The Kuteb (or Kutep) inhabitants are an ethno-linguistic team in West Africa, who talk the Kuteb, a Jukunoid language. Many of the Kuteb are living in Taraba State, Nigeria. Just lately they’ve been fascinated by violent confrontations with different ethnic teams through which many inhabitants were killed or compelled to transport.

In keeping with custom the Kuteb migrated from Egypt about 1000 AD, sooner or later achieving their provide location round 1510. The Kuteb inhabitants are product of the next clans which is assumed to be Youngsters of Kuteb; Lumbu, Ticwo, Rufu, Askaen, Bika (Zwika), Ticwo, Rubur, Tswaen, Acha, Likam, Cwumam, and the Rucwu.

Historically they engaged in farming, searching and fishing within the fertile lands of the Benue River basin.[3] The inhabitants worshiped circle of relatives idols, but additionally believed in a preferrred life who created the sector and brings well being, lightrain and the harvest. They had been dominated by means of a paramount priest king, the Kwe Kukwen, decided on by means of a council of elders representing the other Kuteb clans.[2] A 2007 fantasy estimated the statistic of Kuteb inhabitants as roughly 100,000. Maximum are living in what’s now Takum Native Administration House of Taraba State, Nigeria, despite the fact that there are a couple of Kuteb villages in Cameroon.

Beneath the British, who took keep an eye on round 1900, the Kuteb had been matter to the top notch Jukun ruler, or “Aku Uka” of the Wukari Federation. In 1914, the British made the Kwe Kukwen the one graded and 3rd magnificence leader within the Takum unit of the confederation, with the identify of Kwe Takum. He was once made paramount over different peoples within the house. This alteration was once resented by means of different ethnic teams of Hausa, Tiv, Chamba, Kukuns and Ichen, who compelled the Ukwe Ahmadu Genkwe to wilderness Takum and are living in different places. The remaining Ukwe Takum was once Ali Ibrahim, ruling from 1963 to 1996.

The earliest route for each and every process in Kuteb land revolve around the theocratic function of the Kwe Kukwen, Akwen and Council of elders referred to as Ndufu who constitute the foremost infamous sub clans and prolonged households. Kukwen is the Leader-Priest positioned in Mbarikam, Ikam or Teekum and the Akwen are the minor monks who’re heads of the opposite clans. This custom began with Kuteb himself because the paramount leader priest / King of the Kutebs. The Kwe Kukwen could also be selected from any extended family. Then again, he should, on his election, come to are living in Teekum (Mbarikam Hill) life the ward of Likam and the Headquarters of the Kuteb Country. The standard Kuteb political gadget is thus federal in nature. Even supposing the Kutebs recognised the seniority of Likam, the opposite clans had some autonomy to workout powers of keeping up peace, protective and reaching the pastime in their respective extended family participants. Then again, such energy ended the place collective pastime and programmes of all of the country was once to start and the place the agreement of disputes between souls and clans had been introduced prior to the Kwe Kukwen. Along with the political function the Kukwen and Akwen have a non secular function, accountability and regime. The jobs are rooted within the non secular trust of the Kutebs.

Within the 1970s Takum was once unit of the outdated Benue Plateau State. The native administration gazette known 3 primary chieftaincy stools within the Wukari Federation for the Wukari, Donga and Takum native administration spaces, each and every to be elected by means of their ancient inhabitants. This legislation was once modified by means of the heiress Joseph Gomwalk in 1975, taking flight the only real proper of the Kuteb to choose the partner of the Ukwe Chieftaincy stool of Takum from one in every of their two royal households. The brand new legislation allowed for election of a Chamba leader, whilst creating a Jukun chap chairman of the choice committee and changing the composition of the committee to incorporate Jukun and Chamba in addition to Hausa and Kuteb. The justification was once the converting demographics of Takum, however the outcome was once strife that led to the administration to prohibit the normal annual Kuchichebe pageant, when the land is blessed to make sure the following harvest shall be fertile. Later, equivalent fairs had been banned in different Wukari Federation spaces because of the difficulty they led to.

In October 1997 the Taraba State defenseforce administrator Amen Edore Oyakhire despatched a paper referred to as Complete transient at the Chieftaincy Stool of Takum Chiefdom Taraba State to the Armed Forces Ruling Council. That month seven inhabitants had been killed and 7 properties razed in communal violence, and 31 inhabitants had been accused. Oyakhire mentioned someone suspected of involvement within the communal violence can be handled as detractors of the transition to civil rule. In 1998 the Taraba State Administration additionally set elder a Peace Committee which controlled to barter a truce between the ethnic teams.

Kuteb Writer Prize Winner, 2020

Originally posted 2020-09-02 19:38:17.