Umuleri

(Umueri)
The Ancient City of Eri Kingdom
Nickname(s): The Okebo City
(Umueri) Location in Nigeria
Coordinates: 6°19′N 7°52′E / 6.317°N 7.867°E / 6.317; 7.867
Country	Nigeria
State	Anambra
LGA	Anambra East
Government
• King	Eze (His Royal Highness) Late Nelson U. Okoye (Igwe Okebo 1 of Umueri). (His Royal Majesty) Igwe Benneth Izuchukwu Emeka JP, Okebo 11
Population (2015)
• Total	942,000
• Ethnicity	Igbo 99%
• Religion	Christianity, Odinani
Time zone	WAT (UTC+1)

Eze (His Royal Highness) Late Nelson U. Okoye (Igwe Okebo 1 of Umueri).

Umueri also known and pronounced as Umuleri is a town in Anambra State of Southeastern Nigeria. The people of Umueri town belong to an Igbo ethnic group and has an estimated population of 942,000.00 It's located within the Anambra Valley, bordered by Anambra River (Omabala River) and Anam communities in the north, Nteje to the south, Aguleri and Nando in the east and Nsugbe in the western flank.

The origin of Umuleri is surrounded by myths and legends as in other ancient Igbo communities. However, there are generally acceptable oral origin stories which were passed from generation to generation which emphasize the area as the first area of human settlement east of the Niger River. Therefore, the origin of Umuleri, which literally means "Children of Eri", can be traced back to the ancient Eri Kingdom, which dates back to the 9th Century. The Nri Town in Anambra State is also a descendant of Eri. They migrated to the present place from the Omabala River Valley.

According to tradition, Umuleri is the descendant of iguedo, presumably f. She was also mother to the founders of Ogbunike, Awkuzu, Umuleri and Nando, and a daughter Onocha, who was amongst the founders of Oboli Quarters of Onitsha (this explains the relationship between Umuleri and Onitsha and other Iguedo clans). Eri, due to his influence was said to have snatched (remarry) Iguedo from Nnamenyi (another of the migrants), and she bore to him Dabawor who founded the modern Umuleri clan. At the demise of Eri she remarried, again to Iru, a hunter and herbalist who was said to be part of Eri Company.

Traditionally, Umueri is broadly divided into 3 clans: Ezi, Ikenga, Ivite. The clans are further divided into villages and sub-villages. But with advent of colonialism and modernization, the town has consciously grown and governed just like other Igbo Communities . The three traditional clans of Umueri are written down below with their corresponding Villages:

The pre-colonial Umueri government was a republican but with influence of Bini Kingdom in that part of Igboland, it changes to Monarchical in nature in which the Eze resided in Ivite. The Prime Minister (Onowu) & Ajie in Ikenga and Ezi respectively. Modern administration since colonization relegated this system and enthroned the Igwe Dynasty which is prevalent Institution till date.