Ijala
Local government areas in Delta State,in Nigeria.
Ijala is a historic community in Warri South Local Government Area, Delta State, Nigeria, within the traditional boundaries of the Warri Kingdom. It holds significant cultural and historical importance as the original capital of the Kingdom of Warri, established by Olu Ginuwa I around 1480 CE, and serves as the royal cemetery for the monarchs of the Warri people. Ijala is recognized for its potential as a World Heritage Site due to its historical relics and its pivotal role in the kingdom's heritage. The community is being developed as a tourist and industrial destination under the Greater Warri Metropolitan Dream.
History
Origins and founding
Ijala is one of the earliest settlements in the Warri Kingdom, predating its establishment by Olu Ginuwa I around 1480 CE. According to Itsekiri oral tradition, Prince Ginuwa, the eldest son of Oba Olua of the Benin Kingdom (reigned 1473–1480), founded the kingdom of warri after leaving Benin due to political tensions. The Benin chiefs, perceiving Ginuwa as a threat, planned to eliminate him. Oba Olua facilitated Ginuwa’s departure with an entourage of 70 first sons of prominent Benin nobles. The group traveled through several locations, including Ugharegin, Efurokpe, Amatu, and Oruselemo, before settling in Ijala, where he was welcomed by the people living in the land. Ginuwa married Urowoli during the journey and had two sons, Princes Ijijen and Irame, before arriving at Ijala.
Ijala served as the first capital of the Warri Kingdom and the residence of Olu Ginuwa I, marking it as the political and cultural center of the nascent kingdom.
The public source identifies “Ijala” as local government areas in Delta State,in Nigeria. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Ijala, Local and government.
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This entry incorporates text from “Ijala” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.