In this report, TORDUE SALEM writes on some of the tribes that are notable but on the verge of extinction, and observed that special attention by scholars and government alike should be channelled to resuscitate theAbakwa The Abakwa tribe is on the fringes of three local governments in Benue State, namely Buruku, Katsina Ala and Ukum. Surprisingly, the Abakwa and other smaller ethnic groups around the area, have occupied these places for more than 200 years. Most of the Abakwas are Hausa and Tiv speaking, and are gradually losing their language and fast adopting the Tiv and Hausa. The Abakwa are said to be from Bamenda town in Cameroon. Bamenda is also known as Abakwa or Mansion town in the north-western town of Cameroon and the Capital of its north-western region. The tribe is one of the smallest in Benue and may be related to the Bassa in Plateau State.Bassa/Basa The Bassa/Basa is a highly developed Kainji language spoken in four states of the country, namely Kaduna, Niger, Plateau and Kogi States and in the Central African countries of Cameroon and Congo and in West Africa, Liberia and Nigeria.The Bassa Vai script was developed before 1907 by Thomas Narvin Lewis, while he was studying at Syracuse University in the United States. The first primer was printed by Lyman Brothers circa 1907. Dr Lewis returned to Liberia where he began teaching his script to Bassa children. The language was taught in some of the Poro society schools.The script has been described as one which, Like the system long in use among the Vai, consists of a series of phonetic characters standing for syllables. In fact, however, the Vai script is alphabetic. It includes 30 consonants, seven vowels, and five tones that are indicated by dots and lines inside each vowel.According to sources, in the 1970s, the United Bible Societies (UBS) translated the New Testament into Bassa language. June Hobley of Liberia Inland Mission, was primarily responsible for the translation. The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) was used for this translation rather than the Vai script, mostly for practical reasons related to printing. Because the Bassa people had a tradition of writing, they quickly adapted to the new script, and thousands learned to read.In 2005, UBS published the entire Bible in Bassa. The translation was sponsored by the Christian Education Foundation of Liberia, Christian Reformed World Missions, and UBS. Don Slager headed a team of translators that included Seokin Payne, Robert Glaybo, and William Boen.However in Nigeria, the Bassa are a largely neglected ethnic group or language, and there is also a dearth of literature on this very important language group in Nigeria, West and Central Africa.EtuloThe Etulo, is a jukunoid or Idomoid language in central Nigeria. It is indigenous to Benue and a close linguistic relative of the Idoma in Benue and Yala in Cross River State, derived from the Kwararafa kingdom. A riverine people, the Etulo are among the first ethnic groups to settle in Benue State. According to history, this linguistic group even settled on the banks of the Benue River with the Jukun and Nyifon, long before the Tiv, a dominant ethnic group in Benue crossed from Central Africa to join them. The Etulo are largely fishermen, but they have been lately stung by the prevailing agrarian bug, so they combine farming and fishing. The Etulo are a highly talented language group, despite their comparative demographic deficit, they have some of the most accomplished professionals in Nigeria. Some of them are Sir Mike Jukwe, a pioneer Registrar/Chief Executive of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) from 1st December, 2009 to date and Mr. Ben Agande, an accomplished journalist and international relations expert among several other accomplished Nigerians of that ethnic stock of less than 300,000 people.IrigweThe Irigwe are in Miango village of Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State. They are extremely warm and hospitable. There are a lot of tourist attractions in the village like waterfalls, high hills, the Miango rest home etc. In the early 1900s, the SIM Missionaries established the Miango Rest Home. Miango rest home, which is closer to ENOS HOSPITAL, the only massive licensed hospital in the community, started operations in 2011. Christianity was brought to the region by ECWA missionaries who also built churches and missionary schools. Miango and the surrounding communities have a population of over 20,000 people, more than 50 percent of which are women and children. Most of the Miango are farmers are the biggest suppliers of eggs, pepper, maize, tomatoes, Irish and sweet potatoes, carrots, cabbages, water melon, cucumber, wheat and beans to the rest of Nigeria.NgizimThe Ngizim people (or Ngizmawa, Ngezzim) are found in Yobe State in the north east region of Nigeria. They are estimated to be about 120,000 people. The Ngizim live in the area to the east and south of Potiskum, the largest city in Yobe State, as well as in Potiskum, which was originally an Ngizim town. The Ngizim are also found in Borno, Jigawa and Gombe States, but are gradually losing their identity to major ethnic groups like the Habe (Hausa) and the Fulani. The Ngizim speak a Chadic language, also called Ngizim.The Ngizim were part of the old Bornu Empire before the Fulani Jihad of 1804. By 1472, when the capital of the Bornu Empire, Birni Ngazargamu, was established, the Ngizim were known as great warriors. As they consolidated their influence over parts of modern-day Yobe and their cultural capital, Potiskum became a regional centre. The Ngizim had rebelled against the Fika Emirates sub-colonial control of the tribe. The local British district officer led forces against the Ngizim; Mai Agudum, the rebel leader was later executed. The Ngizim emirate was not restored until 1993 when Mai Muhammadu Atiyaye was appointed by the state governor. The current Ngizim leader, Mai Umaru Bubaram Ibn Wuriwa Bauya was recently upgraded to the status of a first-class Emir by former Governor Bukar Abba Ibrahim. Mamman Bello Ali, former governor of Yobe State, was one of the most prominent members of the Ngizim tribe.BajjuBajju is one of the 59 official languages in Kaduna State. The Bajjus are an ethnic group found in the northern region of Nigeria. They are found in the Southern part of Kaduna State in Zangon Kataf Local Government Area which is their main Local Government Area. Jju is the native name of the language to Bajju people while the more commonly known name Kaje is pejorative and more commonly used to refer to both the Bajju people and Jju language by the Hausa. The Bajju people are mostly farmers, blacksmith and petty traders.BaribaThe Bariba, Baatonu or Baatombu (plural), are the principal inhabitants of Borgu Kingdom in Kwara State, where they have also migrated to Benin Republic. They are the cofounders of the Borgu Kingdom that stretches to north-central Nigeria and Benin Republic. 80 percent of the Bariba, which is the fourth largest ethnic group in Benin, also constitute approximately 1/12 of the population. The Bariba are concentrated primarily in the north-east of the country, especially around the city of Nikki, which is considered the Bariba capital. They originally migrated from Kwara State, Nigeria and are known for great horsemanship. One of their noted festivals is the annual Gani horse-riding festival.The Bariba people are an important part the history of both Benin and Nigeria. During the late 19th century, Bariba, was known to constitute independent states and was dominated with kingdoms in cities like Nikki and Kandi in the northeast part of the country. In the town of Pehunko, there are approximately 200,000 Bariba people out of 365,000 inhabitants.The Bariba society consists of a higher-ranking official as chief of the town and their subordinate chiefs. Social status and titles are inherited in families, but the status of a person may be given by the familys nature of work. Notable subdivisions of the Bariba include the ruling Wasangari nobles, Baatombu commoners, slaves of varying origin, Dendi merchants, Fulbe herders, and other divisional ethnic groups.Agriculture is the dominant occupation for the Bariba. They grow corn, sorghum, rice, cotton, cassava, yams, beans, palm oil, groundnuts and some poultry and livestock. Religion is central in the culture of the Bariba tribe with majority of them being adherents of Islam. Islam was introduced to the Bariba people by Dendi traders who won converts in Northern Nigeria and Benin. But some Bariba communities remain spiritualists and worshippers of their traditional gods.The Bariba language is majorly spoken in Borgou, Alibori and part of Atacora in northern Benin. The Bariba language was once classified as related to the Gur language family, but is now isolated within the Savanna languages. It is a tone language with noun clauses. It was written around 1970.Despite its prominence in Benin Republic, the Bariba language and its people are unsung in Nigeria, and the language is experiencing decline in education, politics and the economy.KilbaThe Kilba have recently started to agitate for autonomy from Emirates and kingdoms in Adamawa State. A letter sent to the Adamawa State House of Assembly and published in newspapers demanding that their king be recognised as a first-class chief, is still in circulation.But the Kilba, however remains unrecognised by millions of people in Nigeria. One of its prominent people in the government of President Muhammadu Buhari is the secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir David LawalNgasNgas, or Angas, is an Afro-Asiatic language spoken in Plateau State of Nigeria. The Ngas Dialects are Hill Angas and Plain Angas. Though a former head of state in Nigeria, Retired General Yakubu Gowon hailed from Ngas, the language continues to be one of the most neglected languages by the government of Nigeria, language and anthropology scholars in Nigeria and the entire AfricaTarokThe Tarok, like their Tiv relatives, are agrarian and resident in the hills and on the plains of the south-eastern part of Plateau State of Nigeria.The Tarok people call themselves oTrk, their language iTrk and their land Trk. They are found principally in Langtang-North, Langtang-South, Wase, Mikang and Kanke Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Plateau State in the Middle Belt. Their main town of Lang Tang is located about 186 kilometres south-east of Jos, the state capital. They are also found in large numbers in Shendam, Quaan-Pan, Kanam and Pankshin LGAs. The Tarok are also in Nasarawa and Taraba States where they are known for farming. Fitzpatrick (1910), Roger Blench, Lamle (1995), Famwang and Longtau (1997) write extensively on the Tarok in their separate anthropological works. The oTrk are a combination of various peoples who now form a more or less homogeneous group. The constituents were of Pe, Ngas, Jukun, Boghom, Montol and probably Tal origins, while others still remain obscure or unknown.In the literature, other names have been used for Tarok as Appa, Yergam and its variants of Yergum and Yergem. The name Tarok itself has been wrongly spelt by some as Taroh. The name Appa on the other hand is used by the Jukun to refer to oTarok as a friendship term. These fresh insights are pointing to a conclusion that Tarok was a nickname given to the Tal/Ngas immigrants. The name of the original group is lost and has been replaced by the nickname. The term Pe-Tarok refers to the people who first spoke the original form of the language called Tarok today the mismatch notwithstanding. The origin of the people may be a knotty topic, but it is clear that Proto-Tarok is the parent of the language which is known as Tarok today (whatever might have been their original name).Longtau has described Tarok as one of the Benue-Congo languages which is almost completely lost in a vast ocean of Chadic languages. These languages include Ngas, Tel, Boghom, Hausa / Fulfude and Yiwom. Its non-Chadic neighbours are Pe, Jukun-Wase and Yangkam. Tarok now borders Wapan in the south-east. The Chadic languages belong to a different language family called Afroasiatic languages group. The Tarok settled in their present abode long before the eastern and southward movements of Boghom and Ngas respectively.In the early 20th century people from other ethnic groups such as Tal, Ngas, Jukun, Tel (Montol/Dwal) and Yiwom (Gerkawa) migrated and settled together with the initial Timwat and Funyallang clans. People from these ethnic groups came as migrants or labour workers. The Timwat and Funyallang people gave them land to settle in Tarokland after they had served the former. Colonialism and Christianity came into Tarokland by 1904 (Lamle 1995). The initial inhabitants could not trust the missionaries and colonialists as such did not encourage their people to join them. With the introduction of modernism the later migrants to Tarokland used their connections to the missionaries and colonialists to acquire western education and join the army. Today these latter migrants are at the helm of affairs in Nigeria as such tries to use their influence to change history (cf. Lamle 2005).The framework of Tarok migration supports the assertion above and is based on the fact that the Tarok language is part of the BenueCongo language family. However, other peoples of the Chadic language family, such as the Ngas, Boghom, Tel (Montol) and Yiwom, shifted to the BenueCongo family and are given full status as Tarok (Lamle 1998). Also the Jukun, who speak languages of the BenueCongo family, joined the Tarok. What is called the Tarok people are actually a mixture of many ethno-linguistic groups (Lamle 2008).Prominent Tarok people are, Lt. Gen Joshua Nimyel Dogonyaro (rtd), Lt Gen. Jeremiah Usei (rtd), Gen Domkat Bali (rtd), Brig Gen John Shagaya (rtd and one time Senator), Major Gen. Joseph Nanven Garba (Deceased), Brig. Gen Musa Gambo (rtd), Brig. Gen Jonathan N Temlong (rtd), Brig. Gen Yakubu Rimdans (rtd), Senator Venmak Kurnap Dangin, Sports Minister, Barr Solomon Dalung, Hon. Beni Lar, a present member of the House of Representatives, Brig. Gen Rimtip, Chief Solomon Lar (Deceased), Professor Mary Lar, former Nigerian Ambassador to The Hague, Nertherlands, Air Marshal Jonah Domfa Wuyep, (Former Chief of the Air Staff of the Nigerian Airforce), Senator Victor Lar (Former Senator, representing Plateau South Senatorial District of Plateau State Nigeria from 20112015) Major Gen. Shidafa Nandul (Rtd) (Former Intelligence Chief at Defence Headquarters Abuja), Major Gen. Pennap (rtd), Prof. Stephen Banfa ( University of Jos), Air Commodore Banfa (rtd), Mr. Timkat Nanmak Peter (21st Century Entrepreneur), Mr. Nancwat Garba (The Richest Entrepreneur) .Also retired senior Military Officers like Generals JN Tyemlong, NW Rimtip, Colonels BP Salmwang (rtd), BW Gbonglap and Group Captain SD Fadip-Miri (State Manager Defence Health Maintenance Ltd Plateau/Nasarawa States) among others.
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