Word: yorubas
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...that time, a wave of fear sent Nigerians of all tribes scuttling back to their home territories, and forced the de facto partition of Nigeria into three tribal states--Yoruba West, Hausa North, and Ibo East. The largest group of refugees were 1.8 million Ibos from the North, many badly injured. Enraged, the Ibos demanded federal compensation of the injured and homeless. To prevent a repitition of the atrocities, they also called for the de jure recognition of Nigeria's partition--in the form of a confederation of almost autonomous states. They threatened to secede if the Federal Government...
...typical of Brazilian ingenuity and flair," but its origins are in the Old World. Although such rotating credit associations are known widely in Asia, Africa, and now in Latin America and the West Indies, the most likely source of the Brazilians' consorcio is the esusu of the Yoruba of Nigeria. Whether it was originally introduced to the New World by Africans, Chinese or East Indians, this popular method of saving is now known as boxi money in Guyana, meeting in Barbados, partners in Jamaica, esu in the Bahamas, and chitty (the Hindi form from English chit) or susu...
...without justification. Nigeria is now, more than ever before, divided into separate and hostile regions. Last October's riots seem to have convinced the Nigerians that they cannot live safely among members of another tribe. The surge of refugees fleeging homeward has included not only Ibos, but also Yorubas returning to the West and Hausas to the North. With communications closed, trade between the regions has come to a standstill. Even Nigeria's universities, traditionally neutral meeting places for members of feuding tribes, have been crippled by the new crisis. Almost all the Ibos at the University of Ibadan...
Easterners are Christian, democratic, enterprising-and far wealthier than the Northerners. The Yoruba Westerners, whose capital of Ibadan (pop. 750,000) is Nigeria's largest city and the world's largest shantytown, are farmers and small traders whose passions are High-Life music and politics, often accompanied by endless draughts of pungent palm wine...
Gowon apparently hopes to turn the government over to civilians "as soon as it can be arranged," and one of his first acts in office was to release from detention one of Nigeria's most respected-and controversial-political leaders, Yoruba Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the deposed premier of the Western Region. "We need you for your wealth of experience," he told Awolowo. His release was greeted by mobs of jubilant Westerners. In Lagos, Yoruba motorists drove through the streets shouting "Awo! Awo!" and a traffic jam seven miles long converged on Awolowo's home town of Ikenne...