A leopard-themed secret society and masquerade tradition of the Efik, Ekoi, and parts of southeastern Igbo country. Ekpe historically functioned as a system of governance, dispute resolution, and trade regulation, with members ranked through initiation grades. The society's writing system, Nsibidi, was reserved for its uses, and Ekpe traditions travelled to Cuba via the slave trade, where they survive as the Abakuá brotherhood.
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Tradition· Codex · Ritual
Ekpe Masquerade
Efik, Ekoi, Igbo (southeastern Nigeria, Cameroon) · West Africa
