Eje-alekwu festival

Eje-alekwu is an annual festival that comes up between July and September before the period of harvest, it is practice D Benue state among the Idomas . Idoma people focus on the worship of lineage ancestors and Eje-alekwu festival is the best of all to carry out this. (image source) [http://www.idomadiva.com/2016/09/the-meaning-of-eje-alekwu-festival-in.html?m=1]This festival is celebrated among the Ados, Otukpo and okpokou local government areas of the State . They are the prominent Idoma speaking communities in the state whose major occupation include farming, fishing, hunting and the likes,Eje-alekwu is the time in which the chief priest together with the people commune with the spirit . It is a time in which the priest perform his function of purifying and sacrificing to the gods on behalf of the people asking for protection and provision.
Before the festival come up, preparation ranging from sacrificing by the chief priest asking for blessing for the d-day and hunting for games to be used for meals are carried out by able bodied men in the community.
On the d-day, everyone gathers in the king palace to pay homage and present gifts to the king . The festival starts with the entrance of the king and his entourage after which a cock which is made to drink out of the Oblukutu (local gin) will be sacrificed to the gods.
After this the king is showered with praises and he addresses the people and pray for them. (image source) [http://www.idomadiva.com/2016/09/the-meaning-of-eje-alekwu-festival-in.html?m=1] Dance performance from different communities are displayed to the delight of the people, while local delicacies like pounded yam and okoho soup obtained from okoho plants with catches from the hunt. After the entertainment the king is offered gifts after which he gives out titles to deserving natives, the festival comes to a climax when the king departs in a whirl wind , it's believed he has transcended to the realm of glory and entertainment continues
The spirit Alekwu is believed to be the spiritual watchdog over the people. It's a great festival you need to witness.