Ohafia an Igbo speaking people and a town in Abia state, Nigeria. The Ohafia are best known for their war dance (Igbo: Iri Agha). The largest village in Ohafia is Akanu, Phillip Nsugbe (1974:8) estimated its population in the mid-sixties to be around 12,000. The ancestral capital of Ohafia is the centrally located village of Elu. The old part of Elu centers on the site where the founder Udumeze first built his fire. This is where the shrine of the paramount lineage can be found. Ohafia is part of the Ohafia Local Government Area (LGA) which also includes the towns of Abiriba and Nkporo.[1]
History
The Ohafia people fomerly known as "MBEN" are said to be Hebrew Descendants, they migrated from Isreal to Benin city in Edo state, then from Benin to Umuafia Ibeku and from there to their current settlement. The migration resulted in the ultimate formation of 26 villages. Some of these villages eventually came together to form autonomous communities.
The Ohafia Warrior Tradition
The ancestors of the Ohafia people were renowned as mighty warriors.[1] This aspect of the Ohafia peoples history remains fundamental to the Ohafia people's sense of identity. The warrior's cap or "leopard cap" (Igbo: Okpu agu)[1] is well known and is an associated product of Ohafia. The Ohafia warrior tradition is embodied in the performance of Iri agha.[1]
References
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Nigeria
