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Ogbugulu Mau (Ghost) Masquerade: Iro Ekpetu (Merciless)

Image Masquerades
Profile view of an Iro Ekpetu masquerader wearing a black wooden mask with white painted accents and raffia hair.
Iro Ekpetu (Merciless) during the Ogbugulu Mau (Ghost) masquerade. Photographed by G.I. Jones, 1932-1938.

A close up view of Iro Ekpetu (Merciless) wearing a black wooden face mask during an Ogbugulu Mau (Ghost) masquerade. The forehead is incised with decoration, the eyes consist of two small holes accentuated with white paint, and the mouth and teeth are also accentuated with white paint. Raffia hair is attached to the back of the mask, and a protrusion is visible on the head. The masquerader wears a cloth top and holds a stick switch. In the background, a mud and thatch building is surrounded by trees and vegetation.

Community Notes

Onyeka Nwokike

Apr 23, 2026

The Iro Ekpetu is one of two fierce masks within the Ogbugulu Mau ensemble, characterized by black wood, fang-like teeth, and costumes of sacking or soiled cotton paired with raffia skirts. These characters used voice disguisers to speak in ghostly tones and carried wands or sticks to threaten spectators—behavior detailed in the MAA Cambridge records—contrasting with the white-faced beautiful masks that danced with ankle rattles.

Typically performed in December, the masquerade featured eight masked characters and two musical bands, including one utilizing Ibibio-type membrane drums and another using a large pot struck by hand. To maintain the illusion of a spirit, performers completely covered their hands and feet; if a limb became exposed during dancing, an uncostumed attendant would strike the ground with a shrub spray to signal a retreat to the dressing enclosure.

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