Upper Cross · Nigeria’s peoples

Orring

The Orring (Orri, Orry) are a people of northern Ebonyi who speak Korring, an Upper Cross language, not Igbo.

At a glance

Where do the Orring people live?: Their homeland is in Ishielu and Ohaukwu in Ebonyi State, across 2 local government areas.
What language do the Orring speak?: Korring (Oring), a language of the Upper Cross family (Atlantic-Congo › Volta-Congo › Benue-Congo › Delta Cross › Upper Cross).
Who is the traditional ruler of the Orring?: Ede-Olung.

Overview

The Orring (Orri, Orry) are a people of northern Ebonyi who speak Korring, an Upper Cross language, not Igbo. They live in five communities: Ntezi and Okpoto in Ishielu, Effium in Ohaukwu, and Amuda and Okpolo in Ezza North. Their kin are the Ufia of Benue and the Ukelle of Cross River. Abakaliki traditions, Igbo ones among them, remember the Orring as the first settlers of the land, before the Ezza, Izzi, Ikwo and Ngbo came. Mission schools taught in Igbo, and many Orring today speak both languages.^{[3],[4],[5],[6]}Medium confidence

Where the Orring live

Local government areas by state. Homeland: the group is the majority. Shared area: a large share of a mixed area. Smaller presence: present, but a small share.

Ebonyi
- Ishielu(Shared area)
- Ohaukwu(Shared area)
- Ezza North(Smaller presence)

Areas are approximate and show where people live. They are not claims of land ownership.

Communities beyond the homeland

Ntezi (Eteji)

Ishielu, Ebonyi State: Omege, Igwelede, Bilogu, Leri.^[3],[4],[10]High confidence

Ntezi is the gathering place of the Orring. Its people hold the Oviode festival at the first new moon of February, after each of the five villages has held its own. The first Orring Day, organised by the Orring Historical Society, was held at Central School, Ntezi on 30 December 2021, to rotate among the Orring of Ebonyi, Benue and Cross River.^[3],[4]

Basket making: nearly every household in Ntezi has a basket-making setup, and many baskets sold in the towns around are made there. Farming and trade besides.^[3]

Okpoto (Lame)

Ishielu, Ebonyi State: Logbo Lokpo, Lode, Ogede.^[3],[5],[10]High confidence

The Orring trace their descent to Lukpata Akpa and count themselves a first branch of the Akpato (Okpoto). Some say they came from the Kwararafa kingdom.^[3]

Effium (Uffiom)

Ohaukwu, Ebonyi State: Okporo, Okpoduma, Enwemini, Ubegu, Lebedegom, Ikachi.^[8],[10]High confidence

The largest Orring community. Effium tradition says its people were the first to settle, then took in the Ezza, then Aro, Amuda and others. A dispute between Effium and Ezza Effium over land and the motor park turned to war on 21 January 2021; hundreds were killed and thousands fled, some into Benue. A peace committee under Bishop Nnachi Okoro brought both sides to a ceasefire in August 2023.^[8],[11]

Farmers of yam, cassava, rice and groundnut, with palm oil and timber. Effium main market is one of the largest in Ebonyi, sending farm produce across the country.^[8]

Amuda (Idzem)

Ezza North, Ebonyi State: Ojolokpa, Boura (Buora), Onunweke, Ikwuato.^{[12],[9],[10]}High confidence

Four clans: Ojolokpa, Buolung, Buora and Anmosho. Some Amuda also live in Effium (Amuda Effium) and Ntezi (Amuda Ntezi). Their festivals are Mukpushi (marriage), Ugbuduogu at the end of planting, and Etukpa, the new yam.^[12]

Okpolo (Okpomoro)

Ezza North, Ebonyi State.^[3],[9],[10]High confidence

The smallest Orring community, and still Korring speaking.^[3]

Language

Korring (Oring), a language of the Upper Cross family (Atlantic-Congo › Volta-Congo › Benue-Congo › Delta Cross › Upper Cross). ISO 639-3: org.^{[1],[2],[3],[4]}High confidence

Traditional ruler

Ede-Olung.^[3]Medium confidence

Sources

Every claim carries a confidence level: high (well attested), medium (one source or approximate) or disputed (sources disagree).