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The '''Ibom''' or Mbot Abasi Kingdom was a kingdom by the [[Ibibio people]] with its seat of government in [[Obot Okon Ita]]. The Mbot Abasi kingdom was located in present day [[Arochukwu]], [[Abia State]] in [[Nigeria]]. Around 1630, a group of [[Igbo people|Igbo]] from [[Abiriba]] known as the [[Eze Agwu]] arrived in Ibom. This caused long term conflict and a stalemate known as the [[Aro-Ibibio Wars]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eVBFAQAAQBAJ|title = Life in Southern Nigeria: The Magic, Beliefs and Customs of the Ibibio Tribe|isbn = 9781136968822|last1 = Talbot|first1 = Percy Amaury|date = 8 October 2013}}</ref>
==Origin==
Before [[Igbo people|Igbo]] arrival in the Aro territory, a group of proto [[Ibibio people|Ibibio]] migrated to the area and established the [[Ibom]] Kingdom during the [[Bantu expansion]]. This proto Ibibio group originally came from Usak Edet ([[Isanguele]]), a segment of the [[Ekoi people|Ejagham]] in present-day Southern [[Cameroon]]. '''Ibom''' is an old word used by the [[Efik people|Efik]] / [[Ibibio people|Ibibio]] / [[Annang]] /[[Eket]] people of [[Nigeria]] meaning the ancient universe, the cradle earth, or the cradle, original or ancient community from which others sprang forth. The word ''Ibom'' symbolizes the ancestral, the origin, the cradle, the source and the ancient community or place or area from which other communities or people sprang forth or originated. The Efik were originally from the Ibom Kingdom and might have left before or during the Aro-Ibibio Wars. [[Akwa Ibom State]] is one of the present two states created from the old [[Akwa Akpa]] kingdom, [[Cross River State]] being the sister state.<ref>{{Cite web |last=LOUIS |first=FADAKA |date=2020-08-21 |title=ABOUT THE ANCIENT IBOM KINGDOM |url=https://www.gbetutv.com/about-the-ancient-ibom-kingdom/ |access-date=2023-02-18 |website=GBETU |language=en-GB}}</ref>
The people of the Ibom Kingdom also called themselves Mbot Abasi (the people of God). [[Abassi (spirit)|Abasi]] is the supreme creator god of the Efik, Ibibio, and Annang people.
==Akwa==
{{Original research|section|date=February 2022}}
Akwa also spelled Aqua, meaning The Great One or The Essential One is believed to be the ancestor of the people of [[Ibibio people|Ibibio]] and [[Efik people|Efik]]. Kwa or Qua therefore means Essential One or Great One.  It is of no [[coincidence]] that their ancient Kingdom was originally known as [[Akwa Akpa]].  The words Akwa, Aqua, Kwa, Qua are common names for places, rivers, in both Akwa Ibom State and in Cross River State.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Ukpe |first=Essien U. K. P. E. U. K. O. Y. O. |title=The People and Culture of Akwa Ibom State |url=https://www.academia.edu/107955969/The_People_and_Culture_of_Akwa_Ibom_State |journal=Understanding Nigerian Peoples and Culture}}</ref>
Today, one of the towns in [[Arochukwu]], [[Abia state]] is called '''Ibom'''. Ibom is also where the famous [[Ibini Ukpabi]] oracle is located.<ref>{{Cite web |last=places |date=1970-01-01 |title=Towns & Villages in Arochukwu « Abia State « Nigeria. |url=https://townsvillages.com/ng/arochukwu/ |access-date=2024-08-22 |website=Towns & Villages |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=LOUIS |first=FADAKA |date=2020-08-21 |title=ABOUT THE ANCIENT IBOM KINGDOM |url=https://www.gbetutv.com/about-the-ancient-ibom-kingdom/ |access-date=2023-02-18 |website=GBETU |language=en-GB}}</ref>
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links ==
*http://www.aro-okigbo.com/history_of_the_aros.htm
*https://web.archive.org/web/20080828190518/http://www.aronetwork.org/others/confederancy.html
*http://aronewsonline.org/html/Prologue.asp{{dead link|date=November 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
[[Category:Countries in precolonial Africa]]
[[Category:Aros]]
[[Category:Nigerian traditional states]]
[[Category:Former monarchies of Africa]]
[[Category:Calabar| ]]
[[Category:17th century in Africa]]
[[Category:Ibibio]]
[[Category:Towns in Abia State]]
[[Category:Former countries in Africa]]
[[Category:Ibibio people]]