Abba, Imo

Abba is a town^[1][2] in Nwangele Local Government Area (LGA) in Imo State, Nigeria. The traditional ruler of Abba is HRH Sir Eze Emmanuel Madukwem Unaka (Uburu 1 of Abba & Eze Ahurukwe of Abba). Abba consists of four communities. Listed in order of seniority they are Umuokpara, Umudurunna, Ekiti-Afor, and Ogwuaga, which all consist of twenty-eight villages.

History of Abba

Etymologically, the word Abba means father, which in common usage is called "Abba Nna". Historically, Abba in Nwangele LGA and Abam in Bende LGA of Abia State originated from the same place. Centuries ago, Field Marshall Ochiagha Uburu left Bende and fought through several towns in a move to demonstrate his military prowess and extract respectability. Uburu finally decided to stay and establish himself in a rocky grove that was known as Ebu-Ogbugha Nkume (rock of ages) and is the location of the present day Abba.

The four villages of Abba

According to oral history, Ochiagha Uburu originally had five children. They were Okpara, Osuama, Durunna, Ekitiafor, and Ogwuaga. Osuama is now in Mbano. This is because Osuama did the same thing that his father did and in the process, attained more land than his father.

Umuokpara, the descendants of Okpara, consist of all the villages whose ancestors were children of Okpara and these include: Umuduruagwu, Isiokwara, Umulolo, Umuogna, etc. The same goes for Umudurunna, which comprises villages such as: Duru ni'ihe, Umu-Ezealibe, Duru-Emeaghara, and Umuduruonunu. Ekitiafor and Ogwuaga consist of villages where the inhabitants are descendants of Ekitiafor and Ogwuaga. These villages include Oteke and Amukwe which are villages in Ekitiafor.

Prominent families in Abba

There are many famous and well to do families in Abba. They consist of traders, educators, businessmen, lawyers, engineers, and doctors. The Nwoye The Akwiwu and Ofoha families are examples of important families in Abba. Other examples are the Unaka family, the Nwafor family, the Ekwueme family, the Asuzu family, the Ozigbo family, the Ohiaeri family, the Oguamanam family, the Orjiakor family, the Chimezie family, the Nwachukwu family, the Chikezie family, the Alinnor family, the Uzomah family, the Azonobi family, and the Obialo family.

References

Coordinates: 6°13′01″N 6°58′44″E / 6.216969°N 6.978989°E / 6.216969; 6.978989