AFEMAI BEATS: AKOKO EDO: WHERE THE HILLS HOLD HISTORY

Kingsley Momoh

Long before kingdoms flourished or borders were drawn, Akoko Edo already stood etched into stone, wrapped in legend, and rooted in resilience. This highland region in northern Edo State is more than geography; it’s ancestral memory carved in granite.

🏞️ A Land Shaped by Stone and Story

In Akoko Edo, the hills are more than landscape; they are guardians of time. From Somorika’s towering rocks to the lush plateaus of Ososo, these ancient formations once served as fortresses during tribal wars, hideouts during slave raids, and shrines for sacred rituals. Every boulder has a tale of migration, defiance, and deep spiritual life.

🌍 A Cultural Crossroads

This land tells a story of people on the move. Influences from Benin warriors, Yoruba migrants, Nupe interactions, and native clans have woven a cultural tapestry as complex as it is beautiful. The towns;

1. Aiyegunle

2. Akpama

3. Akuku

4. Anyonron

5. Atte

6. Bekuma

7. Dagbala

8. Egbigere 2

9. Egl 1

10. Ekpe

11. Ekpedo

12. Ekpesa

13. Ekor

14. Enwan

15. Eshawa

16. Ibillo

17. Igarra

18. Ijaja

19. Ikakumo

20. Ikiran-Ile

21. Ikiran-Oke

22. Ikpeshi

23. Imoga

24. Lampese

25. Makeke

26. Ogbe

27. Ogugu

28. Ojah

29. Ojirami-Afe

30. Ojirami-Dam

31. Ojirami-Peteshi

32. Okpe

33. Okunese

34. Oloma

35. Onumu

36. Ososo

37. Somorika

38. Ugboshi-Afe

39. Ugboshi-Ele

40. Uneme-Akiosu

41. Uneme-Erhurun

42. Uneme-Nekhua

Each add their verse to the ancient song.

💬 Languages That Remember

They speak in tongues shaped by journeys dialects that echo Yoruba cadence, Benin rhythm, and something completely Akoko Edo. These are languages born not just of communication, but of identity, survival, and belonging.

🪘 Festivals That Refuse to Fade

Drums still beat in age-old rhythms. Masquerades dance in honour of deities and ancestors. Ceremonies mark the seasons, the harvest, and the spirits that walk among the people. Time moves forward, but tradition holds its ground.

👑 Kings Rooted in Ancestry

Royalty here isn’t ceremonial; it’s sacred. The Otaru of Igarra, the Olososo of Ososo, and other traditional rulers still sit on thrones whose legacies stretch back centuries. Their authority, though evolving, remains deeply respected and symbolically powerful.

📜 A Living Archive of Survival

Through wars, migrations, colonial disruptions, and modern pressures, the people of Akoko Edo have endured without erasing. They’ve kept their stories alive in proverbs, in craft, in the terrain itself. Their identity isn’t stored in books, it’s etched in mountainside grooves and elder wisdom.

🔺 The Rocks Remember. The People Endure.

Akoko Edo isn’t just a place; it’s a living archive, a stronghold of heritage, and a beacon of cultural pride. In every market square, shrine, or hill path, the past breathes and walks among its people.

This is Akoko Edo, a land like no other, where history isn’t just remembered…

It is lived!

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