05/03/2026
Per Prof Yakubu Ochefu :
Good evening, my dear brothers and sisters. My name is Yakubu Ochefu. I am the President General of Ochetoha K'Idoma, the apex Socio-Cultural body of the Idoma people. I am also a Professor of Economic History and Development Studies at the Moses Orshio Adasu University since 2003. My attention has been drawn to the story regarding the celebration of the Idoma century (plus). As the Chairman of the Board of Trustees mandated to celebrate this milestone event, I must clear some of the issues that I have read on this platform following this story.
First, it is not true that Idoma is only 100 years old. Anybody who says that is completely ignorant of our history. I have personally written 3 thesis on aspects of Idoma history. A B.A in 1982, an MA in 1985 and a PhD in 1991. For those who are interested in taking a deep dive into these, you can inbox me privately, and I will share them with you. The point of saying that what is now known as the Idoma Division of Benue province (Zone C or Benue South senatorial district encompassing nine local government areas and 22 districts)came into existence in 1922. Before this date, between 1907 and 1920, the people of what is now Oju and Obi were administered from Abakiliki in southern Nigeria, while Okpokwu, Ogbadibo, and parts of Ado were administered from Nsukka under Onitsha province, also in southern Nigeria. Ugboju, Adoka, parts of Ohimini and Apa were administered from Ankpa under the Kabba province of Northern Nigeria. In contrast, parts of Apa and Agatu were administered from Lafia.
In 1919, the Colonial Government commissioned a series of ethnographic surveys to properly align boundaries and keep people in administrative baskets considered kith and kin. Moreso, given the total rejection of the label of Akpoto District (covering what is now Otukpo/Akpa) as the name of the land, the name of the predominant language of the people, Idoma, was now adopted as the name of the new administrative entity, as recommended by the authors of the survey. So in one single swipe, the name of the language became the name of the land and the administrative entity. In the same vein, the headquarters was relocated from Okpoga to Otukpo because of its status as a mult-modal location, given that the Port Harcourt-Kaduna railway line passed through Otukpo, as was the Makurdi to Onitsha road. 22 districts were also created. Some like Igumale, Agila, Otukpa, Ugboju, Adoka and Otukpo were clans that stood alone as Districts. While others, like Agatu, Ochekwu, Oglewu, Onyangede, and Edumoga, consisted of several mini-clans that were grouped into Federated districts. The point, therefore, is that the first time an administrative entity came to be known as the Idoma Division was in 1923. Ditto for the Tiv, whose division name was changed from Munshi to Tiv, and together with Lafia, we were now grouped into a province called Benue. The Idoma division included ethnic groups that were not native speakers of the language. The Igedde, Ufia, and Akweya, for example.
What we are therefore celebrating is 103 years of an administrative entity. Our history as a people dates further back. Our first migration out of the Apa homeland occurred over 500 years ago. Some of our people settled in what is now Onmo (Mu, as the Tiv call it), near the Air Force base in Makurdi, for 200 years before pressure from the Tiv forced us to relocate. Some of our people ended up in Cross River (Yala, Yatche, Nkim); others first went to Igala land before returning to what is now Idomaland about 300 years ago. For the Otukpo, Ugboju, Adoka and Oglewu, our last major domain was in what is now Ikwe wildlife park in Igbor (Gwer LGA). We then came and settled on a land belonging to a people called Akpoto. Thus, when the Europeans arrived on the river Benue in 1823 and inquired about the peoples of the hinterland, the Agatu mentioned that it was the land of the Akpoto. This is why, between 1823 and 1920, you will not see Idomaland mentioned in the Literature. Any reference to Idoma will ultimately be Doma or Idoma-nokwu, as we refer to them.
So my brothers and sisters, there is so much history of our people that has been researched and documented. Some of us were privileged to be the students and field workers of the pioneers like Vincent Okwu, R.G Armstrong, Erim Odey Erim (who incidentally was my teacher), and so many others. I have hard and soft copies of their books and articles for those interested in history who wish to read them. Let us refrain from sensationalism and fractured history that has no basis at all. There is still a lot we do not know. Our history is still a work in progress. Part of why we are calling our people out for the Centenary celebration is to showcase this rich history, tradition and culture. Let us know our relationship. We are only talking about the Idoma subgroups. By the time we broaden it out to kwararafa, that history takes a different dimension. If you have taken the time to read this rather long explanation, well done. Feel free to contact me privately, and we can engage some more.
