Gbagyi Origin

Gbagyi people are known for their hard working


THE ORIGIN OF GBAGYI PEOPLE
There are two tenable views as regard the origin of Gbagyi people.

FIRST VERSION OF GBAGYI PEOPLE
According to Rev. Musa Adamidu behotolon, in his book title "Brief
history of Gbagyi people" he asserted that
The first view traces the history of Gbagyi people back to Saudi Arabia,
even before the beginning of Islam in the 6th century A.D, at the inception
of the island region introduced by Muhammad. Gbagyi ancestors migrated to
Africa because they were being persecuted by the Muslims in Mecca and
Medina. And since they were not willing to embrace Islam at the expense of
their idol worship, they migrated to Africa. Some believed they settled in
Ethiopia before finally coming to west Africa.
 SECOND VERSION
The second view regarding the origin of gbagyi people says, Gbagyi people have ancestry descent of Sudanese
origin, for they have much cultural affinity with other Africans. Aboki Zhawa, who is among the exponents of this view argued that, the Gbagyi ancestry descent of Sudanese stock are doubtless, a mixture of many strains. The basis of such allusion is reflected in the ethnic grouping which shows that Gbagyi kinship is linked with Nupe group, one of the major Sudanese groups, named kwa or lower Niger, Nupe and the Madingo groups. Andy N. Philip
proves that Gwari belong to Kwa Language group and is classified as
Niger-Congo (Nupoid) and Nupoid (Niger Kaduna).
THE FOUNDING FATHER OF GBAGYI PEOPLE
Concerning the founder, Gbagyi people don't have a specific person as a
founder, Rather, they believe that God is the creator of heaven and earth
and everything in it. One basic fact that Gbagyi historians are not certain
about the origin of the people is because Gbagyi people once lived among
the Kanuris in Borno State.
This means, whether or not they originated from Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia,
Nigeria etc, they once settled in Borno State. They have a peaceful living
among Kanuris and Beriberis, until the coming of Islam to the natives who
embraced Islam unhesitatingly but the Gbagyis did not accept the Islam
religion. The new Religion cause between the native and Gbagyis. The aim of
the war was to islamize them to the Islamic religion but they bluntly
refused. However, Gbagyi people migrated to plateau Kasar guza kano and
then to Zaria. While in Zaria, Islam was spreading like wildfire, aiming at
conquering everywhere in Africa, and the Jihadists arrived, Immediately Gbagyi people dispersed, some migrated
through suleja (present day Abuja) etc.
THE MAJOR OCCUPATION OF GBAGYI PEOPLE
 The major occupation among Gbagyi people is Farming, Hunting and fishing.
Most commonly grown crops are yam, corn, guinea corn, garden egg, groundnut
etc. Later , in their search for more greener pasture of fertile farmland, Gbagyi people moved south west and settled in Kuta, Minna, Paiko, Bwaya now corrupted as (Bwari), Abaji and other places. It is on this established facts that now, their is no concensus among historians as to who is the founder or patriarch of Gbagyi people.
GBAGYI'S MAJOR LOCATION
Contemporaneously, gbagyi people occupy the central part of Nigeria known
as middle Belt.
Gbagyi form the highest population in Niger state, Federal capital
territory. They are also found in Kaduna, Kogi and Nassarawa state
respectively. Some of them still migrate to other part of the country in
search of rich agricultural farmland.
CONCLUSION
It's imperative at this point to draw the fact that the origin, identity and language are important sociocultural distinctions that give the Gbagyi their Relevance and locate them.

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