Kuteb people
Encyclopedia
The Kuteb people are an ethno-linguistic group in West Africa
, who speak a Jukunoid
language. Most of the Kuteb live in Taraba State
, Nigeria
.
Recently they have been involved in violent confrontations with other ethnic groups in which many people have been killed or forced to move.
about 1000 AD, eventually reaching their present location around 1510.
Traditionally they engaged in farming, hunting and fishing in the fertile lands of the Benue River
basin.
The people worshiped family idols, but also believed in a supreme being who created the world and brings health, rain and the harvest.
They were ruled by a paramount priest king, the Kwe Kukwen, selected by a council of elders representing the different Kuteb clans.
A 2007 report estimated the number of Kuteb people as approximately 100,000.
Most live in what is now Takum
Local Government Area of Taraba State
, Nigeria
, although there are a few Kuteb villages in Cameroon
.
Under the British, who took control around 1900, the Kuteb were subject to the first-class Jukun
ruler, or "Aku Uka" of the Wukari Federation
.
In 1914, the British made the Kwe Kukwen the only graded and third class chief in the Takum part of the confederation, with the title of Kwe Takum. He was made paramount over other peoples in the area.
This change was resented by other ethnic groups of Hausa, Tiv, Chamba, Kukuns and Ichen, who forced the Ukwe Ahmadu Genkwe to leave Takum and reside elsewhere.
The last Ukwe Takum was Ali Ibrahim, ruling from 1963 to 1996.
The local government gazette recognized three main chieftaincy stools in the Wukari Federation for the Wukari
, Donga
and Takum local government areas, each to be elected by their indigenous people.
This law was changed by the governor Joseph Gomwalk
in 1975, withdrawing the sole right of the Kuteb to select the holder of the Ukwe Chieftaincy stool of Takum from one of their two royal families.
The new law allowed for election of a Chamba
chief, while making a Jukun man chairman of the selection committee and altering the composition of the committee to include Jukun and Chamba as well as Hausa
and Kuteb.
The justification was the changing demographics of Takum, but the result was disturbances that caused the government to ban the traditional annual Kuchichebe festival, when the land is blessed to ensure the next harvest will be fertile.
Later, similar festivals were banned in other Wukari Federation areas due to the trouble they caused.
In October 1997 the Taraba State military administrator Amen Edore Oyakhire
sent a paper called Comprehensive brief on the Chieftaincy Stool of Takum Chiefdom Taraba State to the Armed Forces Ruling Council.
That month seven people were killed and seven houses razed in communal violence, and 31 people were arrested.
Oyakhire said anyone suspected of involvement in the communal violence would be treated as detractors of the transition to civil rule.
In 1998 the Taraba State Government also set up a Peace Committee which managed to negotiate a truce between the ethnic groups.
An ethnic crisis between the Jukun and Kuteb broke out in 1991.
On 27 December 2008 another crisis erupted in Takum over an alleged killing of a Jukun youth by Kuteb youths.
Perhaps 20 people died and thousands took refuge in the local military barracks.
In 2000 there was fighting between the Kuteb and Tiv people, with over 250 villages burned.
In 2006 violent clashes again began between the Kuteb and the Tiv, in which many people lost their lives.
In a December 2008 press conference the Taraba State Governor, Alhaji Danbaba Suntai
, said he could see no end to the conflict.
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
, who speak a Jukunoid
Jukunoid languages
The score of Jukunoid languages are spoken by the Jukun and related peoples of Nigeria and Cameroon.-Languages:Per Ethnologue 15, the internal classification of the languages is:*Bete, perhaps Lufu*Yukuben–Kuteb: Akum, Beezen, Kapya, Kuteb, Yukuben...
language. Most of the Kuteb live in Taraba State
Taraba State
Taraba State is a state of Nigeria, named after the Taraba River which traverses the southern part of the state. Taraba's capital is Jalingo.-History:...
, Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
.
Recently they have been involved in violent confrontations with other ethnic groups in which many people have been killed or forced to move.
Background
According to tradition the Kuteb migrated from EgyptEgypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
about 1000 AD, eventually reaching their present location around 1510.
Traditionally they engaged in farming, hunting and fishing in the fertile lands of the Benue River
Benue River
The Benue River is the major tributary of the Niger River. The river is approximately 1,400 km long and is almost entirely navigable during the summer months...
basin.
The people worshiped family idols, but also believed in a supreme being who created the world and brings health, rain and the harvest.
They were ruled by a paramount priest king, the Kwe Kukwen, selected by a council of elders representing the different Kuteb clans.
A 2007 report estimated the number of Kuteb people as approximately 100,000.
Most live in what is now Takum
Takum
Takum is a Local Government Area in Taraba State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Takum at. Takum borders the Republic of Cameroon in the south.It has an area of 2,503 km² and a population of 135,349 at the 2006 census....
Local Government Area of Taraba State
Taraba State
Taraba State is a state of Nigeria, named after the Taraba River which traverses the southern part of the state. Taraba's capital is Jalingo.-History:...
, Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
, although there are a few Kuteb villages in Cameroon
Cameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...
.
Under the British, who took control around 1900, the Kuteb were subject to the first-class Jukun
Jukun people (West Africa)
Jukun are an ethno-linguistic group or ethnic nation in West Africa. The Jukun are traditionally located in Taraba State, Nigeria and parts of northwestern Cameroon. They are descendants of the people of the Kwararafa kingdom. most of the tribes in the north central of Nigeria trace their origin to...
ruler, or "Aku Uka" of the Wukari Federation
Wukari Federation
The Wukari Federation is a traditional state in Nigeria, a successor to the Kwararafa state of the Jukun people. The state is based in the town of Wukari in Taraba State, in the south of the Benue River basin...
.
In 1914, the British made the Kwe Kukwen the only graded and third class chief in the Takum part of the confederation, with the title of Kwe Takum. He was made paramount over other peoples in the area.
This change was resented by other ethnic groups of Hausa, Tiv, Chamba, Kukuns and Ichen, who forced the Ukwe Ahmadu Genkwe to leave Takum and reside elsewhere.
The last Ukwe Takum was Ali Ibrahim, ruling from 1963 to 1996.
Chieftaincy stool issue
In the 1970s Takum was part of the old Benue Plateau State.The local government gazette recognized three main chieftaincy stools in the Wukari Federation for the Wukari
Wukari
Wukari is a Local Government Area in Taraba State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Wukari on the A4 highway. The Donga River flows through the area and the Benue River forms a boundary with Nasarawa State to the northwest....
, Donga
Donga, Nigeria
Donga is a Local Government Area in Taraba State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Donga on the Donga River at.It has an area of 3,121 km² and a population of 134,111 at the 2006 census.The postal code of the area is 671....
and Takum local government areas, each to be elected by their indigenous people.
This law was changed by the governor Joseph Gomwalk
Joseph Gomwalk
Joseph Dechi Gomwalk was a Nigerian police commissioner and the first Military Governor of Benue-Plateau State after it was formed from part of Northern Region...
in 1975, withdrawing the sole right of the Kuteb to select the holder of the Ukwe Chieftaincy stool of Takum from one of their two royal families.
The new law allowed for election of a Chamba
Chamba people
The Chamba people of Nigeria and Cameroon that speak two distantly related languages: Chamba Leko, of the Leko–Nimbari languages, and Chamba Daka, of the Dakoid languages...
chief, while making a Jukun man chairman of the selection committee and altering the composition of the committee to include Jukun and Chamba as well as Hausa
Hausa people
The Hausa are one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa. They are a Sahelian people chiefly located in northern Nigeria and southeastern Niger, but having significant numbers living in regions of Cameroon, Ghana, Cote d'Ivoire, Chad and Sudan...
and Kuteb.
The justification was the changing demographics of Takum, but the result was disturbances that caused the government to ban the traditional annual Kuchichebe festival, when the land is blessed to ensure the next harvest will be fertile.
Later, similar festivals were banned in other Wukari Federation areas due to the trouble they caused.
In October 1997 the Taraba State military administrator Amen Edore Oyakhire
Amen Edore Oyakhire
Prince Amen Edore Oyakhire was the Military Administrator of Taraba State, Nigeria between August 1996 and August 1998 during the military regime of General Sani Abacha...
sent a paper called Comprehensive brief on the Chieftaincy Stool of Takum Chiefdom Taraba State to the Armed Forces Ruling Council.
That month seven people were killed and seven houses razed in communal violence, and 31 people were arrested.
Oyakhire said anyone suspected of involvement in the communal violence would be treated as detractors of the transition to civil rule.
In 1998 the Taraba State Government also set up a Peace Committee which managed to negotiate a truce between the ethnic groups.
Ongoing conflict
The Kuteb have been involved in ongoing violent conflicts with their neighbors.An ethnic crisis between the Jukun and Kuteb broke out in 1991.
On 27 December 2008 another crisis erupted in Takum over an alleged killing of a Jukun youth by Kuteb youths.
Perhaps 20 people died and thousands took refuge in the local military barracks.
In 2000 there was fighting between the Kuteb and Tiv people, with over 250 villages burned.
In 2006 violent clashes again began between the Kuteb and the Tiv, in which many people lost their lives.
In a December 2008 press conference the Taraba State Governor, Alhaji Danbaba Suntai
Danbaba Suntai
Danbaba Danfulani Suntai is a pharmacist who was elected as Executive Governor of Taraba State, Nigeria running for the People's Democratic Party in April 2007, and was sworn in on 29 May 2007....
, said he could see no end to the conflict.