THE HISTORY OF THE IGARRA PEOPLES: HOTTEST LATEST NEWS: SEVEN PEOPLE DIED WHILE TRYING TO STEAL 500 YEARS OLD DRUM- AGIDIBO- OF IGARRA [ ETUNO]- THE ANGER OF THE GODS OF KUKURUKU PROVINCES, PRINCIPALITIES AND POWERS UNLEASHED….

the Igarra masquerade

THE Igarra Masquerade at ekuochi festival

Prince frank ukonga- a royal prince of the Eshinogu ruling family of Ezi Dynasty

the Father & grand father of prince frank ukonga owns 2 masquerades

THE HISTORY OF THE IGARRA PEOPLES: HOTTEST LATEST NEWS: SEVEN PEOPLE DIED WHILE TRYING TO STEAL 500 YEARS OLD DRUM- AGIDIBO- OF IGARRA [ ETUNO]- THE ANGER OF THE GODS OF KUKURUKU PROVINCES, PRINCIPALITIES AND POWERS UNLEASHED….

Igarra is the Capital of the Kukuruku Province of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the colonial Days of Lord Lugard, McPherson etc as Governor General of the Nigeria. A country created in 1914 by the colonial Governor General Lord Lugard amalgamating the North and southern protectorates of the area that is now known as Nigeria.

 Before then there was no country called Nigeria and in 2014 that creation of Lord Luggard will be celebrating its first centenary…

The Kukuruku Province was one of the federating provinces created by Lord Lugard with its capital town in Igarra. The Kukuruku Province and Igarra has been marginalized since the country gained independence from the British rule in 1960.

All other provincial Capitals have become state Capitals like Oshogbo, Lafia, Gombe, Abeokuta, Benin, Onitsha etc but Igarra was only able to become a Local Govt headquarters till date…

Also all the Provinces of created by Lord Lugard has become STATES in the new dispensation like Kaba Province now Korgi State.. etc but the Kukuruku Province has not been given a state status till date but only bastardized and butchered to enlarge other states like EDO State, Korgi State and Ondo state… this was actually not the design of H.E. Lord Lugard the first Governor General of the Nigeria state, because the Kukuruku Province was and is indeed a very rich Province that even loan the government of Western Region the sum of 200, 000 pounds Starling which was a big sum of money those days and unpaid till today.

H.E. Lord Lugard built a house and a secretariat for the Governor of the Kukuruku Province in Igarra and they were resident in Igarra and invested heavily in the great endowment of the Kukuruku Province. The Province leads in the availability of solid mineral deposits like lime stone used for cement and the Okpela cement factory gets its limes stone from the Kukuruku as well as located in the kukuruku province, we have gold at Damgbala also a town in the Kukuruku, diamond, barium, uranium, iron ore, ferrous metal ores, emerald….these metals are highly invaluable to the industrial man in the context of energy generating as in weaponry.

The Kukuruku is also very rich in both cash crops of cocoa, palm oil and kernel, cotton, timber, cashew nuts, sheer butter, groundnuts etc while in the aspects of food crops and animal husbandry the Kukuruku province was a leading province contributing above its quota to the development and advancement of the Nigeria state before the discovery of oil in the 60s.

 But soon after oil/ petroleum were discovered in some parts of the federation all attention moved to that industry and the Kukuruku province suffered neglect and abandonment. Only recently that a fertilizer plant was situated in the Kukuruku and a number of big cement plant is being constructed by some investors and also Dangote group announced last month that they will build the Largest fertilizer company in Edo State and we are hoping that it will be sited in the Kukuruku province that is the actual source of the raw materials for the industry…

again many industries in Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, Ibadan and even abroad source their line stone raw materials and its derivatives of calcite etc from the kukuruku province companies like Nigerite, Jagal etc manufacturing asbestos roofing sheets etc… Kukuruku is also having Aluminum deposits, petroleum, and many other undiscovered minerals  but for lack of attention and will of the leadership both in federal level and state level the place has become virtually a ghost town and almost all the great sons and daughters of the Kukuruku Province have checked out of the Province living in other states of Nigeria in search of greener pasture and a large percentage of its citizens are in Europe, America , Asia and other parts of the world in search of livelihood were as they have at home ,GOD given wealth that could make them leaders of the entire globe… but destiny for now have turned most of them to sojourners and aliens in other peoples land being used as beast of burden to enrich and develop the glories of other people with disregard and impunity…

In The History and Peoples of Western Sudan, Prof Ade Ajayi and Leon Davidson wrote a lot about the great civilization of the KUKURUKU Empires before the coming of the White Race. They said in the Book that the KUKURUKU was the richest empire in the southern aspects of Sub Saharan Africa but were constantly invaded by the armies of the stronger Benin Empire who carted away all the time the great wealth, gold bullions and artifacts as well as capture able men and women from the KUKURUKU and sell them as slaves to the white slave traders of fortune… So most of the Blacks in the United State, Britain, Latin America etc have their origin linked to the Kukuruku Empire.

The KUKURUKU is also great in the aspect of scenery, great and favorable friendly climatic conditions for tourism and a lot of tourists attraction abounds in rock climbing, caves, and many other grotesques shapes of rocks delicately manicured by master nature through weathering producing great pictures of nature at its best and till today it is a great credit to the people of KUKURUKU who preserves with reverence this great natural environment undiluted by the brute adventures of man in search of civilization.. It is also a quite place for those who would want to escape from the maddening crowd and noise of the cities…

The people of KUKURUKU respects their culture very highly and they believe in their gods as the intermediary between mankind and the supreme omnipotent GOD called OSHOMOSHI the omnipotent , the omni present and the greatest of all, the benefactor, the just one, the holy one… etc just as the God of the Bible…but then they believe they can only reach him through their own  Deities or gods that we call Ori like Ori Idakoriko, Ori Ivokoto, Ori Ofu, Ori Dowo, Ori Isami, Ori Opicolo, Igo Ilukogbe, Ori Ukora, Oria Danope,…Ori Adaebeba, Ori Fege  Ori Ogu…...etc

The believe is in the unity in diversity and manifold existence of the supreme being in the various outlets of their Deities in an avalanche with that of other cultures as those of the Yoruba  Oludumare as the SUPREME being in equivalent of Kukuruku’s Oshomoshi while the other gods and deities of Obatala,Elegua,Elegbara, Orunmila, Ifa, Esu, Esu Odara, Ogun, Ogun Ori Apata, Yemoja, Osun, Efusheke, Oro, Songo, Oya, Shopona,Egbe Ogba, Gelede, Orisha Oko, Darufunwontan, Ayelala, Adumila,….also have its corresponding with the previously mentions kukuruku deities…like a reflection of same underlying reality in two and many places of manifestations of the God head.

Just like the Egyptian mythology it is also similar to ours of sub Saharan Africa with only change in names and perhaps methods of worship…like the Amon Ra, Horus, Isis, Osiris, goddess of Hator, goddess of Apis, Goddess of Anu, Janus, Tutunhaven, god of Thor…Nafetiti….and many other Egyptian gods and goddesses through which they believe they can reach the most high in their demands and supplications addressed to achieve greater heights in social economic, cultural and industrial enterprises…

And in Europe we have the Greek civilization that have similar believes in the gods as a go between, between mankind and the Supreme Deity the omnipotent GOD.HEAD. Here we have gods and goddesses like Zeus, Olympus, goddess of Artemis, Demeter, Aphrodite, Apollo, Jupiter god of the sojourners and inventions, Dionysus…..And it is similar in all other European civilizations….

Likewise among the Indians a somewhat similar arrangement is in place where they have many gods and goddesses as intermediary between man and God….Among then are Lord Shiva, Lashmi,. .Buhda, Hindu, Hari Krishna…Vishnu… and more than a thousand gods and goddesses……This is applicable to all the civilizations of Asia as well.

That is why the great works of Dr Chiek Anta Diop about the Egyptian Origin of world civilizations find a resounding corroboration in all the civilizations of the world, as well as that of Sub Saharan Africa…in similarity and origin of Egyptian root and ontology.

Our Research and Development at National Peoples News arrived at the inferences that, the peoples of the kukuruku particularly the Princes of Igarra called Etuno came from the civilization of kursh in the White Nile called lower and middle Nile whose capital was in Napata , a great sprawling town located along the Nile, it was later changed to Meroe after it was invaded by the Coptic and another later invasion by the dynasty of Cleopatra Damepator who were somewhat of fair jet complexion .

Some German Historians corroborated this facts that after the invasion of Napata/ Moroe the capital of Cush another nation was established called Nubian in the same location by the invaders Some of those negroid Blacks who could not accept the new rulers migrated to sub Saharan Africa while some went to North and Central Africa. Garman Historians traced the path into three categories of migration from Napata..

The first one passed through Kenya, Tanganyika, Uganda…into Sudan, Burkina Faso Niger and into Nigeria and they moved down to the south and this could be said of the Fulani Princes, Princes of the Yorubas and the Princes of the kukuruku. The German historians said that some people were already living in these areas where the new migrating princes decided to settle as in Modakeke in the case of the Yorubas and as in the Unemes in the case of Kukuruku Provinces.

But then the German Historians said that these new Princes settled among the natives they met in sub-Saharan Africa and established great civilizations, semblance of the one the left in Egypt/ Nubian [kursh]. And with this advance exposure they were able to subjugate the natives they met and created very great civilizations as in Fulani Empire/ Hausa, as in Oyo Empire, Jukun/ Nupe Empires of the Kwararafa as well as the Kukuruku Empires….

To corroborate this first movement is my name PRINCE FRANK ONAIVI UKONGA- A PRINCE OF THE KUKURUKU PROVINCE IN NIGERIA…..IN TANZANIA  A PROVINCE IS CALLED- UKONGA- And that was the exact route the German Historians discovered that the first mass migration to sub Saharan Africa from Napata / Meroe capital of the state of Cush and as a Prince it is most likely that I am bearing the name of my ancient migration stop over town as this is the name of my grand father and the name has been passed down through several generations- And it is customary to bear the name of towns among the three major groups that migrated into sub Saharan Africa… like the Hausa /Fulani bears the names of their towns like Dan TORO, Mohammed JALO Hassan Utsman Katsina etc  Katsina is the name of a town in Nigeria, Alhaji Shehu Shagari- Shagari is the name of a town in Nigeria. The name TORO is the name of the capital town of the Fulani Empire of FUTA TORO where they used as capital to rule Mali Empire; also Jalo was a town in the Mali Empire…

The second set of migration from Napata the German Historians believe took place shortly afterward and the route was direct to North Africa through Mali, Spanish Sahara to the Senegambia valley and this also has its corroboration in our features, nomenclature and folk tales.. As in our movement from kursh to forming the town of Wangara in the Mali Empire that was the riches gold mining town of Mali Empire and moving down along with our Fulani allied forces after the invasion of the Fulani Rule of Mali empire by the more vicious Almoravids that established the Songhai Empire.

 The Fulani as well as the Yoruba and the Igarra moved to the present locations in Nigeria in a great migration in 17th century. And in the Fulani Chronicles, a great Sultan of the Sokwoto Emirate Sultan Abubakar -1 said the Yorubas and some other tribes in Nigeria are brothers and allied of the Fulani and this will immediately corroborate the research of GERMAN HISTORIANS…

Note worthy was that the Great Fulani Leader Samaguru toppled the government of the Mandingo/ Nubian King Abubakadri in the Mali Empire in 1311 AND Prince Abubakadri Abdicated the throne and sailed to America through the great seaport of Walata also a settlement of the Nubia/ Igarra people of the Mali Empire…and we made the ships by which he used to travel about 2000 ships and loaded with Gold, diamonds, and great wealth of Wangarra mines…It  was Abubakadri that discovered America, the United State, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Guyana, Peru, Bahamas, Cuba and all the Nations of the Caribbean seas and not Christopher Columbus as claimed by many history books…

One thing that can be asserted from the great research of German Historians is that both movements can be corroborated as in the case of Igarra and the kukuruku princes. For instance the name of our town Igarra kept changing in diction and orientation in the order of our movement from Nubian lower/ middle Nile to Mali Empire of Wangarra which simply means a united Igarra town, down to the middle belt of Nigeria called Kungarra in Nupe/ Jukun Empiresthe name Kungarra- means coming together  again, and we migrated down to the present location of the kukuruku after a war with the Princess of Zauzau Empire  Queen Amina of Zauzau… and it was said that she was wounded in the war as she led her great armies to conquer the Jukun/ Nupe of which we the Igarras were Princes and Rulers in our town of Kungara in Jukun Empire, it is a general knowledge till today that all the Princes of Nupe/ Jukun Empire ;kukuruku  ran to take refuge in the great kukuruku hills in safety of the reprisal from the armies of the Zauzau empire and our houses in those caves of refuge are still their till today for all to see… at Enarchi, Epuko, etc by father was born in Enerchi, while some of his brothers were born at epuko that is another settlement outside the rocks and latter when the war died down we came out of the caves into the valleys of kukuruku to form our towns of Igarra{ meaning scattered civilization], Obalende, Ufa, Ugbogbo , Utua, Ogogoro…etc…

In the book that my father wrote, chief Gabriel Omo Onaivi Ukonga the son of Ogbodo , the Okomayin of Igarra Land and the former Controller of Accounts of the Nigeria Military Complex, my father wrote that we were settle in the Jukun Emipire of the kwararafa/ middle belt now Niger state covering all the areas of the Federal capital territories, up to the town of Bida, and down to the town of Lokoja Zuba, Sulieja, Kotonkerifi, Kungarra etc and there was a big war waged by H.E Queen Amina of Zau zau  to conquer all the territories up to the Niger / Benue confluence of Lokoja and we lost in the war and had to move downwards towards the south. On getting to Lokoja we moved to Idah while some of our tribes people ,decided to hide in the hills around Lokoja and later after the war they came down and settled in the valleys including the Basanges who are the rightful co owners of Ajaokuta Areas in allied with the people of Igarra. We call them Igarra –resu –eyin; that is Igarra on the waters- like the Russian town Rostov na don ie Rostov on Don- Don is a famous Russian River.

 The Majority Princes moved with their slaves, servants and properties to the shores of the River Benue at Idah. Idah people were hospitable until the armies of the Zauzau Empire arrived to crush the remaining group of the Igarra Princes encamped at the shores of River Benue in the Idah end of the River; we had no other place to move to as the Zau zau armies had encircled us then the great miracle of the gods of Igarra took place.

 My Father wrote that Ogbodo my great, great grand father lead the Igarra people out of the quagmire by calling for help from the gods of Igarra like Mosses of Israel did in Egypt. We had only one option of escape and it was through the sea by crossing the River Benue. The great Ogbodo prayed to the gods and he was asked to stretch forth his staff which he did and the staff became a long bridge miraculously and all the people of Igarra cross the long stretch of the Benue River to safety in the other shore of the town called Agenegbode and after crossing the River he stretched forth his hand again and the bridge changed again to the long Iron staff like a spear. My father had that staff with him handed to him from generation to generation until after his death and it is with one of my brothers who may not really know its origin and historical importance. And as for me, my Father told me never to quarrel nor scramble for any thing that he would leave behind knowing the problems of voodoo and pear rivalry among Princes.

My father traced and wrote about our history from the point of Kungarra in the Jukun Empire up to the present location. I Prince Frank Onaivi Ukonga, his son traced it from its Origin in Napata/ Meroe in Middle Nile of Egypt/ Nubian up to our sojourn in Mali Empire of forming the towns of Wangara and sea port of Walata and up to our migrations across the Sahel and Sahara deserts up to crossing the Savannah grassland and up the where my Father began his own Research in Kungara now Niger State. I had to travel through the entire territories of Western Sudan to the major towns in Mali, Timbuktu Wangara, Agades, Ghana, Gambia, Senegal, Togo, Paraku, Ivory Coast, Guinea, Benin Republic, Niger Republic, and Burkina Faso…up to Libyan to really understand the whole picture….

 It was from there we moved back Northwestwards to the present KUKURUKU Hills as refuge and later when the heat of the reprisal calm down we settled in the valleys of the KUKURUKU to establish a civilized kingdom called the KUKURUKU EMPIRE by Historians all over the world.

NOTE: This is only a quick summary of the history of the IGARRA people that span more than 1000 years and we shall need more funding in terms of material and logistics to fully put the entire history together properly in a book for use as history book in schools and as research materials for researchers and practitioners all over the world..