Olu Ijijen

Olu Ijijen (Ogbowuru) was the second Olu of Warri, succeeding his father Ogiame Olu Ginuwa . He reigned from 1510 to 1538 and was buried in Ijala . He was succeeded by his brother Olu Irame. Reign

Ijijen was the first Olu of Warri to reach and settle at Ode-Itsekiri, since his father Ginuwa I had remained at Ijala throughout his own reign. Upon settling at Ode-Itsekiri, he unified the scattered indigenous Itsekiri communities, including Omadino, Ureju, Ugborodo, and Inorin, consolidating them into a single kingdom.

His reign followed the Itsekiri governing maxim Igbo mini, mini igbo ("the people belong to the king, and the king belongs to the people"), reflecting the reciprocal relationship between the Olu and his subjects.

Family

Ijijen was one of two sons of Olu Ginuwa I, the founder of the Warri Kingdom; his younger brother was Olu Irame. Both brothers were born to Urowoli, a woman from the Ureju community whom Ginuwa I married after settling among the Itsekiri people.