Ibom Kingdom

Ibom kingdom was an Ibibio nation with its seat of government in Obot Okon Ita. This kingdom was located between present day Abia and Akwa Ibom states in Southeastern Nigeria. Around 1630, an Igbo group from Abiriba known as the Eze Agwu arrived to Ibom. This caused a long term conflict and stalemate known as the Aro-Ibibio Wars.^[1]

Origin[]

The kingdom of Ibom originated by the settlement of the Ibibio people from Usangale in the Cameroons around the 15th century.^[2]

Ibom is an old word used by the Efik / Ibibio / Annang /Eket people of Nigeria meaning the ancient universe, the cradle earth, or the cradle, original or ancient community from which others sprang forth. The word Ibom symbolizes the ancestral, the origin, the cradle, the source and theancient community or place or area from which other communities or people sprang forth or originated. Akwa Ibom State is one of the present two states created from the old Akwa Akpa kingdom, Cross River State being the sister state.

Akwa[]

Akwa also spelled Aqua, meaning The Great One or The Essential One is believed to be the ancestor of the people of Ibibio and Efik. Kwa or Qua therefore means Essential One or Great One. It is of no coincidence that their ancient Kingdom was originally known as Akwa Akpa. The words Akwa, Aqua, Kwa, Qua are common names for places, rivers, etc., etc., in both Akwa Ibom State and in Cross River State.

It is now a town in Arochukwu, Abia state in Southeastern Nigeria still called Ibom. an Ibibio kingdom which last King Akpan Okon lost to the Arochukwu people after the Aro-Ibibio Wars, which the Arochukwu won with the combined Igbo and Akpa armies. Ibom is also where the famous Ibini Ukpabi oracle is located.

References[]

External links[]

• http://www.aro-okigbo.com/history_of_the_aros.htm
• https://web.archive.org/web/20080828190518/http://www.aronetwork.org/others/confederancy.html
• http://aronewsonline.org/html/Prologue.asp^{[permanent dead link]}