Why Is Intermarriage Between Tiv and Igede Considered an Abomination? Asked by James Auve

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Why Is Intermarriage Between Tiv and Igede Considered an Abomination? 

Sometimes, I just sit and ask myself certain questions and end up asking anyone i see around even when I know they might not have an answer to what I am about to ask.

As a Tiv guy, I grew up believing that the Igede and Tiv do not marry each other because it is considered an abomination. I have hardly seen anyone cross that line. But then, I started asking myself, why?

If you ask people, many will simply tell you it is an abomination, but the reason behind it is hardly ever explained. And I am still asking Why?

I have decided to bring this curiosity to the public. Why has this belief gone to the extent that if you are vibing with an Igede girl and she later discovers that you are a Tiv guy, she suddenly turns against you? If you ask an Igede girl out, once she discovers that you are Tiv, the possibility of that relationship happening becomes almost zero.

This has happened to me personally, and I have heard similar experiences from several people.

I don’t know whether Igede people have been told the story behind this so-called abomination, but as for me, I have no idea. I genuinely want to understand the history behind it.

Stories like this, when documented and acted out on camera, would help the younger generation understand their history without necessarily having to read books. A lot of young people today don’t even enjoy reading, but they can sit down and watch a movie from beginning to end.

Movies about stories like this would not only educate us but also help preserve our history for generations to come.

I remember watching a movie called Takuruku when I was a child. Back then, I thought it was just an entertaining movie. It was only recently I discovered that it actually told the story of the Tiv people and how they migrated into the Benue Valley.

Now that I have come to appreciate the historical value of that movie, I cannot even find it anymore.

Stories like these deserve to be documented, preserved and passed down to future generations. They help us understand where we come from and why certain cultural beliefs and practices exist.

So, please, if you have any idea about why Tiv and Igede people do not marry each other, I would genuinely appreciate it if you could enlighten me. It might also help answer the curiosity of many other people who have been asking the same questions.

I remain,

James Auve

PR Practitioner