Idumuje Unor is a town situated in the Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State, Nigeria, lying between 6020’ 01.4’’ N and 60 22’ 06.5’’ N and between 60 25’ 01.4’’ E and 60 27’ 06.6’’ E. It is located 5 kilometers from Issele-Uku, the headquarters of Aniocha North and has a growing land area of 16sq km and current estimated population of about 20,000 inhabitants. It is bordered to the west by Onicha-Ugbo, to the North by Idumuje-Ugboko and Ewohinmi in Edo State, to the East by Onicha-Uku and Ugbodu and to the south by Issele-Uku. The name Idumuje in the Esan language could be translated to mean; Idumu - Community/Quarters and Oje - King/Royal. In other words, Idumuje means Royal Quarters or Kings' Quarter. Worthy to note: Another Idumuje named location could be found at present in Benin (in proximity to the Royal Palace of the Oba of Benin). The suffix "Unor" (meaning - home) is an inclusion to the town's name so as to differentiate it from the breakaway community Idumuje -Ugboko; by a man called Nwoko and his supporters some 300 years ago. Ugboko is translated to mean "Ugbo" - Farm & "Oko" - a shortening of the name Nwoko.

Idumuje-Unor
Country Nigeria
Time zoneUTC+1 (WAT)


Ime-Ogbe is the nucleus of Idumuje- Unor,which can be traced to Ihu-ani Ihummor on Iloh Ukwu (First Major Road) by a man named Ikeke, who was said to have migrated from Idumu-ogie in the present day Bini Kingdom of Edo State. Then followed by other migrants, who made up the traditional six villages listed as follows: Okwunye, Idumu-obu, Ogbe-akwu, Atuma and Aniofu [1]

According to a frontline Nigerian journalist from Idumuje Unor, Norbert kpomiose Chiazor " One of the monarchs of Idumuje-Unor, Agbogidi Obi James Anyasi II was the longest reigning king in Africa and the second in the world after King Bhumibol Adelyadej of Thailand reputed as the World's longest reigning monarch. A phenomenal king headed for the Guinness book of records, he was born on March 6, 1924. Obi Anyasi II was crowned king from the Okwunye ruling dynasty on October 9, 1946 at the age of 22, in the heydays of British Colonialism.The Obi died in 2013, ruling for 66 years, a royal longevity never recorded in Nigerian or African contemporary history".

His Royal Majesty, Obi Charles Chukwunwike Anyasi, was crowned on May 17, 2014.[2] He is a journalist who became a monarch. The community is made up of peoples originally from various clans such as, Benin, the Esan, Asaba and some Yoruba ethnicities centuries ago. The foremost settlement said to be by people of Benin ancestry is located at Ime-Ogbe (literally meaning "inside Quarters"). The Idumu-Obu quarters was said to have been foremostly settled by a man called Obu who was a traditional priest who hailed from Asaba. He was granted the area of land now called Idumu-Obu after a feat he was said to have achieved when summoned from Asaba.

References

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  1. ^ Ogbechie, N (2007) ’‘The History, and Culture of Idumuje Unor’ Idumuje Unor Creative Arts Company
  2. ^ "Idumuje kingdom: When a journalist became a monarch". 30 May 2014.