Okere, Warri

Okere is a community in the Warri township in Nigeria. It is populated by Itsekiri people and is one of the oldest communities in Warri, as well as a part of the Kingdom of Warri.
It is made up of six quarters, known as idimis in the Itsekiri language.
1. Idimi Ode-kporo
2. Idimi Jakpa
3. Idimi Ode-Ile
4. Idimi Ogunobite
5. Idimi Ajamimogha
6. Idimi-sobo

History

Okere literally means ”it is small” in Itsekiri. It is an Itsekiri indigenous community and is the oldest in the modern-day Warri metropolis, having been founded in 1497 by a Benin war general, Ekpenede. At the time, the Oba had sent his son Ginuwa to establish a new kingdom. Ekpenede and his men pursued Ginuwa, but when they were cut off by the Warri River with no way to cross, they established a community upland, which they named "Okere". Ekpenede is said to have planted his staff at the centre of the settlement, proclaiming "Ogungbaja Okere". The staff reportedly grew into a tree which stands as a major historical landmark near the Okere market junction.