Bikpakpaam Culture
Bikpakpaam Beliefs: The Bikpakpaam have many beliefs just as other tribes. Bikpakpaam believe in the existence of a Supreme Being ‘Uwumbor’ (God) who is upheld as the uncreated creator of everything. Uwumbor controls all things and delegates power to other smaller gods and spirit beings under Him to take care of prescribed creatures. Bikpakpaam also believe that Uwumbor gives each individual his own destiny and no one has powers to change his or her own destiny or the destiny of another person. God the creator is the only one who knows one’s destiny.
There is also the belief among the Bikpakpaam that God created every person and it is God alone who can direct the trajectory of life of the individual or determine his or her life span. If one has not completed the assigned purpose for him or her on earth, God would never take him back i.e. God will not let the person die, but if it happens, God will let the person reincarnate to complete the assignment. Such reincarnated persons have special identifiable names such as Jagri (a reincarnated male), Piigri (a reincarnated female), N-ya (my grandmother), for reincarnated female, N-yaja (my grandfather) for a reincarnated male.
Bikpakpaam believe that there are evil spirits which torment people in the form of sickness, poverty, conflicts, drought, still births, deformities, deaths, mental disorders etc. They also believe in the existence of counter spirits (good ones), which counteract the attacks of the evil spirits. Furthermore, Bikpakpaam believe in ancestral spirits (the existence of the spirit of the dead), which they call Bitekpiib. They are of the view that these ancestral spirits take vengeance on enemies, protects the rest of the family and care for the general well being of the surviving relations. They, thence, pour libation and perform sacrifices to appease the ancestral spirits.[11]
These indigenous Bikpakpaam beliefs are fading out and giving way to Christianity and Islam. Most Bikpakpaam of post-colonial era have embraced Christianity and believe in the Triune God (the Father, Son and Holy Spirit). As such, Saboba and other Bikpakpaam localities are home to many denominational churches including the Catholic Church, Orthodox, Pentecostal and Charismatic churches. About 5% or less of Bikpakpaam are Muslims.
