The Lunguda are a West African ethnic group living in Adamawa and Gombe States in northeastern Nigeria. They are the only known matriarchal tribe in Nigeria. The Nunguraba people are led by a First Class King known as the Kwandi Nunguraya, who is the paramount ruler of the Lunguda Kingdom.
The Lunguda consider matrilineal descent in many aspects of their social organisation more important than the patrilineal descent. Clan membership may even be counted on the mother line. This custom is not found with their other neighbors or in other tribes of Nigeria.
The Lunguda language is the most strongest and very beautiful humble and honest tribe in Adamawa State. Adamawa. Hellon Hope Kunny Chikila.[citation needed]
OVERVIEW OF LUNGUDA {NUNGURABA} PEOPLE[edit]
The Lunguda are in Guyuk, Adamawa State, and Balanga Gombe State. The lunguda known as warriors ever.
The Lunguda people are undefeatable Tribe with the strongest warriors ever.
Lunguda as it is pronounced today as the original name Nuguraya” this name come soon after the Islamic Revival Jihads under the leadership of uthman bin fodio when the hausa / Fulani started to become the regional authorities’ of northern Nigeria.
The lunguda people has a unique identity is that the bear three bold marks on each chick.
Ø ORIGIN
The great Lunguda people originated from present day Israel, that is why people do call them the gene of king David while some others call them the family of David.
Lunguda left Israel in A D, in the name of looking for a suitable land for them to cultivate their crops [farming] from their they took further journey , in the process of journey they found their self in Yemen about 700AD.
Lunguda people stays their and continuously cultivating their crops.
Ø LUNGUDA MIGRATE FROM YEMEN TO AFRICAN TION
Their migration started during the holy wars of the prophet Mohammed at about 750 AD.
The migrated because they were not ready to convert in to Islamic and abandoned their beloved religion, which they had inherited from their fore –fathers. The left the entre Arabian country and cross the sea and settled in sudan due to the rapid expansion of Islam ,they stays in sudan was short. in the continuation of avoiding Islam the lunguda people migrated further south to the lake chad basin which they found very peaceful and suitable place for cultivating their crops.
By 12th century ,Islam had reached kanem Borno which was by then under the leadership of mai dunama.Borno empire and its influence was rapidly expanding towards chad , from the south to a place called started shani of Borno Empire. Around the 16th century uthman bin fodio had already started in Gobir and was rapidly sweeping the whole of Hausa land.
Lunguda people left shani and migrated to south west ward in to the mountains that formed the boundary between present day Adamawa and Gombe state. The stays on the mountains and settled on the mountains.
Lunguda are undefeatable warriors since from day one of their lives till today.
Lunguda migrate together with other tribes such as kanuri, bura, kanakuru etc, to northern Nigeria.
After the death of uthman bin fodio at about 1817AD, the tempo of the holy jihard subsided and the whole of the Northern Region was calm and peaceful existence.
The lunguda at waanda and wala was rapidly increase I population and prosperity.
This made them to practice their religion, letter at about 1819 to 1830AD a permanent throne was sculpture for the king which is (Kwandiya) in making sure that all the aspect of their traditional religion were put down in to practice .
v PRESENT LOCATION
Since there was peace and prosperity lunguda increase in population and the keep cultivating their crops on the plateau mountain was getting scarce.
The lunguda people are excellent and best horse riders in west Africa also in Nigeria till today. About 95% present of lunguda men are horse fighters and warriors in the country.
By virtue of hunting on the horse back, their hunters discover a very fertile low lands of the Gongola River basin. The people started moving out in groups of families and settle in difference places of their choice since the land was not occupied by any one, the stays there and occupied the Areas. Their settlement led to Development of town and villages that makes up the present day Guyuk local Government in Adamawa State, some has left behind at waanda, wala and jessu chose to go down in groups of families and settled in different location which have now developed in to towns that makes up Balanga Local Government in Gombe State.
Finally the lunguda migrated to southern part down to Nguwar as it is known today, which originally was called Gwaanda. Applying the name of the previous settlement on the mountains, know Nyuwar are in Balanga Local Government in Gombe State.
Nyuwar were up-held their for about 90-150 years before the advance of Christianity ,
Gradually people got too converted in to Christianity which was brought by British missionaries. Consequently the Traditional Religion in all aspects, the cultural Norms and every code of life were abandoned and follow Christ.
Chieftaincy institution along with this very throne that was brought down from waanda were left to rot in their oracles. only a handful of the original Traditionalist plus many who back slide from Christianity to practice the Traditional religion till date.
v THE TREE ACTICLES OF LUNGUDA FAITH
1. There is a supreme being who cannot be communicated to an ordinary human being.
2. Their forefathers died and left behind their spirits and these spirits had the authority to supplement the Supreme Being with a chain of supernatural force that are directly in touch with motel being.
3. The performance of certain ritual and sacrifices by human beings is the main source of peace, harmony and prosperity.
v THE SEVEN FAMILY (CLAN) OF LUNGUDA
1. The first family was responsible for hunting and providing meat for the rest of the community
2. Another family was responsible for maintaining the Religious institution: the oracles, the rituals and sacrifices a and organizing ritual ceremonies.
3. Other was responsible for burning the dead bodies in the grave. The grave are made such that there technicalities before the body is properly layed down in the grave.
4. This family was in charge in processing and maintaining of medical herbs
5. This family was responsible for producing and maintaining arsenal working tools.
6. Another family was responsible for producing and maintaining drums and all musical instruments. Plan and organize dancing and music in ceremonies.
7. The last and most important was the royal family, the king makers , village head and all those concerning with the general administration of the community were selected.
Every king (kwandi) that was appointed to the throne must have certain qualities
He must have naked eyes and ability to see from the spirit world , land of death fortuneteller. In his oracle , he has several idols all inherited from his ancestors and each Idols has specific duties to execute and that as well gave the oracle a supernatural looks, this made the loyalty of his subject much unquestionable.
The throne had been in use for about hundred and fifty 150 years before the coming of Christian missionaries in the early 1913, it was sculpture from a share nut tree downs nut decay or eating up by insects.
The are four Angels knelling holding set put on their hands ,executes specific duties.
A male idol was always present to the right side of the throne , it was responsible for collecting sacrifices from male worshipers and delivering them to their male ancestors and as well as collecting information from male ancestor and delivering such information to the male worshipers.
By the left side of the throne they was a female idol carrying a container on her head,and does the same duties for the king (kwandi), if chief wanted to decree issues, he has to swear by the throne and call his ancestor that were to ensure maximum compliance by his subjects.
v IMPORTANT EVENT AND CELEBRATION
Around February the thanksgiving ceremony was held . this makes the end of harvesting crops of the previous year. It makes the beginning of bush burning and hunting period and most importantly it makes the beginning of the year.
The ceremony included organizing a marathon race of horse right round the domain on the of chiefdom completion.
may was the hunting season the surrounding wilderness would be divided in to zones and the zones will be taken in horse. The hunting was made on horseback and the most important weapon was the spear .also it was within this same period lunguda wrestling hold. Whenever the drum sounded all the youths would abandoned whatever they were to march to the square. by late may , the planting season began and no more ceremony except burial and wake-keeping ritual .
between august and early October was the period for another form of ceremony in which difference set of drum were used .every evening people conveyed at the square singing to the tune of the drums and dancing till night breaks. This makes the end of plating and weeding of crops.
The most important ceremony hold I October, lasting for one week .it was during this festival that the most mysterious rituals were displayed . special costumes means for only this ceremony . the men had their own outfit different from that of the women. All the neighboring tribe could be invited.
By mid November other ceremony similar to the one in October but no costumes were used but the same set of drums were use.
In time of raining season in lunguda land, all go to beg water from their ancestors for rain to at wala lunguda, at the most powerful mountain of spirit. The mountain is the most powerful ancestors place.
v THE MATRILINEAL
Lunguda are African ethnic group living in Adamawa, Gombe state in northern Nigeria.
Lunguda tribe in Nigeria is the only known matrilineal and matriarchal tribe in the country. Lunguda conceder in may aspect of their social organization life.
All members of the family may be counted on the mother line .Lunguda are the only tribe know in Guyuk L.G.A in Adamawa state.
v BRIEF HISTORY OF CONONIAL PERIOD
The colonial history of lunguda chiefdom can be link to the fall of yola after a fierce battle on September 1901 during which the emir zuberu was chased out of yola and Bobo Ahmadu his brotherwas appointed Emir in 1901 until the end of world war ii .
Traders routes passing through lunguda territory were constantly block and all traders were attack. The history of lunguda land during the early phase of colonial period altered between disturbance and patrols.
Trade routes between yola and low Gongola which passed through Lunguda, Bachama, Kanakuru and Bata.
Lunguda, Bachama and kanakuru created a barrier to trade. In another incident , the resident was inform that the chief of lunguda had earlier instructed the village head of Gunda to kill all traderspassing to Kiri and shelleng to collect their weapon and all fighting materials.
v THE GREAT LUNGUDA ACTIVENESS
1) GREAT WARRIORS AND FIGHTERS 98-99%
2) GREAT AND SPECIAL HUNTERS 98-99%
3) GREAT FAMERS 98-99%
4) FISHERMEN 70-80%
Lnguda people are all know as best Horse riders till date and also the best horse
Fighter and warriors till date.
v LUNGUDA DEFENCE WORDS
WHO ARE WE:
WE ARE SOLDERS.
WE FIGHT TO CREAT PEACE.
WE SPEAK TO GIVESILENCE.
WE ARE TRAIN TO KILL EXTERNAL FORCE.
WE SURPRISE THOSE WHO UPRESS TO IMPRESS THE DEPRESS.
Cuisine[edit]
Traditionally, the staple crop of the Lunguda is Guinea Corn (Sorghum bicolor). This used to be grounded on stone hand mill and cooked into a thick paste, "tuwo", then eaten with vegetable soup. Today, however, rice, maize, and millet form part of the staple of the Lunguda. Guinea Corn still remains the dominant crop grown by the Longuda.[citation needed]
Marriage[edit]
The Lunguda are primarily polygamous. The different dialects of the Longuda people perform marriage rites differently. Traditionally, a young man courting a woman invited his friends on the night he wished to take her as his bride, without her prior knowledge. The man and his friends would abduct the woman to his cottage, often a forceful act. Once the woman spent a night in his cottage, his family and hers considered them married. The bride price was usually paid afterwards. This abduction, which usually took place in the night, was not without resistance. The other young men in the woman's neighborhood would attempt to come to her rescue, and a free-for-all fight would ensue. The intending groom and his company usually had to win the duel in order to take the bride-to-be.[citation needed]
However, in recent times, the influence of Christianity and cultural assimilation of neighboring societies have altered this practice. A watered-down version of this is still widely used. In this case, a man asks a woman for her consent, the woman agrees, and on an arranged night, the groom's friends and bride's friends secretly picks her and her clothing up from her parents' house, goes over to spend the night in the groom's uncle's house, leaving behind a token at the position where they used to sit during courtship and that seals the union. Taking her clothes along with her is her indication to everyone that she has agreed to marry the man.[citation needed]
Publications[edit]
Newman, Bonnie. 1976. "Deep and surface structure of the Lunguda clause."
Newman, Bonnie. 1978. "The Longuda verb."
Newman, John F. 1978. "Participant orientation in Lunguda folk tales."
Newman, John F. and Bonnie Newman. 1974. "Longuda."
Newman, John F. and Bonnie Newman. 1977. lunguda dialect survey.
Newman, John F. and Bonnie Newman. 1977. Lunguda phonology.
kwachaka, David . K Nat 2015. Lunguda overview
