Yala: Some facts about the People which you don’t Know —By Onah Ohobu

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Famous Okuku Market in Yala LGA. Photocredit: JujuFilms

Onah Ohobu|30 October 2016

The Yala people are members of the larger families in Idoma (Benue state), Alago in Nassarawa state, Ette in Enugu and Yala in Cross River state all in Nigeria, this spread necessitated in the causes of migration between 1700-1800.

The Yala are today predominantly found in northern Cross River state with outlying families in Ikom and Obubra about 150 miles from Yala homeland. Yala as the language is a variant of Idoma language, as a result of migration and interferences with other cultures, Yala covers an area of 2,877 miles, enclosed by latitude 6:50 north and longitude 8:25 east, its economy is agro-based and it also has in commercial quantity yet to be processed.

The colonial army arrived at Okpoma, Ugaga and Woda between 1908 and 1911 while the first missionary school was established in Yahe in 1926, Okpoma 1936, Ijegu 1937 and Ugaga in 1938. Yala is transferred from west to east by a trunk #A-road from Enugu through Yala to Oloko.

The founders of Yala land refers to themselves as AYI ODE-IDOMA meaning the children of Ode the father of Ochumode. The main lineage groups are:
1. Ayi-Oko
2. Ayi-Omaha
3. Ayi-Ochumode
4. O'oh and Ada
All are grouped into East and West Yala.

HISTORY & BIOGRAPHY OF YALA.

(According to my father Mr. Ohobu Ogar the son of Late Mr. Ogar Owani the grandchild of Mr. Owani Eneyi).

Accordng 2 several authoritatve sources the people of Yala migrated from IDOMALAND of Benue state 2 the present location before 15 and 1600 AD. They're said to have their original homeland in “river benue basin” where the Jukuns now live.

Yala are of the offspring of Ala, the 7th child of Odey Idoma (otherwise known as Ochumode) that led the people to the new foundland. Hence Idoma people have always referred to Tala as their brothers in diaspora whose ancestry they trace to Idoma homeland.

Yala, under the leadership of Ochumode founded the first settlement Okpada within the vicinity of the present Itega Ekpudu from where they have spread to 30 autonomous communties covering a landmass of 2,878 square miles with a population of 500,000 inhabitants. They speak Yala, a variant of Idoma language widely spoken by Idoma in Benue, Alago in Nasarawa and Ette in Enugu states of Nigeria. There have been borrowng and loses in the original language text as a result of time nd distance separation as well as contact and education.

Yala has outposts in Yala Ikom and Yala Obubra in the North and South banks of Cross River about 100km from the present settlement of Itega Okpame in Okpoma district.

Yala is in 4 broad lineage groups: the Ayi-oko, Omaha, Ochuminaku and Adah. There live in a compact and contigous settlement except the d Ikom/Obubra satelite communities that are in a considerable distance away from the present settlement. Their main occupation is agriculture made possible by the extensive landmass and favourable sub-tropical climate, with adequate precipitation. Much of the arable land is under cultivation, the main crops being yam, rice and cassava.
The enviroment suffers frm occasional floodng especially within the basins of Aya and O’wu river basins.

The people live in a clustered settlements with village quares (Ogra) in the centre that serve as venue for social activities.

Onah Ohobu
Writes from Calabar