2. Ekpe Secret S0ciety in Cross River.
#africa #history #igedenation
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