Marionette figures are symbols of various characters to illustrate stories and chants.

The Ogoni have been demonstrably populating the eastern edge of the Niger Delta in Nigeria for 500 years. According to legend, the ethnic group that today numbers around 500,000 people and calls itself Cana comes from the Gana Empire (9th-13th centuries in the border area of today's Mali and Mauritania). Today they are culturally and linguistically related to neighboring Ibibio.

The 6 monarchical domains Babbe, Eleme, Gokana, Ken-Khana, Nyo-Khana and Tai know a mask system organized in secret societies (aminikpo) that serves the social, sacred and state functions.

The aminikpo association also manages a series of articulated jointed puppets (often twelve in number) with which they perform a complex marionette theater (called Naabiradee) on the occasion of various festivities in front of the assembled village community.