Ekpe, also known as
Egbo , is a
secret society flourishing chiefly among the
Efiks of the
Cross River State, the
Oron, of
Akwa Ibom State,
Nigeria,
Aro and some parts of
Abia State, as well as in the diaspora, such as in
Cuba and
Brazil. The society is still active at the beginning of the 21st century, however, now it plays only a ceremonial role. There are two distinct but related societies, the primary one in the
Cross River and
Akwa Ibom areas, and the secondary one among the Southern and Eastern Igbo groups. Members of the Ekpe invented the
Nsibidi script.