ISOBO IGBOS OF OBUBRA-CROSS RIVER STATE
The Isobo are the most eastern sub group of the Igbo nation domiciled mainly in Obubra LGA of Cross River State as well as part of Ikwo LGA of Ebonyi State. The major center in Ikwo LGA is Akpawudele(Ekpa-Omaka), with some remnants in Ndi-Oka, Ndiagu, and Amagu. They are possibly an offshoot of the Ikwo sub group and also within the same Obubra LGA are the Echara people who are by the way neighbors of the Isobo people. In Obubra, the three major clans are Isobo-Bikobiko; Isobo-Otaka and Isobo-Otaka.
They dominate Osopong 2 ward out of the 11 wards in Obubra covering 18 polling units out of the 155 in the LGA. So based on the rule of thumb, we can assume the Isobo and Echara people make up about 12 per cent of the population of Obubra as well as the land area. This means the Isobo people probably occupy about 130km2 of land area and number some 20,705 people based on the controversial 2006 census exercise.
Remnants of the Isobo people are found according to ISOBO Community on facebook in such places like Nd’Oka; Okwuenyim, Nd’Nkash; Appiapum; Nko; Imabana-Ochokwo
; Igbo-Imabana and Igbudu mainly in Obubra as well as enclaves in Abi and possibly Yakurr LGA of the State. The scattered enclaves of the Isobo people was noted by Ecoma Chinyere who wrote on the nature of trade and commerce in the Upper Cross River area.
History says they migrated from NCHONU which will put them as part of the Ikwo larger group. This was between 300-400 years ago when they began gradually mainly to conquest to settle in the area. The major festival is the new yam festival called the AJI. Their neighbors to the east are the Mbembe people who dominate Obubra LGA. Because of their proximity to their Mbembe neighbors, the Isobo apart from using the traditional week days of Eke, Afor, Orie and Nkwo(which is their market day) had adopted the 6-day week system practiced by the Mbembe people. Their main market in the Ebonyi State axis is the Igboji market…..Seê _ Morê
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