Abakuá is an
Afro-Cuban men's initiatory
fraternity, or
secret society, which originated from fraternal associations in the
Cross River region of southeastern
Nigeria and southwestern
Cameroon. Known generally as
Ekpe,
Egbo,
Ngbe, or
Ugbe among the multi-lingual groups in the region. It was believed that
Ñáñigos, as the members are known, could be transformed into leopards to stalk their enemies. In contemporary Haiti, where secret societies have remained strong, an elite branch of the army that was set up to instill fear in the restless masses was named The Leopards. Among the less mystical
Ñáñigo revenges was the ability to turn people over to slavers. In Africa they were notorious operators who had made regular deals for profit with slavers.