Welcome, Guest: Register On Nairaland / LOGIN! / Trending / Recent / New
Stats: 3,143,328 members, 7,780,822 topics. Date: Thursday, 28 March 2024 at 11:19 PM

Another Lost Tribe Found In Nigeria - Culture - Nairaland

Nairaland Forum / Nairaland / General / Culture / Another Lost Tribe Found In Nigeria (10418 Views)

Somebody Tell Benjamin Netanyahu That Igbo Are The Lost Tribe Of Gad! / You Might Want To Know That We Yorubas Are Part Of The Lost Tribe Of Israel / Igbo Lost Tribe Of Israel! (2) (3) (4)

(1) (2) (3) (Reply) (Go Down)

Another Lost Tribe Found In Nigeria by iReport: 5:24am On Mar 31, 2009
[size=14pt]
Another lost tribe found in Nigeria
[/size]
Saturday, 28 March 2009 00:00



Stephen Osu

They live, literally, in the stone age. Poverty and diseases ravage their land, like locusts. A good number of them still dress in the manner of,
the Biblical Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden -- stark naked -- with fresh leaves for a little covering. You are welcome to the top of the Gerinjina mountain in Gashaka Local Government area of Taraba State.



It was like a story from Mars when a casual talk to the hearing of this reporter indicated that there was a community up the mountain that lived worse than those of the Koma people who were discovered in the mid-1980s by a group of National youth corps members in the then Gongola State, now split into Adamawa and Taraba states. While the Koma community resides in Adamawa State, the new Stone Age people are in Taraba State.
They are called, the Jibu people and they are descendants of the Kwarafa Kingdom who lived for centuries in nine communities scattered around on the mountains in Gashaka.
Historical accounts have it that the people lived together with their fellow brothers in the kingdom until about 1807 when Fulani Jihadists invaded the kingdom
. They were said to have run to the mountain top where they now live and are completely cut off from other tribes, and by extension the whole world. Not even the activities of the colonial masters reached them, largely because of the difficult terrain of their new abode. The mountain top is characterised by rivers, deep gullies and huge rocks.
Just like any other group of human beings, the Jibu people have their ways of life. These include collective circumcision of boys born within the same age group, a ceremony performed with the use sharp objects.


It is considered a test of strength and character for their boys not to cry during the ceremony. The circumcised are kept on bamboo beds and covered with fresh leaves that are gathered and burnt after the wound has healed.
For a young Jibu man to get a wife, he must serve the family of his bride for five years. Nonetheless, the marriage is determined by the capacity of the woman to conceive. This is measured by a dried long firewood that is set on fire for at least three months, within which if the woman does not become pregnant, the simple communication is the gods do not want the marriage.
Pregnant women work on the farms to the day of their delivery.
They have a communal life and are ruled by the Waziri Garinjina, Tann Shidin Zunbi, who confirmed in an interview with the Nigerian Compass on Saturday that maternal and child mortality rates are high among them.

The Jibu people are neither Christians nor Muslims. Rather, they believe in their own gods and the ancestors. In an event of violation of their natural laws by any individual, animals are slaughtered to appease the land. It is also a similar story during every cropping season. The harvests are brought before the Waziri for sacrifice to the gods, after which their brand of liquor is prepared for everybody to drink in merriment. Incidentally too, the Jibu people believe that some gods are not friendly with women. Thus, throughout the period of ritual preparations, women remain indoors to avoid being exposed to the gods who could be harmful to them.
When our correspondent visited Gerinjina, their condition of living was worse than that of the much-talked about Koma people. There is no access road. They drink water with animals from the same rivers. In their scattered settlement system, there is no school around except for some missionaries who have a thatched space for that purpose but is yet to have any student. After a day's job on the farm, their women still have the task of grinding raw corn with heavy stones before food is ready for their male counterparts.


http://www.compassnews.net/news/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=13893:another-lost-tribe-found-in-nigeria&catid=48:saturdaynews&Itemid=189

2 Likes 1 Share

Re: Another Lost Tribe Found In Nigeria by iReport: 5:26am On Mar 31, 2009
They'll soon demand for their own state, resource control and their home grown tribalists will soon arrive nairaland. Don't mess with a Jibu tribalist. They may also be helpful to the actualization of the republic of BecomeRich.
Re: Another Lost Tribe Found In Nigeria by iReport: 5:29am On Mar 31, 2009

We went naked to gain their confidence – Cleric

Pastor Miracle Ishaya is the director of Mission Light House,Wukari, Taraba State, the first missionary that came in contact with the Jibu community. In this interview with STEPHEN OSU, he explained how his team had to go naked to get the people to listen to them, how he got to know about the community and their problems.
How true is it that you were the first to come in contact with the Jibu people?
It is true by the grace of God that we were the first missionaries to come across the people called Jibu. They are in a place called Galumjina. Their tribe is Jibu. These people were before now cut off from the rest of the world. In fact, nobody knew about them till we got there.


How did you know of their existence ?
A woman named Mrs.Joseph is a trader who lived in a place called Abba Dogo. After some time of staying in the village, she started seeing some strange faces in the place with leaves as their clothing and when she asked, the learnt that they live on top of the mountains. So, she came to inform us and when we got there, it was difficult to believe but it was true. And as they sighted us, some ran away, some became very violent and came out with there arrows but for the woman’s ability to speak Jibu language. We were accepted.

How did she understand the language?
Yes, it is not as if the people are completely different from every other tribe in the place, but they are a section of the Jibu that settled on top of the mountain. There are some other sections of the same tribe that are developed. So, through them, the woman was able to understand little things in the language except that they speak the old version of the language.


In what condition did you meet them?
They were totally naked, both women and men, covering some parts of their bodies with leaves. As a strategy for us to be accepted by them, we also had to strip off some of our clothes and told them that we were their tribes men, only that we were born in the town.


How did you get them accept clothes?
It was difficult at the beginning but they accepted at last to wear it on top of their leaves. The women value the leaves. They believe that if a leaf falls from their waist and a man crosses it, he will automatically be impotent. We also talked to them about the God who created everything, whom they also believe as a God for the children. So they at last accepted everything.
Now that you have got there, what is the main problem?
It was difficult to get them accept our ways of life as you can see. When we introduced palm oil, they said it was human blood. At first, we were sleeping under the trees. Their food was Burukutu. Diseases kill them in large numbers.
Re: Another Lost Tribe Found In Nigeria by iReport: 5:30am On Mar 31, 2009
[b]Discovering Jibu: A journalist's nine-hour mountain clim[/b]b
Stephen Osu

When, sometime last month, I visited the Koma hills in Jada Local Government area of Adamawa State on the instruction of my editor, I thought I had seen the worst in the living conditions of human beings that could ever be. I was wrong. Dead wrong.

Unknown to me, the encounter that would shock me to the very marrows, would be in my state of residence, Taraba.
On learning of another community of human beings who were probably worse than the Koma people and had just been in contact with the rest of the world, I quickly put a call through to my editor, again, informing him of the development.


“Are you ready with the story?,” he asked. My answer was in the negative. “Why then are you wasting time? Steve, go get the story. Go, go, go,” he ordered. Off I went same evening, on Wednesday,March 11, with just the ATM of my bank in my bag and a little cash that could serve for transport fare and feeding for the day, believing that there must be a bank in Serti Barewa, headquarters of Gashaka, with the Automatic Teller Machine (Or Any Time Money) facility.
But my assumption was, again, wide off the mark as the single bank (UBA) that had a branch in the town had no ATM.
With some part of the report ready while the most important was still missing, I instantly started regretting my decision to get myself involved in the assignment. Meanwhile, calls kept pouring in from my Editor who wanted to assess the level of completion. At a point, I contemplated putting off my phone but remembered it would be suicidal considering where I was. But thanks to one Mallam Hamidu Hassan who volunteered his UBA account number so that my office could effect a transfer, I became buoyant enough to hire two guides for the nine-hour mountain climbing.


Each of the mountains took at least one hour of the tortuous journey. My two guides, Mallam Balla and Mr. Titus Tanko Usman, took me to the top and to the house of the Waziri Garinjina, Tann Shidin Zunbi. Already tired, there was no option but to lay my head on any facility available for accommodation which my host magnanimously offered -- a bamboo mat in a structure, much of which was covered with grass. That prepared the grounds for the actual battle with mosquitoes and other insects that came out from the dusty ground.

After three days of the sojourn, both water and the little quantity of food got finished. Then came the time for dry fasting. That also took another one day and five hours, although locally brewed liquor was available for entertainment. The Jibu women on the other hand, were so entertaining with there grinding stones. Yes! The complete story arrived at last, but it was with tears.
Re: Another Lost Tribe Found In Nigeria by Sissy3(f): 7:30am On Mar 31, 2009
iReport:

[size=14pt]




For a young Jibu man to get a wife, he must serve the family of his bride for five years. Nonetheless, the marriage is determined by the capacity of the woman to conceive. [b]This is measured by a dried long firewood that is set on fire for at least three months, within which if the woman does not become pregnant,
the simple communication is the gods do not want the marriage.


shocked shocked shocked shocked shocked shocked shocked shocked shocked interesting!
Re: Another Lost Tribe Found In Nigeria by SHENANIGAN(m): 7:34am On Mar 31, 2009
~Sissy~:

shocked shocked shocked shocked shocked shocked shocked shocked shocked interesting!


Why you dey open eye, you dey find husband for Jibu kingdom ?
Re: Another Lost Tribe Found In Nigeria by Sissy3(f): 7:37am On Mar 31, 2009
SHENANIGAN:


Why you dey open eye, you dey find husband for Jibu kingdom ?

hahaha grin grin grin

husband ke shocked shocked shocked, 4 where shocked shocked shocked ?

chei! lawd forbid bad thing, nah cheesy cheesy

how body dey, longest time kiss kiss kiss
Re: Another Lost Tribe Found In Nigeria by iReport: 7:41am On Mar 31, 2009
For a young Jibu man to get a wife, he must serve the family of his bride for five years

I want this to be a universal law especially in Nigeria so that Nigerian men will learn to cherish their wives and take them more serious. Which man in his right mind will play with a woman he slaved for 5 years to marry?. Can the woman dump the man at the 5th year of his slavery?
Re: Another Lost Tribe Found In Nigeria by iReport: 7:42am On Mar 31, 2009

Why you dey open eye, you dey find husband for Jibu kingdom ?
I heard that Ibkaye and Tope are into Jibu men. tongue tongue tongue
Re: Another Lost Tribe Found In Nigeria by SHENANIGAN(m): 7:48am On Mar 31, 2009
~Sissy~:

hahaha grin grin grin

husband ke shocked shocked shocked, 4 where shocked shocked shocked ?

chei! lawd forbid bad thing, nah cheesy cheesy

how body dey, longest time kiss kiss kiss

I just dey my dear. I was looking at the pictures above, how come the men have on cloths, the must have come down the mountains to go to the market. so this tribe is not a lost tribe they just so freaking behind like a lot of tribes in that area.
Re: Another Lost Tribe Found In Nigeria by jamace(m): 8:40am On Mar 31, 2009
This their marriage ritual get as e be. Uhm.
Re: Another Lost Tribe Found In Nigeria by spikedcylinder: 1:38pm On Mar 31, 2009
You serve 5 years to get a wife who has breasts like that? shocked
Re: Another Lost Tribe Found In Nigeria by osisi2(f): 4:20pm On Mar 31, 2009
For a young Jibu man to get a wife, he must serve the family of his bride for five years

This should be made a Nigerian law especially Igbo men grin

.
Nonetheless, the marriage is determined by the capacity of the woman to conceive. This is measured by a dried long firewood that is set on fire for at least three months, within which if the woman does not become pregnant, the simple communication is the gods do not want the marriage.

Osanobua shocked shocked shocked shocked
this is wrong o

Pregnant women work on the farms to the day of their delivery.

Chineke God!
planting yams and cassava @ 9 months? shocked shocked shocked
do they think every woman is earthmama? grin
Re: Another Lost Tribe Found In Nigeria by tpia: 4:23pm On Mar 31, 2009
.
Re: Another Lost Tribe Found In Nigeria by osisi2(f): 4:29pm On Mar 31, 2009
tpia:

why are the men wearing clothes while the women are wearing leaves?

why do Nigerian women readily accept these kinds of nonsense?

I saw that too
The men only need a calabash or gourd to put their sumtin in like those papua new guinea men on the history channel
Maybe the journalists or missionaries brought clothes and the men (as usual) got off their leaves and took them grin
Re: Another Lost Tribe Found In Nigeria by Nobody: 4:36pm On Mar 31, 2009
tpia:

why are the men wearing clothes while the women are wearing leaves?

why do Nigerian women readily accept these kinds of nonsense?

Well it says here that it was hard getting them to wear clothes and the women especially held their leaves in high regard. I guess that's why.

How did you get them accept clothes?
It was difficult at the beginning but they accepted at last to wear it on top of their leaves. The women value the leaves. They believe that if a leaf falls from their waist and a man crosses it, he will automatically be impotent. We also talked to them about the God who created everything, whom they also believe as a God for the children. So they at last accepted everything.
Now that you have got there, what is the main problem?
It was difficult to get them accept our ways of life as you can see. When we introduced palm oil, they said it was human blood. At first, we were sleeping under the trees. Their food was Burukutu. Diseases kill them in large numbers.
Re: Another Lost Tribe Found In Nigeria by osisi2(f): 5:32pm On Mar 31, 2009
It was difficult at the beginning but they accepted at last to wear it on top of their leaves

ROFL.
Re: Another Lost Tribe Found In Nigeria by iReport: 5:41pm On Mar 31, 2009
You serve 5 years to get a wife [b]who has breasts like tha[/b]t?
grin grin wharreva. Boobs are boobs and plz stop corrupting Jibu men because they may start ignoring Jibu sisters for white chics as soon as they read your thoughts.
Re: Another Lost Tribe Found In Nigeria by iReport: 5:43pm On Mar 31, 2009
They believe that if a leaf falls from their waist and a man crosses it, he will automatically be impotent.

They are giving their men cheap excuses for being impotent.
Re: Another Lost Tribe Found In Nigeria by spikedcylinder: 9:05pm On Mar 31, 2009
iReport:

grin grin wharreva. Boobs are boobs and plz stop corrupting Jibu men because they may start ignoring Jibu sisters for white chics as soon as they read your thoughts.


Lol. The woman in the inserted picture, second from the left is confusing. What shape are her breasts?
Re: Another Lost Tribe Found In Nigeria by tope2000(f): 9:10pm On Mar 31, 2009
spikedcylinder:

You serve 5 years to get a wife who has breasts like that? shocked

Ewwwwwwwww shocked shocked shocked shocked
Re: Another Lost Tribe Found In Nigeria by Sauron1: 9:11pm On Mar 31, 2009
iReport:

grin grin wharreva. Boobs are boobs and plz stop corrupting Jibu men because they may start ignoring Jibu  sisters for white chics as soon as they read your thoughts.

Says who??
Boobs ain't boobs, abeg. . . .
Re: Another Lost Tribe Found In Nigeria by tope2000(f): 9:16pm On Mar 31, 2009
iReport:

grin grin wharreva. Boobs are boobs and plz stop corrupting Jibu men because they may start ignoring Jibu sisters for white chics as soon as they read your thoughts.


Just took a second look at those breasts n my God . . . . . . . .NO
Re: Another Lost Tribe Found In Nigeria by iReport: 9:26pm On Mar 31, 2009
Says who??
Boobs ain't boobs, abeg. . . .
Please hush, do your women have better boobs than these Jibu hot chics?
Re: Another Lost Tribe Found In Nigeria by iReport: 9:27pm On Mar 31, 2009
Lol. The woman in the inserted picture, second from the left is confusing. What shape are her breasts?
Amoebaic shape. Victoria secret have special bras designed for those with amoebaic breasts.
Re: Another Lost Tribe Found In Nigeria by iReport: 9:29pm On Mar 31, 2009
Just took a second look at those breasts n my God . . . . . . . .NO
On a scale of 1-10(10 being the best), can you rate their boobs and other ridiculous boobs you've seen especially Pataki's boobs? tongue tongue
Re: Another Lost Tribe Found In Nigeria by tope2000(f): 9:31pm On Mar 31, 2009
iReport:

On a scale of 1-10(10 being the best), can you rate their boobs and other ridiculous boobs you've seen especially Pataki's boobs? tongue tongue

Lol . . . . their boobs shudnt even be on a scale abeg grin maybe 0.2 sha tongue
Re: Another Lost Tribe Found In Nigeria by iReport: 9:33pm On Mar 31, 2009
Lol, wwhat of pataki's boobs that he developed after he hit 250 pounds?
Re: Another Lost Tribe Found In Nigeria by spikedcylinder: 9:37pm On Mar 31, 2009
'Ol boy, unless Victoria Secret has started making stainless steel bras, no remedy for these madams oh!
Re: Another Lost Tribe Found In Nigeria by Sauron1: 9:41pm On Mar 31, 2009
iReport:

Please hush, do your women have better boobs than these Jibu hot chics?

Those Jibu boobs with no elasticity?? I'll pass. . . . . .
Why do i have a niggling feening that you have the same set of boobs as these Jibu women. grin grin
Re: Another Lost Tribe Found In Nigeria by iReport: 9:43pm On Mar 31, 2009

Those Jibu boobs with no elasticity?? I'll pass. . . . . .
Why do i have a niggling feening that you have the same set of boobs as these Jibu women.
Keep the imagination alive. Day dreaming is allowed but just don't develop unnecessary nightmares. tongue tongue tongue
Re: Another Lost Tribe Found In Nigeria by iReport: 9:44pm On Mar 31, 2009
'Ol boy, unless Victoria Secret has started making stainless steel bras, no remedy for these madams oh!
No, the bras are made with galvanized steel.

(1) (2) (3) (Reply)

Pictures From 2023 Ofala Festival In Anambra / Hoodlums Set Ogun Monarch's Palace On Fire. / Black/white?

(Go Up)

Sections: politics (1) business autos (1) jobs (1) career education (1) romance computers phones travel sports fashion health
religion celebs tv-movies music-radio literature webmasters programming techmarket

Links: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10)

Nairaland - Copyright © 2005 - 2024 Oluwaseun Osewa. All rights reserved. See How To Advertise. 62
Disclaimer: Every Nairaland member is solely responsible for anything that he/she posts or uploads on Nairaland.