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Ekpe, also known as Mgbe/Egbo (Ekoi language: leopard; derived from the Efik term for the same), is a West African secret society in Nigeria and Cameroon flourishing chiefly among the Ejagham.
Nsibidi (also known as Nsibiri, [2] Nchibiddi or Nchibiddy [3]) is a system of symbols or proto-writing developed by the Ekpe secret society that traversed the southeastern part of Nigeria. They are classified as pictograms, though there have been suggestions that some are logograms or syllabograms. [4]
Dominated by wealthy merchants, [46] it was an all-male society, and members were expected to keep its rites a secret – those who revealed secrets to outsiders could be punished with death. [1] Some Europeans, especially British traders, were also initiated into the group, as it helped to build trust and credit.
The society is believed to have been introduced in Calabar from Usahadet. [71] On the appending of the Ekpe institution to its list of secret societies, the Ekpe society was reformed and adapted to suit the needs of the Efik people. Ekpe translates to 'Leopard' in the Efik language and is believed to be a spirit that resides in the forest. [71]
The Ekpe society plays a prominent role in Efik society. During the Pre-colonial era, Ekpe was the government of the day at Old Calabar. [36] The society operates via a grading system. [37] Some ekpe grades include Nyamkpe, Okuakama, Okpoho, Mboko and Mboko Mboko. [37] As much as Ekpe acted as the preserver of law and order in Efik society, the ...
The Oroko claim to have founded the Ekpe secret society, a type of masonic organization which traditional kept the peace in the Bight of Biafra, and its secret writing system, Nsibidi. The word, nsibidi , is possibly derived from the Oroko word, njibidi , which means "violence" or "chaos".
Here are the presidents who have belonged to a secret society at some point: Christina Sterbenz contributed to a previous version of this story. See Also: What 11 highly successful people watch on TV.
The Ekpe secret society (Okonko) was quite prominent during those times. A masquerade festival called "Abu Nkwu" took place on occasional basis. Ubakala believed in reincarnation and ancestor honor as part of their worldview. [2]