The Egbura tribe is an ethno-linguistic group in Nigeria, more commonly and officially known as the Ebira people. They are primarily located in the North Central region of the country, near the confluence of the Niger and Benue Rivers.

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Location and Demographics

The Ebira people are concentrated in Kogi State, where they are a major ethnic group, and also have significant communities in Nasarawa State and other parts of Nigeria.

• Primary Location (Ebira Tao): The largest group, known as the Ebira Tao, inhabits a hilly area southwest of the Niger-Benue confluence in Kogi State. Their administrative center is Okene. Other local government areas with a dominant Ebira population include Adavi, Ajaokuta, Okehi, and Ogori/Magongo.
• Other Groups: Other Ebira groups, such as the Ebira Koto (or Ebira Igu) and Ebira Panda (or Ebira Toto/Umasha), are found in areas like Koton Karfe LGA (Kogi), Toto LGA (Nasarawa State), and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
• Language: They speak the Ebira language, which is classified as a Nupoid variety within the Niger-Congo language family. The dialect spoken in Nasarawa State (Toto LGA) is often explicitly spelled as Egbura.

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History and Origin

Oral tradition and historical records trace the Ebira people’s ancestry to the Kwararafa confederacy, specifically the Jukun people, in what is now Taraba State.

• Migration: Around 1680 AD, the Ebira, along with the Igala and Idoma, migrated out of Wukari due to a chieftaincy dispute. The Ebira Tao group first settled with the Igala at Idah before eventually crossing the River Niger and settling in their ancestral home, Ebira Opete (near Ajaokuta, Kogi State).
• Founding Clans: The ancestor of the Ebira Tao, ITA’AZI, had five sons (Adaviruku/Ohizi, Ododo, Obaji, Uga, and Ochuga/Onotu) and a daughter (Ohunene) who became the progenitors and founders of the various districts in the main Ebiraland.
• Governance: Traditionally, Ebira communities were autonomous units managed by lineage leaders in a form of gerontocracy (rule by elders), though in the colonial era, a central figure (the Ohinoyi of Ebiraland) was established.

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Culture and Economy

The Ebira people are known for being hardworking, outspoken, and having a rich cultural heritage.

Occupations

• Agriculture: They are agrarian people, primarily engaged in farming, with yam as a major crop, along with cassava, maize, and millet.
• Crafts: The Ebira are highly recognized for their skill in cloth-weaving, as well as blacksmithing and pottery.

Social Structure

• Clans and Lineages: Society is structured around extended families in compounds (Ohuoje), which group into lineages (Abara) and then into clans (Iresu). Each clan is associated with a specific totemic animal (such as a lion, leopard, or crocodile).
• Traditional Religion: Before the widespread adoption of Islam and Christianity, the traditional religion centered on a supreme deity called Ohomorihi and included the veneration of ancestors, often through masquerades.

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Traditional Festivals

The cultural life of the Ebira is marked by several significant annual festivals, often involving ancestral masquerades and community celebration.

• Ekuechi Festival: This is the most widely celebrated festival, marking the end of the year and the beginning of a new one. It is heavily centered around the Eku (ancestral masquerades) cult and is historically restricted to men at night, though the eve of the festival involves all.
• Eche-Ane (Women’s Festival): An annual masquerade festival where, in the past, betrothed girls were traditionally given away in marriage.
• Eche-Ori: A New Yam Festival celebrated in certain districts (like Ihima and Eganyi) to show gratitude to the deity, Ori, for a bountiful harvest. It features traditional music and a display of strength through the ritualistic whipping of one another with long canes.
• Ebe Festival: Another masquerade festival, initiated by the first Atta of Ebiraland, which features folklore singers and masquerades performing to entertain the people.