Umukabia

Umukabia
Umukabia Location in Nigeria
Coordinates: 5°36′N 7°32′E
Country	Nigeria
State	Abia State
Town	Umuahia
Local Government Area	Umuahia North
Community	Ohuhu
Government
• Eze	Samuel Nwaubani
Population
• Ethnicities	Igbo
• Religions	Christianity, Odinani

Umukabia (Igbo for Ukabia's children) is a village in the Ohuhu community of Umuahia North Local Government Area, Abia State, Nigeria. There are also several other villages in Nigeria with the same name. It is made up of 3 smaller villages namely; okpuala being the eldest then umuagbom and azummiri. Its market day is known as Orie and has a major river known as Ikwu which is a tributary of the Imo river.it is believed that it sits on a large rock which has made it impossible for bore holes to be dug all over the village. The village holds annual ceremonies known as Iri Ji (new yam) festival and Ekpe festival which is termed as the village Christmas and holds on an Orie market day after Christmas but must not be on a Sunday.

History

Origin

Umukabia founding father was a man named Ukabia (18th Century) who is thought to have migrated from the neighboring Imo state. He has also founded other villages around Igbo land and these villages have known to have visited each other. Most families in Umukabia are a descendant of the ancestor Ukabia, others may have migrated into the area.

Ukabia

Ukabia Uga is the founding father of Umukabia and may have lived sometime between the 16th and 17th century. Umukabia's ancestral deity is Alumeze, which is the blood union of all of Ukabia's descendants.

Culture

Umukabia's main appellation is Ojim Ukwu Nnu Egbe, contingent on the ability of Umukabia black smiths to produce 400 musket guns in short order. With this ability, Ukabia warriors were able to parry any aggression by neighboring villages, who dared to challenge her.

Umukabia is known for its culture and tradition including music and dance among which are Brass Band, Kokoma, Igborokiti, Onye oria agba, and others. Indeed, a lot of fecund spinsters who attended ceremonies in Umukabia refused to return and subsequently eloped with young men in the village. Recently in the 1990s some bold youth challenged the community by introducing a brand of masqurade, "Ekpe" which is common in Nkwoegwu and Umuopara. The elders fought relentlessly, albeit unsuccessfully to suppress this new culture, which they considered abrasive. Currently, some sections of Umukabia perform the "Ekpe" dance while others continue to resist it.

Marriage

Although Umukabia as an autonomous community is quite populous, it is an exogamous community, which means that marriages and any romance occur outside the village apart from kindred villages like Nkata Alike. Sometime in the past, a ritual referred to as "Isu Ogwu" was performed to initiate endogamy [marriage outside the village]. However, no one has as yet dared to challenge the taboo of endogamy.

Geography

Umukabia is in the Umuahia North Local Government Area and is neighbored by the villages of Umule at the north and Nkatalike to the south.

See also

• Umuahia
• Abia state
• Ohuhu
• Igbo people