Ekpe, also known as Egbo , is a secret society flourishing chiefly among the Efiks of the Cross River State, the Oron, of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria, Aro and some parts of Abia State, as well as in the diaspora, such as in Cuba and Brazil. The society is still active at the beginning of the 21st century, however, now it plays only a ceremonial role. There are two distinct but related societies, the primary one in the Cross River and Akwa Ibom areas, and the secondary one among the Southern and Eastern Igbo groups. Members of the Ekpe invented the Nsibidi script.