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THE HISTORY OF AHRIKAYAKON (UNGWAR RIMI KAJJU)

WRITTEN AND PRESENTED BY JANCHAT B. BASAHUWA (SPO, PAEO)

INTRODUCTION:

 “He who forgets his history forgets his identity and consequently endangers his destiny.”

The history of every being, event or existence is key and important. Here in this first edition, I will try to give a brief history of my people Ahrikayakon as the name was from the beginning and now Ungwan Rimi Bajju.

This account is mostly based on Oral sources as there is almost or no documented history in the past. But this document has been approved by the key personalities of Ahrikayakon.

CHAPTER ONE

NAME AND ORIGIN

1.1 NAME

The name AHRIKAYAKON is gotten from two words Karyi which means home or house and Nkon which means wood. Ahrikayakon therefore, means karyi nkon (house of wood) or karyi kayat nkon (house inside wood).

From another oral source, it linked the name AHRIKAYAKON to the name of our founding father Akon. It says that Ahrikayakon means Descendants of Akon.

Ahrikayakon is the Original name of Ungwan Rimi which was in existence until the coming of the Hausa traders who were coming to buy grains, animals and bush meat in exchange with things like Iron, Clothing, Salt etc. who could not pronounce the name “Ahrikayakon” therefore, looks for a unique feature in the land which they could describe the area with. They saw that the land is full of Silk Cotton trees (Rimi – in Hausa), decided to call the place “Ungwan Rimi” meaning “an area with Silk Cotton trees”.

1.2 ORIGIN

The people of Ahrikayakon are the descendants of Akon a brother to Anyai from the same mother who were the sons of Ankwaak (the first son of Baranzan). Akon was the senior while Anyai was the youngest. This makes Ahrikayakon grandchildren of Baranzan. 

As the culture was, when a child grows into manhood he is separated from his father to establish or start his family, Akon and Anyai left their father’s house (Sakwak) and moved towards the South where they founded a vast Land filled with trees including silk cotton trees and thick bushes. This land is the same land accommodating many clans like part of Kafanchan, Katsyik, Bakin Kogi, Kazakwo, and the Present Ungwan Rimi. This took place as far back late 16th or early 17th centuries (Baba Iya 1990). 

It is believed that they first settled at a place called Katak Kpunyai area where the Late Hakimi Caleb Dogo’s house is situated and after some time probably as their population increases, and they began to have issues with the Anyai clan, they agreed to part – just like the case of Abraham and Lot in the Bible - Akon and Anyai parted ways and Anyai and his families moved north west to their present location while Akon and his family moved “Katak Nchen” – down the River (Luka Bayei 2020). 

Later from the katak Nchen they moved and settled across the river at a place called Manyyi where the Army barracks along Kafanchan road is situated and there they lived for centuries thereby increasing in population and forming a great community. Later on, in the early 19th Century part of the Ahrikayakon returned and settled at their former abode – Abvat - (Katak nchen).

During all these movements which were necessitated by their occupation –hunting – they were controlling all their territories from their first place of settlement to the later.  

The Ahrikayakon people being the original founders of the present Ungwan Rimi Kajju and the first settlers accommodated other clans like the Atachap who migrated from Jei axis, the Ayaryi who were migrants from Sansun -Agbang aza axis, the Azibvong who are mostly of Bakwu and Batyap origin and the Amangui’s who are from different origins. They control the land as far as the boundary with Azawru (Dakaci Yohanna Jatau 2021).

They (Ahrikayakon) happen to be among the recognised clans that form the Bainhwang and descendants of Ankwaak the first son of Baranzan (Dityin Bajju).

CHAPTER TWO

LANGUAGE, POPULATION, LAND MASS AND OCCUPATION

2.1 LANGUAGE

Being the descendants of Baranzan, the Ahrikayakon people are purely a jju speaking people and are found majorly in Ungwan Rimi Kajju which happens to be their father’s Land. They fall under the katak ahwan who happens to hold the true mark of jju, its culture and practices.

2.2 POPULATION

The people of Ahrikayakon were highly populated right from the beginning. It is believed that as far back 18th century, the Ahrikayakon were ranging from four (4) to five (5) thousand people. 

While currently, the population of Ahrikayakon is estimated to about one (1) to two (2) thousand people.

One might ask why the reduction in population? This answer will be provided in chapter three (3) of this document.  

2.3 LAND MASS:

Ahrikayakon (Ungwan Rimi Bajju) shares boundaries in the beginning with Azawru in the North, Kaninkon in the east, Jaba in the South and west. But presently, Ahrikayakon shares boundaries with Kpunyai and Ankpang in the North, Bvena in the south, Katsyyik in the west and kafanchan in the east. 

2.4 OCCUPATION

The Ahrikayakon people were great warriors and so engage in hunting and farming for a living. They were very skilful and creative people who are very generous and liberal. Likewise, they are great farmers who engage in the farming of maize, guinea – corn, groundnuts, yam, and sugar cane. 

Because of the great production of sugarcane, a mini factory of sugar processing was situated in the area.

CHAPTER THREE

CULTURE AND CUSTOMS 

3.1 CULTURE

Culture is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behaviour, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of individuals. Culture is often originated from or attributed to a specific region or location. The people of Ahrikayakon aren’t an exception; they have their beliefs and ways of life. 

They were formally traditionalist from inception but accepted Christianity in the early 19th century with Late Baba Abvoi as the first man who accepted Christianity from the missionaries (Achibung) who was at Kagoro under the SIM in 1921and Late Baba Abvoi usually travels to Kagoro for Sunday worships and other Christian activities. They taught him how to read Hausa and he in turn pass the goodnews to others and Late Baba Dogo and Late Baba Bityong followed him and also received Christianity.

3.2 CUSTOMS

1. MARRIAGE

Just like other clans in Kajju, the people of Ahrikayakon believe and practice marriage in three major ways:

FORCEFUL MARRIAGE:

This is where a young man sees a young lady and is interested to make her his wife. He pays the dowry which was usually a piece of big hoe and thereafter arrange with his friends and family sometimes with the consent of the girls family to kidnap her mostly when she go to fetch water in the river or market or anywhere possible to avoid a counter attack by the young men of the girls village and she becomes the wife of that man mostly against her wish.

NEGOTIABLE/PLANNED MARRIAGE:

This is another way marriage was contracted by the Ahrikayakon people. Here the marriage plan is initiated from birth where the parents of the boy take a piece of hoe or chicken, gives to the girl’s parents as a mark of betrothing. That girl grows to marry the said boy whom she was betrothed to. 

CHURCH WEDDING

With the coming of Christianity, the people of Ahrikayakon haven accepted Christianity as a religion also believes in church wedding.

2. DUDON AHRIKAYAKON

Before the coming of Christianity, the people of Ahrikayakon practices traditional religion and as the practice was that time, it was the worship of Abvoi (Dodo) and this led the people into some evil practices like the use of the Dudon. 

“Dudon Ahrikayakon” was a physical pot but with some spiritual inscription on it. It was as big as to contain any size of human being who is captured by the Ahrikayakon warriors. The captive is put into that Dudon and later sacrificed to their Gods or he is brought out and sold as a slave to the slave traders. Back then whoever was captured mostly visitors was never release. Even if the people of the man make inquiry they are told that the “Navung of Ahrikayakon” has swallowed the person and on hearing this, the people will go back without any further charges.

Where a man is captured with his wife, the man was killed and the wife given to one of the warriors as a wife and that end the story. It is believed that all the captors were hypnotised so couldn’t do any further struggle to escape or fight back. This is why there is no record of any captor escaping.

This was definitely a wicked practice which God Almighty wasn’t happy with, and he decided to reduce the people of Ahrikayakon through a plaque that befell them killing mostly the young and warriors. This reduced their strength then and brought about the natural end to that wicked and evil practice. 

The Dudon was kept somewhere within the “Nchen” (river) where nobody could locate it and being guarded by some spiritual forces and warriors.

3. DANCING/MUSIC

The People of Ahrikayakon were very social and lovers of music. It is recorded that they were having seven (7) “Atswa Agba” (Music Bands) and each band had a roughly estimate of 20 – 30 members. And they do organise a dancing event where people from different areas do attend and during this dance, dust is raised and in the process, some people get missing. And all those missing are normally captured and put into Dudon and later sold out as slaves or killed.

4. TABOOS

The taboos of Ahrikayakon people are in conjunction with that of all Bajju people. These among many may include:

I. Stealing is strongly prohibited especially one who will steal the eggs of a fowl, or steal planted yam by digging it out after the owner have planted it.

II. Sexual immorality is also one of the taboos of the Bajju man which the Ahrikayakon man also prohibited. Especially having carnal knowledge of one’s sister, or a brother’s wife or a father’s wife.

III. Marrying a close relative was also prohibited except where they have “Tryai Ayaryi” (declared it acceptable after many generations)

IV. One who died in the river or on fall from a tree and die were never to be buried at home but beside the river or the tree where they died.

V. It was also strongly prohibited for a child to quarrel or fight with his father or mother.

VI. Throwing away of food remnant was also considered as a serious misconduct by the Ahrikayakon people.

5. BANG

This was one of the ways an offender was punished. The “Bang” is actually some requirements and offender is required to bring for his cleansing and things usually contained in the bang include Chicken, goat, and Nkwa (local beer).

It was believe that without bringing this things which the elders will cook, eat and declare the offender free from the guilt of his offence, he – the offender – remain unclean.

CHAPTER FOUR

LEADERSHIP/RULERSHIP

4.1 LEADERSHIP/RULERSHIP

4.1.1 Agwam

According to an oral source, the people of Ahrikayakon produce the first Agwam Ungwan Rimi. They ruled until in the late 19th century when late Baba Kurumbuga was supposed to take the mantle of leadership but refuses. Therefore, out of liberality the people agreed to crown one of their Kanye who was called Tagwai from Ayaryi.

Another oral source has it that, the said Kanye (Tagwai) betrayed the people of Ahrikayakon by going to Zango behind their backs and claimed the leadership and run to Ayaryi declaring himself as Agwam. At that point the people of Ahrikayakon could no longer do anything again.

4.1.2 Magaji

The title of the “Magaji Ahrikayakon” is the first title given to the most elderly man in the clan. It’s a title that signifies heritage, authority, wisdom and dignity of the people’s culture and land. In Ungwan Rimi, from time immemorial to the present age, the Magaji of Ahrikayakon is the Senior Magaji of the Ungwan Rimi District who has a cabinet of smaller magajis of other clans who are giving residence within the Ahrikayakon Land.

8.1.3 External Leadership

Externally, the people of Ahrikayakon were never at any point been led and govern by any external forces despite the in flock of the Hausas who tried to influence them to accept them and accept their religion (Islam). The Ahrikayakon people are actually one of the clans in Kajju with Zero tolerance to Islamic Religion and lest influence by the Hausas.

 project:g recommendations/suggestions to the committee handling this great project:

 nticate is too short and I suggest that a better time should be given so as to give room for further research.

Baba Iya (Magaji I of Ungwan Rimi Kajju) 1990 – Story Telling

Dakaci Yohanna Jatau (2021) Oral Interview

Mr Luka Bayei Basahuwa (2020) Oral Interview

Research work by Friday Iya (2004) History Determines Development

Dityin Bajju (2022) edition

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Having a big sale, on-site celebrity, or other event? Be sure to announce it so everybody knows and gets excited about it.

Are your customers raving about you on social media? Share their great stories to help turn potential customers into loyal ones.

Running a holiday sale or weekly special? Definitely promote it here to get customers excited about getting a sweet deal.

Have you opened a new location, redesigned your shop, or added a new product or service? Don't keep it to yourself, let folks know.

Customers have questions, you have answers. Display the most frequently asked questions, so everybody benefits.