Ekpe

Ekpe, also known as Egbo (Ibibio: Leopard), is a secret society flourishing chiefly among the Efiks of the Cross River State, the Oron, of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria, Igbos in Abia State, as well as Southeastern Nigerians Igbo/Efik/Oron in the diaspora, such as in Cuba. The society is still active at the beginning of the 21st century, allegedly only playing a ceremonial role. There are two distinct but related societies, the primary one in the Cross River and Akwa Ibom areas, and the secondary one among the Southern and Eastern Igbo groups. Members of the Ekpe invented Nsibidi, a script. Ekpe is not the same thing as Ekpo, or Ekong, which are other societies in the Cross River basin, especially in Akwa Ibom State, Annang do not practice Ekpe.