Kingdom of Warri
Encyclopedia
The Kingdom of Warri is a traditional state based on the town of Warri in Delta State
, Nigeria
. Warri is an inland port on one of the Niger River
channels in the Niger Delta
. The Olu (king) of Warri is the head of the Itsekiri
people.
founded the Iwerre (Warri) Kingdom about 1480.
In the 15th century Warri was visited by Portuguese missionaries.
At the beginning of the 17th century, a son of the reigning Olu was sent to Portugal and returned with a Portuguese wife. Their son Antonio Domingo was Olu of Warri in the 1640s.
Olu Erejuwa, who reigned from about 1720 to 1800, expanded Warri politically and commercially, using the Portuguese to further Warri's independence of Benin and to establish control over a wider area.
Later Warri served as the base for Portuguese and Dutch slave traders. Warri became a more important port city during the late 19th century, when it became a centre for the palm oil
trade and other major items such as rubber
, palm products, cocoa, groundnut
s, hides, and skins.
Warri was established as a provincial headquarters by the British in the early 20th century.
In May 1952 the government of Western Nigeria
changed the title of the Itsekiri ruler from the Olu of Itsekiri to the Olu of Warri, at the request of the Itsekiri.
The Ijaw, Urhobo
and other people of the community objected to the change, since they felt the new title implied that the Olu was ruler of Warri, not just of the Itsekiri.
created a Warri South-West Local Government Council, with headquarters at Ogbe-Ijoh, in the Ijaw area of Warri. Due to political pressure by the Itsekiri, the headquarters was then relocated to Ogidigben, an Itsekiri area of Warri. Riots ensued, hundreds died, and six Shell Nigeria
installations were taken over by youths. The crisis is known as the "Warri Crisis
".
Delta State
Delta State may refer to:*Delta State, a state in southern Nigeria.*Delta State , a Canadian animated television series.*Delta State University, a public university located in the U.S. state of Mississippi....
, Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
. Warri is an inland port on one of the Niger River
Niger River
The Niger River is the principal river of western Africa, extending about . Its drainage basin is in area. Its source is in the Guinea Highlands in southeastern Guinea...
channels in the Niger Delta
Niger Delta
The Niger Delta, the delta of the Niger River in Nigeria, is a densely populated region sometimes called the Oil Rivers because it was once a major producer of palm oil...
. The Olu (king) of Warri is the head of the Itsekiri
Itsekiri
The Itsekiri are an ethnic group of Nigeria's Niger Delta area, Delta State. The Itsekiri presently number between 800,000–1,000,000 people and live mainly in the Warri South, Warri North and Warri South West local government districts of Delta State on the Atlantic Coast of Nigeria...
people.
History
According to Bini and Itsekiri histories Ginuwa, a prince of BeninBenin Empire
The Benin Empire was a pre-colonial African state in what is now modern Nigeria. It is not to be confused with the modern-day country called Benin, formerly called Dahomey.-Origin:...
founded the Iwerre (Warri) Kingdom about 1480.
In the 15th century Warri was visited by Portuguese missionaries.
At the beginning of the 17th century, a son of the reigning Olu was sent to Portugal and returned with a Portuguese wife. Their son Antonio Domingo was Olu of Warri in the 1640s.
Olu Erejuwa, who reigned from about 1720 to 1800, expanded Warri politically and commercially, using the Portuguese to further Warri's independence of Benin and to establish control over a wider area.
Later Warri served as the base for Portuguese and Dutch slave traders. Warri became a more important port city during the late 19th century, when it became a centre for the palm oil
Palm oil
Palm oil, coconut oil and palm kernel oil are edible plant oils derived from the fruits of palm trees. Palm oil is extracted from the pulp of the fruit of the oil palm Elaeis guineensis; palm kernel oil is derived from the kernel of the oil palm and coconut oil is derived from the kernel of the...
trade and other major items such as rubber
Rubber
Natural rubber, also called India rubber or caoutchouc, is an elastomer that was originally derived from latex, a milky colloid produced by some plants. The plants would be ‘tapped’, that is, an incision made into the bark of the tree and the sticky, milk colored latex sap collected and refined...
, palm products, cocoa, groundnut
Groundnut
Groundnut can mean:* Seeds that ripen underground, of the following plants, all in the Faboideae subfamily of the legumes:** Arachis villosulicarpa** Bambara groundnut** Hausa groundnut** Peanut* Roots and tubers:** Apios americana...
s, hides, and skins.
Warri was established as a provincial headquarters by the British in the early 20th century.
In May 1952 the government of Western Nigeria
Western Region, Nigeria
The Western Region was a subdivision of the federation of Nigeria until 1967. Its capital was at Ibadan.It was established in the 1930s under British rule as a subdivision of the Southern Nigeria colony...
changed the title of the Itsekiri ruler from the Olu of Itsekiri to the Olu of Warri, at the request of the Itsekiri.
The Ijaw, Urhobo
Urhobo people
The Urhobo are people of southern Nigeria, near the northwestern Niger River delta. The Urhobo is the major ethnic group in Delta State; the Delta State is one of the 36 states of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. They speak Urhobo, a language in Niger–Congo group...
and other people of the community objected to the change, since they felt the new title implied that the Olu was ruler of Warri, not just of the Itsekiri.
Recent events
In 1997, The Federal Government under General Sani AbachaSani Abacha
General Sani Abacha was a Nigerian military leader and politician. A Kanuri from Borno by tribe, he was born and brought up in Kano, Nigeria. He was the de facto President of Nigeria from 1993 to 1998....
created a Warri South-West Local Government Council, with headquarters at Ogbe-Ijoh, in the Ijaw area of Warri. Due to political pressure by the Itsekiri, the headquarters was then relocated to Ogidigben, an Itsekiri area of Warri. Riots ensued, hundreds died, and six Shell Nigeria
Shell Nigeria
Shell Nigeria is the colloquial name for Royal Dutch Shell's Nigerian operations carried out through four subsidiaries—primarily through Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited...
installations were taken over by youths. The crisis is known as the "Warri Crisis
Warri Crisis
While the Ijaw and the Itsekiri have lived alongside each other for centuries, for the most part harmoniously, the Itsekiri were first to make contact with European traders, as early as the 16th century, and they were more aggressive both in seeking Western education and in using the knowledge...
".
Rulers
A partial list of rulers:| Start | End | Ruler |
|---|---|---|
| Abejioye | ||
| Akenjioye | ||
| c. 1710 | Omagboye | |
| c. 1710 | c. 1735 | Akengboye |
| c. 1735 | Atogbuwa (Manuel Otobia) | |
| c. 1807 | Erejuwa (Sebastião Otobia) | |
| c. 1807 | 14 June 1848 | Akengbuwa (João) (d. 1848) |
| 1848 | 1848 | Ejo |
| 1848 | 1851 | Iye Idolorusan (Regent) |
| 1851 | Eri (Regent) | |
| Atsego (Regent) | ||
| 16 Jan 1921 | Okorofianyegbe (Regent) | |
| 13 Sep 1917 | 24 Sep 1932 | Dogho Numa (d. 1932) |
| 16 Jan 1921 | 1929 | Vacant |
| 1929 | 7 Feb 1936 | Olagbemi Ewolufu (Regent) |
| 7 Feb 1936 | Ginuwa II (Gbesimi Emiko) | |
| 2 April 1987 | Ogiame Atuwatse II |