13 Interesting Facts About the People of Ankwei Ethnic Group in Nigeria

Ankwei is one of the many minority ethnic groups in Nigeria that people don’t exactly pay much attention to. Let’s take a look at some of the interesting facts about the people of Ankwei.

13 Interesting Facts About the People of Ankwei Ethnic Group

13 Interesting Facts About the People of Ankwei Ethnic Group in Nigeria

The people of the Ankwei Ethnic Group have some interesting facts about them and these facts would be shared with you in this post.

1. Location:

The Ankwei people can be found in Shendam, Gerkawa, and Namu districts in the Plateau State.

2. Religion:

Although a majority of them are Christians, some of them still hold on to their ethnic and religious beliefs.

3. One Interesting Fact About the People of Ankwei is Their Origin:

In the nineteenth century, they were the largest ethnic group in the lowlands and their origin can be traced to the son of Ngas chief.

4. Population:

The population of the Ankwei people amounts up to three hundred and ninety-nine thousand (399,000).

5. Language:

The language they speak is called the Goemai.

6. Another Interesting Fact About the Ankwei People is Their Lifestyle:

They live in round, mud-walled huts grouped into enclosed family compounds (villages). Each of the huts has two cylindrical walls.

7. Occupation:

The Ankwei people practice subsistence farming, mainly raising ginger, guinea corn, beans and millet. They also grow rice, pumpkins and peanuts.

8. System of Government:

Each Ankwei village has a chief priest who answers to the tribal king; the supreme governmental and religious leader of the Ankwei tribe.

Another Interesting Fact About the Anwei People is Their Customs and Tradition:

Barbaric and weird as it may seem, their customs and traditions are quite fascinating.

9. Their king must not look over river Benue or he will die.

10. When the king dies, they will bury his favourite wife, horse and servant with him in the same grave.

11. Another interesting fact about the Ankwei people is that their boys receive circumcision at the age of seven.

12. The Ankwei people consider an owl as a bird of evil omen. They also believe that killing a hawk will make them die or become a fool.

13. No person is allowed to plant on their farms until the king’s farm has been planted.

Conclusion

There you have it, some facts about the Ankei people of Plateau. Now you know how to properly relate with them when you come across them in Plateau. And make sure not to kill a hawk!.

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