IGALA

also spelled Igara, a largely Muslim people of Nigeria, living on the left bank of the Niger River below its junction with the Benue River. Their language belongs to the Kwa subgroup of the Niger-Congo family. Their ruler, the ata, traditionally also governed two other groups, the Bassa Nge and the Bass Nkome, who live between the Igala and the Benue River. Traditional Igala society was politically organized as a despotic kingdom: kings were divine, held absolute power, and were surrounded by numerous taboos; they held elaborate courts attended by a host of officials and servants, many of them slaves and eunuchs. Human sacrifice and headhunting were practiced. The Igala have been primarily an agricultural people, growing a wide range of crops typical of the area, including yams, taro, pumpkins, squash, corn (maize), manioc, and peanuts (groundnuts). Palm oil and kernels have become significant as cash crops. Christian missionaries have worked among the Igala since 1865, converting many in the towns and larger villages; Islam, however, remains the stronger force.