[11] The gradual movement of the Proto Ibibio to the Cross River Region may have been associated with the expansion of Sahel agriculture in the African Neolithic period, following the desiccation of the Sahara in c. 3500 BCE.

[13] Coupled with this, is the Jukun southern drive to the coast which appears to have been recently compared with the formation of Akwa Ibom settlements in their present location.

[9] This was corroborated by oral testimonies by field workers who say that the core Ibibio people were of the Afaha lineage whose original home was Usak Edet in the Cameroons.

[14] Following the Aro-Igbo-Ibibio war of 1550 A.D, the Ibibio's moved southward and found a virgin and empty land, their present place.

[15] The brothers settled close to each other and formed pact and ally or an affinity with each other and had children and devised a thoroughgoing mechanism for self-rule, maintenance of law and order, and effective political organization: Using some elements of culture and socio-religious organizations such as Ekpo, Ebre, Ibaan Isong, Ekong, Ikpa—udoh and many others to enforce law and order and to put the masses of the population under control.

[17] Because of the larger population of the Ibibio people, they hold political control over Akwa Ibom State, but the government is shared with the Annangs, Eket and Oron.

[citation needed] Ibibio people and their brothers (the Annang, Oron and Eket) were part of the enclave called Bight of Biafra before the British creation of Eastern Nigeria.

[citation needed] However, the leadership of the Northern Region of Nigeria was able to keep the "Northwestern section" during the plebiscite that is now today's Nigerian Adamawa and Taraba States.

In addition to their state of origin, Akwa Ibom State, significant number of Ibibio are found in: Traditionally Ibibio society consists of communities that are made up of large families with blood affinity each ruled by their constitutional and religious head, known as the Ikpaisong.

The decisions of the Obong Ikpaisong were enforced by members of the Ekpo or Obon society who act as messengers of the spirits and the military and police of the community.

Although their identities are almost always known, fear of retribution from the ancestors prevents most people from accusing those members who overstep their social boundaries, effectively committing police brutality.

[19] In the months of June through December, the Ekpo society plays a large role in the community's life.

[19] Prior to the gradual abolition of slavery in Nigeria by British colonial authorities beginning in the mid-1880s, Ibibio society ranked people, in descending order, as freeborn (amanisong), strangers or later immigrants (ududung), and slaves (ifn).

[20] Ibibio religion (Inam) was of two dimensions, which centered on the pouring of libation, sacrifice, worship, consultation, communication and invocation of the God of Heaven (Abasi Enyong), God of the Earth (Abasi Isong) and the Supreme Being (Abasi Ibom) by the Constitutional and Religious King/Head of a particular Ibibio Community who was known from the ancient times as the Obong-Ikpaisong (the word 'Obong Ikpaisong' directly interpreted means King of the Principalities of the Earth' or 'King of the Earth and the Principalities' or Traditional Ruler).

The word 'Obong' in Ibibio language means 'Ruler, King, Lord, Chief, Head' and is applied depending on the Office concern.

All burial grounds, shrines for the village deities and spots for secret societies such as Ekpo Onyoho, Ekoong, Idiong, Ekong, were sacred.

First, ethereal body, secondly, soul, thirdly, spirit, and fourthly, over-soul; the last always lives in the house of Abasi Ibom and it is quite separate from the individuality which between incarnations stays in the country of the dead.

[citation needed] According to Talbot, it is the soul proper that spends part of its time as a were-animal or in a bush-beast in the forest or water and is called Ukpong Ikot, or bush-soul.

The majority of the Ibibio believe that a person's soul can be invoked into his shadow, which is made to appear in a basin of water.

[citation needed] The Ibibio believe that after death the same kind of existence is led as during life on earth; for example, farmers, blacksmiths, hunters, and fishermen will continue with their former occupations while social intercourse and amusements will also proceed as before.

For instance, if a person had no issue a diviner might tell him that he had killed innocent children in his previous incarnation, and that the parents of the deceased and the general public had cursed him, saying that he would not have any issue and would continue to kill innocent children throughout his incarnations unless he gave certain things as sacrificial offerings.

When the Mbia Idiong told him what the things were and he had offered them as sacrifices to Mother Earth, the Ibibio believed the situation would be reversed; otherwise, he would remain childless.

[citation needed] The Ibibio were introduced to Christianity through the work of early missionaries in the nineteenth century.

[23] Ibibio people have an overarching theme of contrasting male and female masks by using dark and light colors respectively.

Men's costumes incorporate natural materials from the wilderness such as raffia, and seed pod rattles.

Women's costumes use materials such as light colored cloth to represent the order of living in the village.

The effect of the masks and their intimidating quality is part of what gives them their power, in addition to the long history of the Ekpo.

They feature ornamental painted metal motifs, colorful plastic sheets, and glass panels on the sides.

[26] Modern versions of face and body decoration such as eye shadow, lipstick, and eyeliner are used by contemporary Ibibio people.

If a married woman has unkempt hair, this indicates that someone she is close to, typically her husband, a child, or another relative, has died.