It was the warrior DNA in Ohafia forefathers that saw them withstand the Portuguese slave missionaries that the Old Bini embraced which the Ohafia fathers frowned at to the point of killing those white slave merchants. It was this killing that made our fathers embarked on ceaseless flight, thinking the white men with superior guns were coming after them. At the slight of sounds, they will take off.
It was that spirit of killing that transcend to the war dance. It is not ordinary dance per say. It is a Cult by the warriors, head hunters of old. You don't belong until you present a fresh head to the Ikoro-Ukwu of the concerned Ohafia village. W
You are not yet a man until proved by the number of heads you come home with
Very unfortunate what we witness today is elitists, commercial dance called Ohafia War Dance, and as a club by those who never saw the flow of blood.
Old Ohafia dance was just a display, gesticulation of what happens at the war front.
*Body Gyration:* The shoulders movement and gyration of the body signifies when the head of a man is severed from the body, the "Nkpuguru" (headless body) shakes + until final silence. It is not dancing.
*Dancing steps:*
The movements of the dancers displays war tactical movements, step by step display, each step signifies a message. The dancers responds to the rythim of the Drummer and the Fluteman. They don't just dance but interpreting war situation with their legs.
You observe, the Agbagagba (made of human heads before the Civil War of Nigeria) Carrier flanked by two warriors has palm frond in his mouth and does not talk. Signifying the dead he is carrying does not ktalk. He do not carry the Agbagagba down by himself nor dropped on bare ground.
My above explanation goes to tell us Ohafia Ezema Atita Akpo and Abam Onyerubi Atita Akpo are the original owners of the War Dance, not Abiriba, that came from Cross River or Arochukwu that came after Ohafia settlement.
Ohafia settlement on the migrational struggle is distinct, clear and straight forward, through the lineage of Nna Ezema(Ezemadu) Atita - Adigi-Ata) Akpo (Akpoku).
Ohafia migrated past Bini(Owan) settlement, through Andoni, through Umuajiji Isieke Ibeku to first settlement at Ugwumgbogo. (I will explain further the connection with Achichi Elu, now Achichi Ohafia, where Nna Ezema Atita domiciled the Ikwan Di Orie(his god of war) and Orie(the god of fertility).
It is those who have question marks as to their legitimacy of Ohafiaship that are busy distorting the history for political gain. And those whose forefathers handed over their first settlement authority to Nna Ohafia - Ezema Atita.
Let me stop here.
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