By Uduma Kalu
CHAPTER 1: IKWU STARTED IN CENTRAL AFRICA, NOT IGBO LAND
Matriliny did not start in Igboland. Igbo are originally patrilineal.
The largest matrilineal belt in Africa starts in *Central Africa — Congo, Zambia, Cameroon* — and enters Nigeria through Cross River.
In Central Africa, land belongs to mother, not father. Why? In forest warrior societies, men die in war and hunting. The only permanent line is sister's children.
This belt moves north into *Cameroon* to a place called *Lake Ejagham*, near present Cameroon-Nigeria border. This is the origin of Ejagham people.
CHAPTER 2: EJAGHAM — THE 8 MOTHERS — LAKE EJAGHAM, CAMEROON
Ejagham people say they came from Lake Ejagham.
Their whole system is matrilineal from beginning. Not adopted — original.
Ejagham have *8 matri-clans*, all from 8 founding mothers:
*Nkim, Nkum, Ekajuk, Nnam, Abaniyom, Ntaa, Nselle and Ndeh.*
Their law:
> "The Quas (Ejagham) are matrilineal. Children belong to mothers. The girl child has most of the properties... The first daughter is called Adiaha and she is lord in the family."
- *Adiaha* — first daughter, is the landlord. She inherits.
- Sons live in mother's village, not father's.
- Property goes from mother to daughter to sister's son.
Ejagham spread into present Cross River, Akamkpa, Calabar, Ikom. They are the parents of *Ekoi, Qua, Efiks* who also are matrilineal.
This is the *southern root of ikwu.*
CHAPTER 3: KWARARAFA — APA — THE NORTHERN JUNCTION OF MATRI-CLANS
The second root is *Kwararafa Confederacy*.
Capital was *Apa*. First capital BiePie, founded by Chief Awudu in 596 AD. It lasted 1000 years till 1596.
Kwararafa was not one tribe. It was confederacy of peoples who today are matrilineal or double-descent:
*Jukun (Wapan = people of Apa), Igala, Idoma, Nupe, Alago, Eggon, Gomai, Gbagyi, Kuteb, and Akpa / Akweya / Ufia / Ohafia / Abiriba.*
All of them say they came from Apa.
> "Many Idoma kindred claim an ancestral homeland called Apa, northeast of present-day Idomaland... The historical Apa was part of the ancient Kwararafa Kingdom, a confederacy of several peoples."
> "The people of Idoma land are of four main groups, namely the Idoma, the Akweya, the Igede and the Ufia. Of these four groups, the Idoma and the Akweya have a tradition of migration from the Kwararafa confederacy, which the Idoma refer to as Apa."
Kwararafa Forum, official gathering of Kwararafa descendants in Abuja:
> "Among some indigenes of present day Cross River state are Kwararafa persons. Same goes for people in Ohafia/Abiriba of present day Abia state."
Apa LGA in Benue today is still home of those who made first migration from that kingdom. Inside Apa LGA are *Ufia / Ufa* people.
> "Ufia and Ikpomolokpo ancestors made contacts over three hundred years ago when the two groups occupied a settlement somewhere along the routes of their migration after they were compelled to vacate the Kwararafa kingdom for the cross river axis. This was the 1740-1750 hostilities and the eventual collapse of the Jukun kingdom."
So *Apa is the place where northern matrilineal (Kwararafa) meets southern matrilineal (Ejagham).*
Kwararafa army was Akpa aborigines — same people who later became Ufia in Apa and Ohafia in Abia.
CHAPTER 4: MBEN ENTERS — NDI BINI FROM BENIN JOINS KWARARAFA
Now enters *Mben.*
Mben is not from Ejagham or Kwararafa originally. Mben is from *Benin Empire.*
Tradition:
> "The Mben (Ohafia people) originally migrated from Ndoni to Isieke Ibeku under the leadership of their leader, Atita Akpo; their founder Akpo Uku, having died at Ndoni."
- Founder: *Akpo Ukwu (Akpo Uku)* — died at Ndoni, Rivers.
- Successor: *Atita Akpo* — led Mben to Ibeku.
- Mben = what Ibeku people called them.
What does Mben mean? Prof. Onwuka N. Njoku, from Ejituwu, Abam-Ohafia clan historian:
> "Their movement took them probably through Ndoni and Ibeku before arriving at their present destination where the earlier settlers referred to them as 'Ndi Mben', which was a corruption of 'Ndi Bini' (Bini people)."
> "The Abam-Ohafia head-hunters were indeed the power behind whatever influence the Aro claim to have exerted... The Abam-Ohafia people migrated from Benin Kingdom to their present abode... Their leader was named Uduma Ezema who might have left the Benin Kingdom about the same time of the mythical Ezechime."
So Mben = Ndi Bini = Bini people from Benin, 14th-15th century, same time as Eze Chima who founded Onitsha.
Mben were fully *patrilineal Igbo* when they left Benin. No ikwu. They were called Umuajiji at Ibeku.
But when Mben entered Kwararafa confederacy, they met the *Apa system* — where property goes to sister's children because warriors die in war.
Mben became the army of Kwararafa — *Akpa aborigines*.
CHAPTER 5: MBEN SPLITS — UFA IN APA AND OHAFIA IN ABIA
When Kwararafa collapsed in 1740-1750, Mben split:
*North Branch — UFA / UFIA in APA:*
Stayed near old capital. Today in Apa LGA, Benue. Described as:
> "Ufia being warrior race. Also the meanings of the names were coined from either Ku Ufia language, Igbo or Idoma. Watuolo was the war leader who dug war trenches... Igba are Ufia's military infantry fighters who led the war."
*South Branch — OHAFIA / ABIRIBA / ABAM in ABIA:*
Moved to Cross River axis, met Ejagham directly.
Both branches fought as *allies, not mercenaries.*
> "When Okennachi, the first Igbo Eze Aro, invited them to assist Arochukwu against the Ibibio, Princes Osim and Akuma Nnubi (Akpa aborigines) heeded the call and joined forces with the Igbo Arochukwu in the Igbo-Ibibio War."
Akpa = same Mben.
CHAPTER 6: EDDA AND AFIKPO VERSIONS — WHERE IKWU WAS FORMALIZED INSIDE MBEN
Edda were not neighbours. *Edda were part of Mben.*
Oral tradition in Edda and Afikpo says before ikwu:
> "In ancient times, the Afikpo and Edda groups were patrilineal, and fathers gave property to their children."
Inside this Edda branch of Mben, ikwu law was made by sacrifice:
*Edda Version:*
A hunter *Oboniukwu Eze* killed a man mistakenly in Edda. Law of blood: give yourself or your son.
He fled to Ikwuni. No wife brought food. No son visited. Only younger sister *Afor Ukwu Eze* brought food.
He begged wives to give child. All refused.
Afor said: "I will offer my own son *Oboninta*, named after you."
Oboninta was killed in ambush.
Oboniukwu returned and decreed:
> "From this day, my heirs are my maternal family who offered supreme sacrifice for me. My land after death belongs to my sister's children."
*Afikpo Version (Ottenberg recorded):*
> "One man killed another and was expected to give up one of his sons... He asked each of his wives to give up a son, but they all refused... His sister then offered her son. From that day, Afikpo decided property should pass in matrilineal way."
*Ohafia Version:*
Ohafia kept double descent to honour both roots:
- *Umudi = ezi = homestead = father's side = Akpo Ukwu, Mben, Ndi Bini from Benin*
- *Ikwu = ala = land = mother's side = Apa / Kwararafa war law + Ejagham 8 mothers*
That is why Ohafia man has two villages — Umudi and Ikwu.
CHAPTER 7: FINAL CHAIN
*Central Africa matrilineal belt → Cameroon Lake Ejagham (8 mothers: Nkim, Nkum, Ekajuk, Nnam, Abaniyom, Ntaa, Nselle, Ndeh, Queen Adiaha) → Kwararafa Confederacy capital Apa (junction of northern and southern matrilineal, Wapan people of Apa) → Mben (Ndi Bini from Benin, founded by Akpo Ukwu, led by Atita Akpo) enters Apa as Akpa army, becomes allies not mercenaries → Collapse 1740-1750 → Split into Ufa/Ufia in Apa LGA (northern Ohafia) and Ohafia/Abiriba/Abam in Abia (southern Ohafia) → Inside Mben, Edda branch creates ikwu law through Oboniukwu / Afor / Oboninta sacrifice → Afikpo same → Ejagham contact reinforces it → Ohafia formalizes double descent: Umudi (Benin patriliny) + Ikwu (Kwararafa/Ejagham matriliny).*
That is why Ohafia ikwu is not borrowed from Efik after Aro. It is older — it is *Kwararafa war law + Ejagham mother law*, joined to *Benin father law* inside Mben.
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