Who are the ‘Koro’ of Kaduna State?

From the year 2009, my research focus has turned to the piercing problem of proper identity chiefly as it relates to the minority groups who make up the Non-Hausa and Fulani peoples of Kaduna state and by extension the middle belt of Nigeria. The research is significant as this an era of self-awareness.

Back to the query ‘who are the Koro…’, Ochonu (2014) in ‘colonialism by proxy in the north of Nigeria’ accounts that the Non-Muslims ethnicities of existing Kaduna state from the 1808s came across a socio-political conflict which was to change the past of the area utterly under the influence of Zazzau as a result of the defeat of the Habe dynasty by Dan Fodio (pp. 51-52). 

As a student of language and identity, my take is one of these conflicts is founded in the act of naming. In this respect, Temple, C. L. (1922) cited by Wente- Lukas (1985:232) explicates that the term KORO was utilized to refer to diverse people groups in the north of Nigeria by foreigners (the Hausa were the alien group at that time). Hence, the groups that are known nowadays as the KORO essentially have little or nothing in common in terms of linguistic links or even evoked ancestry but over time the term KORO gained popularity as an identity. 

To trace the meaning and reason for this term, a study into Hausa chronicle of that time is required, however, the utmost probability is the name could be disparaging. One of the mix-ups about the ‘KORO groups’ is captured in the work of Wilson-Haffenden (1930) when he calls one ‘KORO ZANE (clothed Koro)’ while the other ‘KORO FUNTU (naked Koro)’ (p.78). In view of this distortion, archives suggest there are KORO in Nassarawa, Niger, FCT, and Kaduna states. However, the group near Lafia have since rejected the term and identify themselves as the Migili. 

For the records, the two groups who make up the ‘KORO’ of Kaduna state are the Tinor [Begbere or aZa] which form the linguistic cluster identified as Waci (Blench, 2009) while the other, Ashe [Itong and Icek dialects] with a language which closely relates to Hyam of the Ham as linguistic data reveals (Blench, 2010).

The import of this article, therefore, is that next time anyone gives you a name, make an effort to inquire about its implication. It could even be meaningless or a misrepresentation of your genuine identity! “To find yourself, think for yourself” is what Socrates says.

Reference

Blench, R. 2009. The Tinɔr [= Koro Waci] language of Central Nigeria and its

affinities. Unpublished

Blench, R. The Ashe language, Itɔ̃ɔ̃ dialect, in Central Nigeria. Unpublished

Ochonu, M. E. (2014). Colonialism by Proxy: Hausa imperial agents and Middle Belt

consciousness in Nigeria. Indiana University Press.

Temple, M. (1922). CL, Notes on the Tribes of Northern Nigeria. Cape Town.

Wente-Lukas, R. (1985). Handbook of ethnic groups in Nigeria. Stuttgart: Franz Steiner

Verlag

Wilson-Haffenden, J. R. (1930). The Red Men of Nigeria: An Account of a Lengthy

Stay among the Fulani, or “Red Men,” and Other Pagan Tribes of Central Nigeria, with a Description of Their Headhunting, Pastoral and Other Customs, Habits, and Religion.