The Igala people live near the end of the Niger River. Every year they participate in important ceremonies celebrating the power of their king. During these festivities, nine types of royal helmet mask, called Agba, appear. They display typical facial scarifications and slanted eyes. Non-royal helmet masks are covered with linear scarifications and are used during festivals related to the Egu cult, which celebrate the spirit of the dead, and during the Yam festival when Igala ancestors are evoked. Their features are also found on staffs. Headdresses and statues carved in the Akpa area show a typical flattened face with two oblique scarifications on each cheek topped by a crested coiffure.
The people living on the banks of the Niger and Benue Rivers share many social and artistic traditions. They are thought to have common ancestors known as the Akpoko people. Traditionally, they principally make their money by acting as trade intermediaries between the inland people and the people who inhabit the Niger River Delta.
