Abbi, Uzo-Uwani

Abbi, Uzo-Uwani
LGA and town
Country	Nigeria
State	Enugu State
Local Government Area	Uzo-Uwani
Government
Time zone	UTC+1 (WAT)
Area code	001

Abbi is a town in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State, Nigeria. It is an ancient traditional town historically comprising three main communities – Ezikolo, Ejona, and Uwani, with a total of upwards of 60 villages. The villages are spread across the communities in the valleys, upland areas and at farm settlements called "Ogbo".

Ezikolo Abbi has since been recognized by Enugu state government as an autonomous community of its own and includes the villages of Anagoro, Ibeku, Isiama, Umavuruma, Ama-ebo, Apapam, Amanyi; and Ama-eze, Umuagada and Ifuagbo, three of which territory is also called Owerre community. The other settlements of Ezikolo are found at Igbudi, Nwaedor, Oda-Ogbo, Ugwu-Ogazi, Achokonya, Amirowa, Ujobo and Abiamdu where Ezikolo shares borders with Anuka, Okpuje and Edem-Egu.

Ejona Abbi is the largest of the three communities and contains Enugu-Abbi, Umunye, Umunocha, Bebe, Nnuzu, Ala-echara, Ugwuogbada, Ikwoka, Uwenu-okpe, Ama-ngwu, Eziugwuobi, Owereeze, Ama-ugwu and other farm settlements. These are subdivided into Ejona Oda – villages in the valley plain, Ejona Ugwu for those on hill top and Ejona Ogbo for the many villages across farm settlements. Uwani Abbi has three wards – Alaozara:- Isiyi, Enwerike, U'ba villages. Edem-Eke & Ekaibite:- Ama-eke, Ama-oba, Umuoka, Umushere and other farm settlements like Orukwu etc.

History & Origin

Abbi is said to be Abbi Ugweke Ugwunye. Another appellation of the beautiful ancient kingdom is Abbi Ite-ata Oshimiri. All of this pointed to its greatness - Abbi is a populous land, accommodating Ugweke and Ugwunye. Origin states that the ancient kingdom allowed a free inflow of nomadic hunters some of which settled into villages while others continued to move until there was a halt order in the mid 1600 AD. From that point Abbi was known as “Abbi nari-okooro” – meaning that Abbi people do not migrate and this policy impacted so much on the culture, such that Abbi referred to peoples of other cultures as nde Igbo as if Abbi is not Igbo and early culture viewed intermarriage with such people disdainfully. Despite the number that left the land earlier, its population remained enormous - ite-ata oshimiri. Yes, no sea gets dried up by mere fetching of water from it with pots. Certainly, Abbi regarded its people as prime stock of the human race, similar to Aryans, however, origin is not sure when human activity began in Abbi but has good information on the number of Villages of Abbi and some insightful proofs of its primordial existence and effort is work in progress on the link between Abbi Ite-ata Oshimiri and other Abbis in Delta and Cross River States of Nigeria.

Abbi, one of the largest ancient settlement towns of Uzo-Uwani was made up originally of three strong communities, namely Ezikolo, Ejona, and Uwani wards or communities and there were proper administrative structures to ensure order, peaceful coexistence amongst the communities and even with neighboring towns. Abbi, on arrival for most visitors, is more of a beautiful valley of multiple springs surrounded by evergreen grangehills of fascinating shapes and lush vegetation. But before the civil war, upwards of 14 villages were settled on the north grangehills which have flat tops and sweet springs and easy access to the town’s vast farmlands bordering Kogi state & Obinagu villages of Okpuje and Edem. Of course then, Anuka - now an autonomous community - was part of Abbi. At that time, there were 19 villages settled on the valley plain, making a total of 33 villages in Abbi. But now, Ugwuono, sadly is no more, it’s gone extinct; Umavuruma is merged with Ama-ebo and Enwerike is just one village, again, Anuka is a town an autonomous community of its own and not even in Uzo-Uwani LGA.

Invasion

There was an attack on Ejuona-Ogbo Village, a part of the Abbi community, in early February 2016. Two residents (Mr Fidelis Okeja and her immediate sister, Mrs Mercy Okeja) were killed and 19 persons were declared missing, with seven houses and motorcycles being razed by Fulani herdsmen.