Posted by Nuruddeen M. Abdallah & Ahmad Muhammad on
Cannibalism, like the killing of twins, was among the several socio-cultural accusations leveled against Africans by the Europeans that subsequently colonized the black continent decades ago. They had been piqued with some traditional practices and had made attempts to rid the people of such savagery.
Cannibalism, like the killing of twins, was among the several socio-cultural accusations leveled against Africans by the Europeans that subsequently colonized the black continent decades ago. They had been piqued with some traditional practices and had made attempts to rid the people of such savagery.
Almost 100 years after the colonization, such feral traditions are believed to still exist, albeit remotely in some communities. For instance, it is assumed that some communities allegedly indulge in eating the flesh of their own kind.
People in northern Nigeria have the thinking that the traits of cannibalism ascribed to the Ugep community of Yankurr local government area of Cross Rivers state still persists as it is generally assumed in the region that human flesh is still the favorite meat amongst these people.
This allegation has also found expression in the minds of even the neighbors of the Ugep who have equally accused them of cannibalism, as Sunday Trust discovered during a visit to the Ugep community, in a bid to unravel the mystery behind this age-long allegation.
According to the traditional ruler of the community, Obol Lopon of Ugep, Obol Ubi Ujong who is the paramount ruler of Yakurr Local Government that comprises the towns of Nko, Ikori, Mpani, Edomi, Agoyi Mpani, Agoyi Ikpo, old Asiga and new Asiga in Cross Rivers State, "it was done in the olden days, but as civilization came up we discovered that those things had stopped." He however, told Sunday Trust that he has so far not witnessed flesh eating in his community in his 78 years.
The paramount ruler who was speaking with Sunday Trust in his palace in Ugep, the headquarters of Yankurr chiefdom in Cross Rivers state, said that the accusation of cannibalism against them should not be treated in isolation as it had at one time or the other been a part of life of other communities, not only in the South but in the North as well, "in those days there were some villages that were very rough, I visited some of them. Some were accused of cannibalism but they denied such allegations."
The Obol Lopon conceded that, "even though the people had eaten (the flesh) of people in the olden days, it is now history." The traditional ruler who is also a retired Police Inspector added that cannibalism amongst his people is no longer feasible even if it had happened in the past stressing that "if as at now we still behave like that, then our children who are scattered all over the north and even outside the country will also be eaten up as well."
The 78-year-old chief who gave an insight into the cannibalism affair said that "the background to this eating of people (flesh) came from the area we were occupying before known as Agba which is very close to Calabar. All of us who now formed the bulk of Yakurr were living there."
While living peacefully together, the paramount ruler said "we share a custom with those people who also lived with us there called Agba. Any time any of them (Agba) died they would call us as brothers living with them to go and help bury their dead. That was the old custom several years back. On the other hand, when any of us died we would call them to come and reciprocate that gesture by helping us burying our dead."
The police inspector- turned traditional ruler explained that that custom was practiced for several years until the Agba people started suspecting something, "at a point they became suspicious that anytime they gave us their dead to bury, we did not bury them, we instead ate them. That angered them and they drove us from that place."
Obol Lopon revealed further that the Agba people chased them with their warriors killing people along the way through Calabar and inside the thick forest up to Edomi hills which was deserted then. Said he "up to the time we climbed the hill the enemies were still following us. They followed us to a particular height then an old man amongst us advised that ‘if they climbed the hill and meet us here they will all kill us. Why don't we therefore push some big stones down their direction so that it will kill them?' So we all pushed the stones and killed some of them and the rest ran away. The stones saved our people."
He said also that it was after that episode that the people disintegrated and established the various towns that formed the current Yakurr Local Government. The traditional ruler who is also a member of Cross Rivers State traditional council of chiefs was enthroned as the Obol Lopon of Ugep and paramount ruler of Yankurr chiefdom in 1986 after a stint in the Nigeria police force, the defunct Mercantile Bank and RCC construction firm.