The Clay Ota Pot; Tale Of The Migration Of Igede People To Benue State
The Igede people are the third-largest ethnic group in Benue State. They are mainly in Oju, Obi, and Gwer East local government areas. They are also scattered across other local government areas in Benue State. The Igede ethnic group are also found in Cross River State. Agba is the ancestral father of the Igede people. Agba and his descendants are of the royal throne of the Benin Kingdom. Agba was a renowned native doctor who travelled widely. He was fond of “Ogede,” a musical instrument, from which the name Igede was born.
More about the Igede people of Benue State
The Igede people formally settled around Sabongida-ORA in the present Owan West Local Government, Edo North, in the South-South region of Nigeria.
The reason for the migration of the Igede people can be traced to a ceramic object (clay pot) known as OTA (pot) in Igede language.
Historically, an Igede woman and an Ora woman went to a stream together to fetch water. The ORA woman accidentally broke the Igede woman’s pot (other versions of the story narrate that the Ora woman borrowed the Igede woman’s pot to the stream and accidentally broke it). This resulted in a dispute between the two women, which escalated. The Ora woman apologised, and she agreed to bear the responsibility of replacing the broken pot. The Igede woman insisted that she must be given her original pot, the particular one that was broken. The bone of contention and escalated dispute eventually forced the Igede people out of their original homeland
The Igede people are believed to have been led by one Irumanyi as they travelled eastward until they came to the bank of the Oyongo River with seven tributaries. The river parted ways for the people to cross after they performed some rituals as demanded by the oracle. They crossed to the other side of the river called “Utukenge”, where the Igabu, Opirikwu, Anyogbe and Ikwuro people of Ogoja in Cross River State, who were part of this migration, parted from their Igede kith. The Igede continued their journey to Ipinu Igede, their present abode, from where each clan moved to its present location in Benue.
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The Igede people are easily identified by their native attire, which consists of blue, black and white (stripes) known as Ogodogodo, sometimes considered as Igede culture. The blue colour symbolises peace and unity. The white colour symbolises purity, while the black colour symbolises her agriculture.
Igede cultural attire is for important and special occasions, such as traditional marriages, political meetings, church services, burial ceremonies, and many more. You will recognise the Igede man or woman from the vibrant cultural attire.