Echoes from Egbira of Shafa-Abakpa hunting festival

The Egbira of Shafa-Abakpa community celebrated the Irewha cultural and hunting festival, highlighting traditional practices and unity, with notable figures praising the event and emphasising the importance of preserving cultural heritage, Weekend Trust reports. The people of Toto Local Government Area (LGA) of Nasarawa State and invited guests witnessed yet another annual Irewha cultural and […]

The Egbira of Shafa-Abakpa community celebrated the Irewha cultural and hunting festival, highlighting traditional practices and unity, with notable figures praising the event and emphasising the importance of preserving cultural heritage, Weekend Trust reports.

The people of Toto Local Government Area (LGA) of Nasarawa State and invited guests witnessed yet another annual Irewha cultural and hunting festival of the Egbira indigenes of Shafa -Abakpa community on Saturday, December 28, 2024. 

The hunting festival is a major event that attracts not only natives of the community but other Egbira ethnic groups that are away from home.

The youths of the community representing various age groups in their numbers came out, adorned in their hunting garbs with locally fabricated firearms slung over their shoulders with their black hunting attires giving them a ferocious look.

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Chanting Egbira songs, the youths, led by the chief of hunters of the community, Alhassan Obada, proceeded from the forest to the playground, stomping their feet on the dusty ground while displaying the animals they had captured.

The Irewha hunting festival, being the native tradition, was first proclaimed by a great hunter “Ada-Ugbe” a war lord and king of hunters who died decades ago, and was said to have made a proclamation regarding the festival before his demise.

Ada-Ugbe was reported to have proclaimed that in order for his people to continue to enjoy peace, unity and prosperity, the Irewha hunting festival must be upheld and preserved, as it will remain the source of the natives’ peace, unity, protection and progress.

The story further has it that Ikaka, who was also a great warrior, instructed his son, Onda, to stage a hunting festival at his death, warning that there would be no peace in the community and that animals would not be caught if the festival was not organised to appease his spirit.

Weekend Trust observed that the hunting festival attracted spectators with the different kinds of cultural display, amid sporadic shootings by the young hunters at the venue, as a signal to welcome dignitaries to the event.

The chief hunter, Obada, also led the young hunters on another procession round the venue to display their catches to the admiration of dignitaries, while some of the dignitaries appreciated the hunters with monetary gifts as a show of commendation and encouragement for catching such animals.

The hunters later placed their catch on a makeshift wooden shelve erected within the venue, while spectators moved closer to have a glimpse of the animals that were caught with some of the visitors using their phones to take photos, while others took photos with the animals on display. Twelve animals were used as a demonstration of how the animals were caught in the forest.

Speaking, Obada, the chief of hunters, said cultural imperialism would not be allowed to override the Shafa-Abakpa Egbira cultural heritage.

He said he led other hunters on the eve of the event into deep forest, which he said borders the village and Kogi State to catch various kinds of animals to display at the event as part of Irewha hunting festival.

He said hunting has been one of the major occupations they inherited from their forefathers; hence it became necessary for the Egbira natives of Shafa-Abakpa to sustain it.

“This hunting festival is an annual event that is held yearly where sons of Egbira come back home to partake in, which we will continue to sustain,” he said.

To add colour to the event, a Miss Irewha beauty pageant was held on the eve of the event, featuring eight contestants, and 23-year-old Saliha Yunusa, a student from Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa, emerged as the winner for the year – 2024.

Speaking at the event, the Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Barrister Hannatu Musa Musawa, represented by Dr Anaman Ben Ugo, Director of Cultural Industry and Heritage at the ministry, said she was delighted to be part of the festival, which she said was a demonstration of power in uniting and propelling people from every segment of the society towards a brighter future.

The minister observed that the annual Irewha cultural and hunting festival is also a platform for promoting unity, fostering cohesion and creativity of the Shafa-Abakpa community.

“And as we celebrate, let us remember that our cultural heritage is the foundation on which our history is written and built. It’s the trail that walks over past, present and future put together,” she said.

She, however, stressed the need for every ethnic group to promote and preserve their traditions, customs and values for the benefit of generations to come.

Musawa commended the organisers for their dedication to making the festival a resounding success, saying, “And as we celebrate the success of the past years, let us also look towards with optimism. Let us work together to give the nation a bright future and also the Shafa-Abakpa community a future that is rooted on cultural heritage.”

The minister also declared that all arrangements had been completed to officially document the Irewha annual cultural and hunting festival in Nigeria’s calendar of culture and bestow global recognition upon it.

“And it is note that I want to assure the good sons and daughters of Shafa -Abakpa community that we will ensure that the annual Irewha cultural and hunting festival is captured in the calendar of Nigeria festivals, which is a book where festivals of different communities of 774 LGAs in Nigeria are published,” she said.

Other dignitaries present also commented on the festival. A retired Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, Suleiman Galadima, the pioneer president of SACA, said the Irewha annual cultural hunting festival started in 1891, a year after the demise of his father, but later faded when religion came through the missionaries.

He said missionaries at that time succeeded in diverting attention of their forefathers, even though he said the majority of the inhabitants embraced Islam.

He noted that the festival later revived years later and was celebrated, especially when there was a bumper harvest which also served as a symbol of peace and unity among Egbira natives.

He said the Shafa-Abakpa Irewha cultural hunting festival has continued to foster peace and unity not only among the Egbira nation but across other ethnic groups across the globe.

“And that is why today, as you can see, apart from the convergence of the Egbira sons and daughters across every part of this country and diaspora, you can equally see other tribes with their masquerades and traditional dancers at this event, which shows that the Egbira people love and embrace other tribes,” he said.

Also present at the event was the Deputy Comptroller of Customs (SCC) Alhaji Salihu Ibrahim, who was elated and fascinated by the cultural display not only amongst the Egbira but other ethnic groups that also displayed their cultures at the festival.

He said the hunting festival has symbolised and strengthened unity among the Egbira people and other ethnic groups in the country, while he pledged his continuous support in ensuring that the annual Irewha hunting festival in Shafa -Abakpa community is sustained.

Also speaking, Alhaji Kasim Isah Aduwa, a representative of the Egbira National Development Association (ENDA), Lagos State chapter, said he came to witness the hunting festival in the Shafa-Abakpa community because Egbira is one family irrespective of wherever they reside.

He said the festival symbolises unity among the Egbira and added that he was impressed with the braveness of the young hunters who defied odds to sleep over in the forest amid cold weather to catch various animals which signifies to the world that Egbira are known to be great hunters.

A member of the Shafa-Abakpa community, Shuaibu Ohinoyi, who spoke to our reporter, said the celebration of the annual Irewha cultural and hunting festival has always brought joy and happiness to people of the community just like other ethnic festivals across the world.

He added that the hunting festival serves as a unifying point with their loved ones.

“For example, a relative abroad came back home with his family in December to celebrate the Irewha hunting festival. So, you can see the joy and happiness in the festival,” he said.

Another member of the community, Alhassan Adamu, said the Irewha hunting festival has a great impact on the people of the community, which he said always brings joy and happiness among them and even other ethnic groups in the area.

He said during the celebration of the Irewha festival, every member of the community; youths, elders, women, children and all sundry happily come out and match to the venue of the event to join hunters and dance as a show of love and unity among the Egbira natives of the community.

“In fact, virtually 75 per cent of the people of the community; children, elderly women, house wives and adults will leave their houses with some drummers singing and match down where the hunters will be coming out of the forest and join the hunters in procession down to the venue of the event.

“It is just like a soldier who left home to go to war and later returned back home safely and alive without being killed or harmed, which is why women mostly look happy and dancing and singing that their husbands who went hunting have returned home safely without any harm,” he said.

Adamu, however, said the Irewha hunting festival is the only Egbira culture that has continued to remain alive after the Ogani fishing festival in the neighbouring Umaisha community has died down.

“And if you also observe, many households prepare food and drinks where every member of the community including visitors will go and eat and drink free and dance while some youths will be displaying their locally made guns shooting into the air throughout that day.

“So, Irewha hunting festival is just a fun of its own and that is why you will even see people from nearby villages, especially women and children, trekking for almost two kilometres to the festival,” he said.

The Ona of Abaji and chairman of the FCT council of chiefs, HRM Alhaji Adamu Baba Yunusa, represented by the district head of Ayaura community, Alhaji Kamal Adamu Shuaibu, said the festival is an avenue for the people to promote their culture.

He said the festival is a symbol of unity in the Egbira nation, adding that the festival will enhance peace, unity and development.

A member representing Toto/Gadabuke state constituency, Hon. Mohammed Isimbabi Garba, noted that the festival will not only afford the community the opportunity to showcase Egbira cultural values, but also serve as a vehicle for promoting peace, unity and understanding among various ethnic groups.

He, therefore, solicited the support and understanding of all sons and daughters of Ebiraland to continue to imbibe the culture and spirit of peace and unity, which he said the tribe is known for.

Weekend Trust noted that different prizes, including cash, were presented to participants, especially those that caught the biggest animals during the event.