| Capital: |
Makurdi |
| Area: |
???sq
kilometres |
| Population: |
3,254,898
(1997 FOS est.) |
| Language: |
??? |
Location
Benue State is located in the middle belt area
of Nigeria and is bordered by Nassarawa State to
the north, Taraba to the east, Ebonyi and Cross
River to the south and Kogi State to the west.
History
Benue State was
created on February 13, 1976.
People
Many of the ethnic groups that inhabit Benue
State today were associated with the rise and
fall of Kwororofa Kingdom. The ancient Kwororofa
Kingdom under Jukun leadership was a confederacy
of many ethnic groups that co-opted in a number
of ways to lay the foundation of present day
Benue and the neighbouring States like Plateau,
Taraba and Cross River.
This great empire
lasted till about the seventeenth century when
it collapsed after suffering severe military
attacks from the emerging Borno Empire. It is
from this confederacy that the Idoma, Igala,
Igbirra and Etulo are believed to have emerged
at various times in history.
The Etulo are of
Jukun stock and their head, Otse Etulo, is still
ratified by the Aku Uka of Wukari. They left Apa
when the Jukun empire disintegrated and fled to
their present location where they are completely
encircled by their neighbours.
The Bassa-Komo
possibly fleeing from the turbulence caused by
the Fulani crossed the River Benue to settle in
their present location. They speak the same
language as the Bassa of Plateau, Niger and Kogi
States with whom they claim a common ancestry.
Their close
neighbours, the Bassa-Nge were among the Nupes
who left their land before the Fulani conquest,
migrating first southwards, settling in Lokoja
before finally crossing over to settle at their
present place. Also close to the Bassa is an
Igbirra group whose main town is Mozum and who
migrated from the legendary Kwororofa Kingdom,
settled first at Nassarawa in the present
Plateau State before moving to their present
location
The Tiv a
semi-Bantu-stock from the Katanga region of
Congo-Zaire had migrated to seven hills in the
West of Cameroun between the year 1750 to 1800
when all the communities in the Apa region of
the Kwororofa were in a state of turmoil. Hence
it was easy for the arriving Tiv to fight their
way into the land until they reached the banks
of the River Benue and Katsina-Ala, thus forcing
the Idomas, for example, to move further
westwards.
By 1800, all the
people in the area to be known later as Benue
State had arrived in the area and had learnt to
co-exist with one another.
Local
Government Areas
Benue State is
divided into nineteen Local Government areas:
Ado, Ankpa, Bassa, Dekina, Gboko, Guma, Gwer,
Idah, Katsina-Ala, Konshisha Kwande, Makurdi,
Ofu, Okpokwu, Lamaboro, Otukpo, Ushonogo and
Vandeikya
