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Each clan was self governing and did not regard any other as superior to it.
Significantly, the clan was the main unit of political organization. The post of the clan head was normally conferred on the oldest living male member of the clan. His religious duties and disciplinary powers were, however, limited to his own family. His political influence was quite small and although he presided over the meetings of his clan, his judgement was determined largely by the consensus of opinion of the elders.

The administration of all the clan heads constituting a community in Ebiraland lay in the hands of the elders, influential individuals and the King (Ohinoyi).
Economically, the clan head held in trust for the clan, part of the income from all the clan lands, such as the produce from palm oil and locust bean trees,during the pre-colonial period. Also, the leg of whatever game that was killed was given to him, which he shared with the kindred heads. We so much cherish our traditional festivities in spite of the infiltration of some negative tendencies in recent times. Our people were used to coming together in the face of crisis.
Thus, in moments of war, we come together as a united front to ward off the incursion of the enemy. Indeed, our people have built strong confidence in our warfare and ‘superior’ weapons – bows and arrows.
The invasion of Ebira country by the Nupe (1865-1900) did not make them doubt our military superiority.
Our Nupe invaders were successfully resisted by our people under our amiable warrior leader who later became Attah Omadivi.
The Nupe invasion was organized in the form of raids for slaves. But the our people were soon to realize that our warfare and ‘superior’ weapons could not defend us against the British super superior weaponry in 1902. In 1895, an out station was placed at Kabba by the Royal Niger Company and a fort was built there by Captain Turner, an officer attached to the Niger Constabulary.
On 1st January, 1900, Frederick Lugard took over the government of Northern Nigeria from the Royal Niger Company and hoisted the British flag at Lokoja. Kabba was formed into a province which included the Akoko, Kukuruku and Ebira countries, and was administered from Lokoja, which was also the headquarters of the protectorate of Northern Nigeria, with Sir William Wallace as its first Resident. In 1902, a small military escort led by Mr. Malcom and Lt. F.F.W.Byng-Hallsent into Ebira country was seen by our people as an incursion.
They refused to meet with the British demand for the supply of food, seeing this as a direct insult on their persons.
Mr. Malcom and his party, outnumbered, were attacked with arrows by the Ebira and escaped by a night march to Kabba, arriving the next day. The British soldiers used this as casus belli and marched on them with fire arms.
The Ebira country was subjugated and pacified. The resident in Ebiraland described the result of the expedition asfollows: “The Ebira were no doubt severely punished during the expedition and I now find them very afraid of the whiteman” With the defeat of our people, the British then imposed their rule on us, politically uniting the various clans by force. During the British occupation of our land, Agidi, one of the notable personalities among the Ebira, led an armed resistance against any form of British rule.

In 1902, he and his men attacked the small British group led by Mr. Malcom, the political officer. Who barely escaped death. After this event, Ebiraland was declared a land of ‘savages’ and Mr Malcom ordered a detachment of the West African Frontier Force (WAFF) to sit among our people in order to ‘tame’ them. In 1903, a punitive expedition under Major Marsh, Lieutenants Sparrenbarg, Moran, Byng-Hall, Gallway, Smith, Oldman and Captain Lewis, was organized to call Agidi to order and to establish permanent peace in Ebiraland.

In this expedition, the British received the whole hearted cooperation of Omadivi, who was the representative of Ohindase Abogunde – the chief priest at the time.

Omadivi, like Ohindase, was from the Okengwe clan. Omadivi supplied vital information, most especially on how to capture Agidi who was his political rival. In fact, both Omadivi and Agidi were notable personalities or influential individuals in the Ebira of that time. While the former was loyal to the Chief priest, the latter was not. By 1904, Ebiraland was fully pacified and Mr. Morgan, the Resident of Kabba province, was able to say with confidence that the Ebira people now feared the ‘‘whiteman” and were at “peace with each other”.

Our Cultural Festivals (Eche-Ozi Ete) We have several annaul cultural festivals and among the prominent ones are 'Echane', 'Eche Ori' and 'Ekuechi'.

Eche-Ane: This is an annual masquerade festival celebrated in rotation from one district to the other in Ebiraland (between April– June). In the past, it was only during the period of the festival that betrothed girls were given away in marriage to their suitors. That is why the festival is called 'Eche-ane' (women festival). Ebira Masquerades or Mascots, though carried long canes, came out primarily to entertain people and received gifts in return.



It is regrettable that this very popular and interesting festival has been bastardized and now a source of constant breach of peace. We want to use this media to enlighten our youth.


To be continued........