KOLOKUMA IBE

KOLOKUMA IBE: The Kolokuma are in present day Bayelsa State. The Kolokuma Ibe took their name from Kala-Okun, one of the elder sons of Ujo and aboriginal ancestor at Agadagba-Bou. Kala-Okun who was nicknamed Aluku-Dogo, remained in his father's town along with other brothers.

“…Tarakiri, Opu-Okun and Kala-Okun with a few other brothers were the last to leave the settlement founded by Ijo. They became so linked that they alone could tell that they were children of one father who was known to them as Indo as stated in a previous chapter. Opu-Okun and Kala-Okun who were born of the same mother named Yeitariere became more attached than others. However, after some time, the best three brothers parted. Tarakiri left for a certain creek in Western Ijo, Opu-Okun moved afield and settled at a creek known as Ofonitoru but Kala-Okun remained and settled at their father’s settlement of Agadagbabou..…KOLOKUMA- Kola-Okun settled within the vicinity of Ijo’s settlement and the settlement which Kala-Okun founded became known as Kala-Okun-ama which was corrupted to Kolokuma. Kala-Okun desired to rebuild their father’s lost city, and with that objective in view he sent out expeditionary forces….”  

The settlement that Kala-Okun or his descendants founded with their households became known as Kala-Okun-Ama, later shortened and corrupted to Kolokuma. Kala-Okun collected his children, and with other settlers divided them into groups or family lineage’s which he called DANI. Through time the various lineage groups that resulted from this organisation were; Burudani, Abadani, Isedani, Oloudani, Ofodani, Egbebiridani, Opoidani, Osumadani, and Egbedani.

The Kolokuma were for a long time highly unified until the death of a young priestess of Okpotu by drowning. The circumstances of her death was suspicious, there were accusations and counter accusations that eventually led to disunity and strife which led to the dispersal of the Kolokumas from their fathers settlement and the foundation of more towns and villages such as Kaiama, Odi, Sabagriea, Okoloba etc. Some of the descendants of Kala-Okun moved back into Igbedi creek to found settlements e g Igbedi. The Ikolos were the first to leave Kala-Okun's settlement and settle in that part of the Nun river now known as Kolokuma Toru.

As we mentioned earlier the Egbebiridani one of the lost houses of Kolokuma, their being lost was either being victims of a disaster (e g slave raid) or being absorbed by other lineage’s or both. A section of the Isedani lineage which had founded Okoloba migrated to the coasts and founded Ibeni (Beni) i.e. Ibani or Bonny. Some later day settlers from Odiama in Nembe area, left the Kolokumas and founded Umuoru (i.e. UMU-ORU or children of Oru called by that name by the local Ibos). Due to inter-marriage with the Ibo, this has become a largely Ibo speaking town. The foundation of Kolokuma Ibe is clearly pre-14th century. Between 700 – 1200 AD the Kolokuma were a part of the lost City of Ujo at Agadagba-Bou. After 1200 AD they began to move out and establish separate villages that became known as Kolokuma Clan.

Owonaru S K, op cit, p19.