THE HISTORIC OLU OF WARRI PALACE

July 13, 2019

Africans are all over the world for their very rich cultural and heritage,and nigeria is surely not left out especially when it comes to reach kingdom of warri.The olu of warri palace has been a very big attraction to visitors for both withun and outside the shores of warri.the palace is home to the traditional ruler of the kingdom and plays host to the numerous cultural rites and festival carried out by the people of warri.warri is home to the itsekiris who sharre a similar heritage with the binis.......

HISTORY OF THE PALACE

The history of this wonderful palace was dates back to the 15th century,precisely 1480.The history of the itsekiris can be traced to the binis as the are said to be originated from the bini kingdom.According to historians.a bini prince known as GINUWA discover the kingdom and built the palace after he was sent to warri by the then oba of bini.the palace is located at the centre of ode itsekiris as it also srve as a private for the olu of warri{king}....

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.According to Bini and Itsekiri histories Ginuwa, a prince of Benin 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.^[1] 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.^[2]

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, groundnuts, hides, and skins.^[3] Warri was established as a provincial headquarters by the British in the early 20th century.In 1997, the Federal Government under General Sani Abacha created a Warri South-West Local Government Council, with headquarters at Ogbe-ijaw, an Ijaw settlement near Warri. Due to political pressure by the Itsekiri's, the headquarters was then relocated to Ogidigben, an Itsekiri settlement. Riots ensued, hundreds died, and six Shell Nigeria installations were taken over by youths. The crisis is known as the "Warri Crisis

Itsekiri Kings, 1480 to present[edit]

The Kingdom of Warri has remained predominantly Christian since the coronation of its first Christian King Oba Atorongboye also known as King Sebastian I in 1570, within a century of the foundation of the Iwerre Kingdom. Below is a list of the rulers of the Warri Kingdom from inception. Note that written records began with the coronation of Olu Atorongboye Sebastian I in 1570.

Ginuwa I (1480- 16th century)
Ogbowuru I (16th century)
Irame I (16th century)
Ojoluwa I (16th century)
Esigie I (16th century)
Atorongboye I A.K.A. Sebastian (1570- 1620 AD
Atuwatse I A.K.A Oyeomasan Don Domingos (1625–1643)
Oyenakpara I A.K.A Obanighenren Don Antonio Domingo (1643–1653)
Omoluyere I (17th century)
Abejoye I A.K.A Matias (17th century)
Akenjoye I A.K.A Ludivico Domingo (1675–1709)
Omagboye I (18th century)
Akengboye I A.K.A Agostinho Sabastiao Octobia (1730–1732)
Atogbuwa I A.K.A Manuel Octobia (1734–1760)
Erejuwa I A.K.A Sebastiao Manuel Octobia (1760–1795)
Akengbuwa I A.K.A Eyeolusan Joao (1808– 14 June 1848)
Ginuwa II A.K.A Emiko Ikengbuwa (7 February 1936– 8 January 1949)
Erejuwa II A.K.A Wilson Ayoronmitsi Gbesimi Emiko (24 March 1951 – 17 December 1986)
Atuwatse II A.K.A Godwin Toritseju Emiko (2 May 1987– 5 September 2015)
Ikenwoli I A. K. A Godfery ikenwoli Emiko (12 December 2015–)