The Itsekiri are one of the Yoruboid subgroup of Nigeria's Niger Delta area, They speak a Yoruboid language and can be found in Delta State. The Itsekiris presently number 2.7 million 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. Significant communities of Itsekiris can be found in parts of Edo and Ondo states and in various other Nigerian cities including Lagos, Benin City, Port Harcourt and Abuja. Many people of Itsekiri descent also reside in the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada. The Itsekiris are closely related to the Yoruba of South Western Nigeria and also close to the Okpe people and Edo peoples. The Itsekiris traditionally refer to their land as the Kingdom of Warri or 'Iwere' as its proper name – which is geographically contiguous to the area covered by the three Warri local government districts. The area is a key centre of Nigeria's crude oil and natural gas production and petroleum refining and the main town Warri forms the industrial and commercial nucleus of the Delta State region.
Chief Festus Okotie-Eboh was a Nigerian politician who was the finance minister of Nigeria from 1957 to 1966 during the administration of Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa.
Nana Olomu (1852–1916) was an Itsekiri chief and palm oil merchant from the Niger Delta region of southern Nigeria. He was the fourth Itsekiri chief to hold the position of Governor of Benin River.
Chief Arthur Edward Prest was an Itsekiri politician of biracial heritage from the Warri division of southern Nigeria.
The Warri Crisis was a series of conflicts in Delta State, Nigeria between 1997 and 2003 between the Itsekiri, the Ijaw, and the Urhobo ethnic groups. Over 200,000 people were displaced by the Warri conflict between 1999 and 2006. Over 700,000 people were displaced during this period by violence in Delta State overall.
The Itsekiri language is a major branch of the Yoruboid group of languages, which as a group, is a key member of the Volta–Niger sub-family of the Niger–Congo family of African languages. Itsekiri is spoken by nearly 900,000 people in Nigeria as a first language and by many others as an additional language notably in the Niger Delta and in parts of Edo and Ondo states of Nigeria. The other key members of the Yoruboid group are Yoruba and Igala along with the various Yoruba dialects spoken in Benin and Togo.
The Kingdom of Warri, Warri Kingdom or Iwere Kingdom, was established in 1480, was part of the Nigerian traditional states its ancestral capital is based in Ode-Itsekiri, Warri South LGA, Delta State, Nigeria with a palace erected in 1950s in the heart of the city of Warri, Warri South LGA, Delta State, Nigeria.
According to the language family tree classification by Ethnologue, Okpe, Urhobo and Uvwie, alongside Eruwa and Isoko, make up the five Southwestern Edoid languages of the Benue-Congo group. Quoting Johnstone (1993), Ethnologue puts the population of Urhobo people at 546,000, Okpe 25,400 (2000) and Uvwie 19,800 (2000). These three languages have geographically neighbouring languages: Izon and Itsekiri to the west and south, Ukwuani and Isoko to the east and Edo to the north. Thus, Isoko and Urhobo are similar languages that belong to the same linguistic family.
Thompson Adogbeji Salubi was a Nigerian diarist, historian and politician who was president of the Urhobo Progress Union for twenty years. Salubi wrote manuscripts about the history of Western Niger Delta and he is an important reference for the history of Urhobo people during the beginning of the colonial period. Some of his writings were edited by Peter Ekeh and published as the book T.E.A. Salubi: Witness to British Colonial Rule in Urhoboland and Nigeria by the Urhobo Historical Society in 2008.
Erejuwa II was a Nigerian traditional title holder and paramount leader of the Itsekiri who was Olu of Warri from 1951 to 1964 and from 1966 to 1986. He was the 18th Olu of Warri Kingdom with the title Ogiame Erejuwa II. He succeeded his father Ginuwa II as Olu. Ginuwa II was a great grandson of Olu Akengbuwa the last Olu who died in 1848, he was crowned in 1936 after an interregnum that lasted 88 years when Warri's political leadership was dominated by merchant princes.
Olu Ginuwa was an Itsekiri king who was the first Olu of Warri. He was the eldest son of Oba Olua, the 14th Oba of Benin (1473–1480A.D.) and Heir Apparent to the throne of the Great Benin Kingdom. He migrated from Benin Kingdom and was crowned the first Olu of Warri. He reigned for a period of 30 years. He reigned from 1480 to 1510. He was succeeded by his son, Olu Ijijen (Ogbowuru). Another of his sons, Olu Irame took over as king after Olu Ijijen joined his ancestors.
Olu Irame was the 3rd Olu of Warri. He was the second son to Olu Ginuwa and succeeded his brother Olu Ogbowuru (Ijijen) as the 3rd Olu of Warri. It is stated that he banished the three gods and their worshipers from Ode-Itsekiri-Olu because of their incessant ''noise-making". The gods and their worshipers moved to Orugbo which is a community about 2 miles from Ode-Itsekiri-olu.
Olu Atogbuwa was the 14th Olu of Warri who ruled over the Kingdom of Warri. He succeeded his father, Olu Akengboye as the 14th Olu of Warri. He took the title, Ogiame Atogbuwa. His Portuguese name was Manuel Octobia. When he went to be with his fathers, he was succeeded by Olu Erejuwa I around 1760.
Olu Erejuwa was the 15th Olu of Warri who ruled over the Kingdom of Warri. He succeeded Olu Atogbuwa as the 15th Olu of Warri. He took the title, Ogiame Erejuwa I. His Portuguese name was Sebastiao Manuel Octobia. When he went to be with his fathers, he was succeeded by Olu Akengbuwa around 1795.
Olu Akengbuwa was the 16th Olu of Warri who ruled over the Kingdom of Warri. He succeeded his father Olu Erejuwa I as the 16th Olu of Warri. He took the title, Ogiame Akengbuwa. He was also called Eyeolusan Joao. When he went to be with his fathers, there was a period of crisis following the death to the potential successors which was followed by a period of political Interregnum. His son Prince Oritsemone left Ode-Itsekiri during the period of the crisis to form Usele Community.
Olu Atuwatse II was a Nigerian traditional title holder and paramount leader of the Itsekiri who was Olu of Warri from 1987 to 2015. He was the 19th Olu of Warri Kingdom with the title Ogiame Atuwatse II. He was born Godwin Toritseju Emiko. He succeeded his father Erejuwa II as the Olu of Warri. He was a lawyer by profession and was a recipient of the Commander of the Niger (CON) award from the Nigerian Government. He died in 2015 and was succeeded by his brother Ikenwoli.
Ode-Itsekiri is a community in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State, Nigeria. It is also called Itsekiri-Olu and Big Warri. It is the capital of the Itsekiri people and one of the first autonomous communities before the crowning of the Olu Ginuwa. It existed long before 1480, with exact data not known. The Olu's Palace in Ode-Itsekiri has always been used to crown the Olu of Warri Kingdom, while the Kings are buried at Ijala-Ikenren Community.
Okere-Urhobo is the name of one of the two Urhobo kingdoms in Warri South Local Government, Delta State, Nigeria, the other being Agbassa.
Ogiame Atuwatse III is a Nigerian traditional king of the Kingdom of Warri in the Delta State. He was born Utieyinoritsetsola Emiko, also known as Tsola Emiko, on April 2, 1984 to Olu Atuwatse II, the 19th Olu of Warri, and Gladys Durorike Emiko. He is also a descendant of Olu Akengbuwa.
Sir Arthur Frederick Clarence Webber was a British lawyer and judge who served in British Guiana, Nigeria and Sierra Leone, where he was Chief Justice.
