Urhobo people
[3] The Urhobo people live in a territory bounded by latitudes 6° and 5°, 15° North and Longitudes 5°, 40° and 6°, 25° East[clarification needed] in the Delta and Bayelsa States of Nigeria.
His Councillors consist of the Otota (speaker), and the Ohonvwore or Okakuro, addressed collectively as Ilorogun (singular: Olorogun).
Some southern Urhobo clans and communities also practice the Odio system, which is widespread in the Isoko region.
[11] Urhobo is geographically located within the Atlantic forest belt that spans from Senegal to Angola in Africa.
Before the arrival of the Portuguese in the late 15th century, this area was known for its untouched and pristine environment, where the forest peoples lived without outside influences and developed their own forms of civilization.
While East Africa and even Central Africa were touched by Asian and Arab influences from across the Indian Ocean, as the amalgam of Swahili language bears out, no similar trans-Atlantic influences breached the forest belt until the Portuguese arrival in the late fifteenth century.
Ofoni is an Urhobo community located in the Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
[14] Many Urhobos inhabit both small and major cities across regions and local government areas, including Ughelli, Warri, Abraka, Orerokpe, and Sapele.
Notable Urhobo towns and cities include Effurun, Aladja, Ovwian, Orerokpe, Eku, Oghara, Evwreni, Agbara-Otor, Okpara Inland, Egini, Kokori, Olomu, Kiagbodo, Isiokoro, Jesse, Ogharaefe, Effurun-Otor, Ewu, Jeremi, Emadadja, Okwagbe, Ovu, Orogun, Otor-Udu, Ekpan, Jeddo, Uwheru, and Orhuwhorun, among others.
His position is succeeded to on the basis of gerontocracy when he dies, and the next most senior elder of the community takes his office.
An annual two-day festival called Ohworu takes place in [Evwreni], in the southern part of the Urhobo area.
Till now, some people are of the belief that these two ethnic units are one due to similarities in culture, language, food and virtually everything.
[21][22] The Urhobo Okpo (week) is made up of four days, based on regulated market cycles, religious worship, marriages and other community life.
It is heated and stirred into a thick mound with added palm oil to give the starch its unique orange-yellow colour.
Other notable delicacies from the Urhobo tribe are Ukhodo (a yam and unripe plantain dish prepared with either beef, poultry, or fish, and spiced with lemon grass and potash), Oghwevwri (Oghwo soup), and starch (Usi) also have their origins from the Urhobo tribe.
Oghwevwri (Oghwo Soup) is composed of smoked or dried fish, bush meat, unique spices, potash and oil palm juice.
The main focus of Urhobo traditional religion is the adoration of "Ọghẹnẹ" (Almighty God), the supreme deity, and recognition of Edjo and Erhan (divinities).
If an Urhobo feels oppressed by someone, he appeals to Ọghẹnẹ, who he believes to be an impartial judge, to adjudicate between him and his opponent.
The dead are believed to be living, and looked upon as active members who watch over the affairs of their family.
In the final journey of the Erhi, after transition, the Urhobo believe the physical body, Ugboma, decays while the Ehri is indestructible and joins the ancestors in Erivwin.
The elaborate and symbolic burial rites are meant to prepare the departed Erhi for happy re-union with the ancestors.
Despite this age-old and complex belief system, the influence of western civilization and Christianity is fast becoming an acceptable religion in most Urhobo communities.
