Country Nigeria Time zone WAT (UTC+1) | State Rivers State Local time Saturday 11:51 PM | |
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Weather 26°C, Wind SW at 10 km/h, 87% Humidity | ||
Opobo is a city-state in the southern region of Nigeria. The state was founded in 1870. A greater part of the city state is still referred to as Opobo in Rivers State. Opobo is made up of several Islands and communities, mainly Opobo Town, Queenstown, Kalasunju, Oloma, Ayaminimah, Iloma, Minimah, Okpukpo, Iwoma, Ekereborokiri, Kalaibiama, and Epellema while a part of the city state is now in Akwa Ibom State, made up of Ikot Abasi, Kampa. The main language spoken in Opobo is the Igbo language.
Contents
Map of Opobo, Nigeria
History
Opobo was to the east of the Kingdom of Bonny. Both Bonny and Opobo are of the same origin. An Igbo man (turned Ibani) called Jubo Jubogha (known as "Ja-Ja" to Europeans) led the Anna Pepple house (Wari) of Bonny. In 1870, Jaja arrived in Opobo from Bonny, moving due to a dispute with chief Oko Jumbo, the leader of the rival Manilla Pepple family (Wari). Jaja was accommodated by the Nkoro leader, King Kpokpo and formed what he called "Kingdom of Opobo" which he named after Amanyanabo Opubo "Pepple" Perekule the Great, a Pepple King in Bonny that reigned from 1792 to 1830.
Jubo Jubogha became involved in palm oil trading with Europeans. He started a trading post at Opobo Town, close to Ikot Abasi 4 miles southwest of the Opobo River. The European traders called him King Jaja. Jubo Jubogha was never on good terms with Ngwa people to the north, Annang and the Ibibio to the east, as Jaja declared himself as the middle-man in palm Oil trading, thus asking them to stop trading directly with the European. This resulted in a war (Ikot Udo Obong War) between Jaja and the Annang and Ibuno people as recorded by Nair. In 1887, he was deceived when he was told to go and negotiate with the Queen of England by the British and sent on exile to Saint Vincent in the West Indies.
Rulers
The rulers of Opobo were: