Ekwe Community

Ekwe is a rural community in Isu Local Government Area of Imo State, Nigeria. It is made up three politically autonomous communities. The three autonomous communities are Ekwe-Nwe-Orie, Ebenator Ekwe and Uburu Ekwe. The name Ekwe originated from the name of the Great Grand Ancestor called Ekwe whose father Nnamike Onuoma founded Ekwe.

Historical origin of Ekwe is based on oral myth and legend of tradition of common ancestors passed from generation to generation. According to this oral tradition -"Nnamike Onuoma" the founder of the Ekwe community had two sons -Ekwe and Okwudor. Okwudor later separated from his brother and settled at the other side of the Njaba River and founded the Okwudor community. Ekwe stayed put in the area called Ekwe today.

Ekwe and Okwudor conjointly worshipped the common ancestral god of their fore-fathers (Eziekwo) and commonly performed Ozo title ceremonies together until recently. An accident on the bridge crossing the Njaba River led to the death of Nze and Ozo title holders. This led to the separation in performance of the Ozo title, between Ekwe and Okwudor. Today, people still pay homage and perform sacrificial rituals at Eziakwo shrine, their common ancestral deity.

Ekwe had two sons – Ekwe-Nwe-Orie and Ekwe-Nwe-Nkwo and fourteen grandsons. No definite information is known about the number of wives, daughters and grand daughters he had but it is assumed that Ekwe had two wives. Ekwe-Nwe-Orie is the Diokwara (first son) of Ekwe from his first wife and Ekwe-Nwe-Nkwo is the second son of Ekwe and the first son of the second wife of Ekwe.

Ekwe-Nwe-Orie had SIX sons that later gave rise to SIX villages. The villages are Umudibi, Ibeama, Umuduru, Eluama, Obara, and Ebenano. Ekwe-Nwe-Nkwo had SIX sons that also gave rise to seven villages. The villages are (in order of seniority) Umuduruewuru, Eziekwe, Ibeama, Umuduruehie, Odicheku, Umukorokoro and Umuokwara

Eluama, Umuduruewuru, Umukorokoro later crossed the Iyi Abalaka stream to discover a land mass later called Okwuotiri. The three villages founded the Eke market. Today they are collectively known as Ebenator-Ekwe. Eziekwe, Umuduruehie, Odicheku and Umuokwara are known as Uburu Ekwe today.

Ekwe is located in the southern part of Isu local government area of Imo state. The town lies on an undulated plain, with a natural boundary caused by the flow of the Njaba River. The Njaba River separates the town from Amucha, Okwudor and some parts of Umuaka.

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