Isuikwuato

Isuikwuato is a local government area of Abia State with its headquarters at Mbalanọ, made up of Imenyi, Amawụ and Oguduasaa.

It divides into three clans: Umuimenyi, Isuamaewa and Oguduasa. Isuamaewa is reported with seven communities in Okigwi; Oguduasa with five.

Its three Isu lineages (ikwu, with ato meaning three) all trace back to the village group of Ahaba. Under the first of them come Ahaba itself, Ovim and Ezere, and then Akolinta, Uzuakoli, Nkpa along with three smaller communities; under the second, Eluama and six further small communities; and under the third, Amibo, Umunekwu, Atcha, Amiyi and Nonya. The branches line up with the clans, the Umuimenyi taking the two parts of the first lineage, the Isuamaewa the second and the Oguduasa the third.

Culturally the group is a diverse one, and the Isu-Ikwu-Ato are said to come closer to the Cross River peoples than to their Igbo neighbours: they lack the ọsu slave cult and the ọfọ symbol, but show remnants of the village headship (Otosi) found among Cross River groups. Among the Isu the patrilineage is both the descent unit and the local unit. Settlements among the Isu and the Alayi are scattered; among other groups of the section they are often nucleated, with group compounds and yam stores standing outside.