One of the numerous tribe we have in Nigeria is the Koma tribe which became part of Nigeria shortly after the nation’s independence.
Nigeria is made up of several ethnic groups among which the Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, Fulani, and Tiv belongs to the well-known tribe. There are few primitive tribes among which is the Koma ethnic group. The Koma people are relatively hill dwellers and still practice nudity in this age and civilization.
Geographical Location
Koma people are located in northern Adamawa, Adamawa State in the Atlantika Mountain which shares a border with southern Cameroon. As a result of this, the people are distributed both in Cameroon and Nigeria.
There are 21 Koma villages in the Cameroonian side of the Atlantika Mountain and 17 villages in the Nigerian side. The people are divided into three major groups, there are the hill-dwelling Beya and Ndamti, and the Vomni and Verre lowlanders.
Language
The Koma also have their own language, which is known as Koma. They have an estimated 61,000 speakers. The language is part of the Niger-Congo family.
Dressing
The people are committed to their traditional culture. They still dress like their forefathers till date; the men wear loincloths and the women wear fresh leaves. Some of their men adorn contemporary clothes but the women stick to nudity and leaf-wears (tied around the waist).
Marriage
Customarily, inheritance in Koma is in the maternal lineage. A Koma man may share his wife with friends, especially visitors. This is seen as a mark of acceptance and friendship.
Shocking Facts About The People
The people holds their culture in high esteem and still live in the primitive age with their beliefs. Twin birth is regarded as evil among the people. It is considered as abominable so much that babies of multiple births used to be buried alive with the mother. This is still practiced by the Koma hill-dwellers.
Some powerful men also engage in extended farting sessions on the occasion of public dancing ceremonies. They could fart for hours on end. When the anus becomes irritated from prolonged flatulence, it is soothed with a healing powder.
Koma Tribe Independence
The people only became Nigerians after Nigeria’s independence in 1960. The people were distributed in the Cameroon-Nigerian border with over 21 villages in Cameroon.
However, they were recognized as Nigerians in 1961. Today, Koma is part of the seven districts of Jada Local Government Area in Adamawa state. They live in hills discovered by a serving youth corper in 1986.
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