Okobo, Nigeria: History
Okobo government area is bounded by Uruan in the North-West, Oyono Estuary in the North East, Oron, Akwa Ibom in the East, Urue-Offong/Oruko in the South-East, Nsit Atai in the West, Esit Eket in the south, and Nsit Ubium in the South West.
Okobo is one of the five Oron people Local Government in Akwa Ibom State. The local government is made up of Four (4) clans (where some are now known as district) out of the Nine (9) Oron Clans (Afaha) which are Afaha Okpo, Afaha Ukwong, Afaha Ibighi, Afaha Ebughu and Afaha Okiuso. Three Clans constitute the Okobo Mbawa people. These clans include Odu, Eta and Atabong. Okobo is said to be formed during the great migration from Usakedet (Afaha Edit) now Isangele Area in Cameroon.
Francis Ekpenyong posits that there is close unanimity about the putative father of Okobo. He is said to have been Abikot Atipa who led his people from Usahadit (Isangele) in the present day Cameroons. He settled at Ebughu/Enwang corridor. The evidence is Okobo Ebughu and the principal Okobo deity, Anentighe at Enwang. He sent his wife, Abia Ataghafog, and others to look for a favourable place for permanent settlement. He found the place and named it 'Okowo' because it was shown to him. Okobo is the anglicization of Okowo. Abikot suffered untold hardship in moving from place to place. He passed through Eyotong, Uruting, Ebighi and settled at Ebighi Eta. Is it any wonder why Ebighi is regarded as the 'Eke', Mother of Okobo? Abikot lost his siblings during the arduous passage. He named his subsequent children to reflect this experience. The first son he called 'Eta', a grim resignation to the fact that 'they have eaten' his first set of children. The second he called 'Adu', a prophetic reassurance that his subsequent children shall live. Eta and Adu had children. The first son of Eta was Nung Atai Eta. The second was Akibedi anglicized Okopedi. Adu, anglicized Odu, had Ekeya, Ebighi Edu and others. Eta and Odu were the first original clans in Okobo. Atabong had a different migratory route. The group was led by Ema Antai from Adiabo, who was looking for a safe place to fish away from the attack from crocodiles. They were given a place 'ato' where cane 'obong' grows. Combination of the two words yielded Atabong. Atabong is the third clan in Okobo Mbawa. Obufi is in Eta Clan. According to oral history it is a combination of Obufa and Ofi, (Obufa Ofi) The people migrated from Etieke Ofi in Atak Oro, the other component of Okobo LGA. Efik is spoken widely in Okobo. This derives from the influence of Efik Christian and Primitive Methodist Missionaries who came from Calabar in the early 20th century. There is close affinity between Efik an Okobo. The language is intelligible to Okobo people. It is said that anybody who claims Efik heritage must have a relation in Okobo. Otherwise he is a slave.
According to Isaac Okon, Akobuo Mbawa has three migration links of Igboland, the Eburutu and the Usahadit. The most popular and acceptable by Akobuo people is the Usahadit (now called Isangele). After the stampede at Usahadit, they moved to Ebughu-Enwang corridor in the present Mbo LGA. From there to the present Uya-Oro creek where they were attacked by raiders. Before the landed at Ebighi Akobuo. I want to add that we should pay attention to namings in Akobuo as this will to a greater extent explain the history of Akobuo. …