Okpekpe is located at a latitude of 7.2 and a longitude of 6.47, about 354 kilometers south west of the approximate center of Nigeria and south-west of the capital Abuja. Okpekpe, due to its unique location and climate, has a huge potential for tourism, though not yet fully developed because of lack of direct investment. Okpekpe is surrounded by hills and big rocks, which makes its weather very friendly. It is rumoured that the rocks hold vast amounts of rare mineral resources, though yet to be explored. Okpekpe, is in North Ibie, belongs to a large homogenous group of people, the Ibie found in Afemai land, which is at the northern part of Edo State. The Ibie are bordered by River Niger to the east, Etsako West to the west, Auchi to the south, and Kwara State & Kogi State to the north. Okpepke is surrounded by other towns and villages like Imiegba, Itsukwi, Imiakebu, Ebelle, Ukhomedokhai, Okeko, Ikphelli, Ukho, etc. The population of the Ibie people has been estimated to be about 100,000 people according to the 2006 population census.
History
The Okpekpe people are believed to have descended from Ogogo and Atuegbe 's children, who later migrated to their present location from the old Benin Kingdom during the ‘tyranny' of Oba Ewuare I, the great, the then Oba of Benin. Oral history has it that, the reason for the migration was because the Oba had decreed that all communities within the Kingdom must mourn the death of his son for a long period, without going to farm or hunting. This led to starvation and death among the Okpekpe people, thus forcing them to migrate to their current location, a mountainous topography that could serve as defence against any likely invasion by the Oba. The oral history further goes on to say that the present settlement of Okpekpe was occupied by very dangerous thorn bushes, called "Ugba-Okpekpe", meaning "the thorn of Okpekpe". In another account of oral history, the North-Ibie people migrated to their present location as a result of the demands of Oba Ewuare I, when Ukwi killed a lion. Then Oba Ewuare I demanded the skin of the lion and a virgin girl called Azebo. Because the girl was so beautiful and dear to the people of North-Ibie, they decided to run away overnight with the girl to a safe and secure place to form their kingdom. This migration involved five major kindred that formed the North-Ibie Community; namely Otsele, Akebu, Ukwi, Ugbamhe and Egba. The Imiugbamhe are not existing as a village or town, but are in the midst of other villages and towns. They lived for a very long time without death and burial ceremony. They brought a corpse to burial in their place when the saw other villages and gown celebrating burials. This caused them a massive death on a daily basis and the remaining few had to run to other villages and towns for safety.
Culture
Every society has its own culture, which is its way of life. Okpekpe people are no exception.
Associations
There are several groups and associations that are operating within and outside the town of Okpekpe. One of such is the Okpekpe Peoples Association, National Association of Okpekpe Student which is a sociocultural group of indigenes of Okpekpe, both within and outside of Nigeria.
Language
The people of Okpekpe speak the "Ivie Language", a homogeneous language generally spoken by the "Ivie" people. Most English words have Ivie variants, where such English words are not readily available, phrases are used to describe them or caricature version is coined e.g. "motor" becomes "umoto" or "bicycle" becomes "ibasiko", and "aeroplane" becomes "anupele" etc.
Justice
Minor cases are settled by family elders from both contending parties. Cases may also be settled by members of the age grades. While major cases are settled by the chief and his council of advisers.
The village head and "clan head" is called Onwueweko of Okpekpe. The clan headship rotates between Apa and Ede title holders. The current Onwueweko is Peter Abalume Osigbemeh. Whilst the current Ede is Engr. Donaldson Aloaye Eshilama.ref>
Education
They have one primary school, "Otsele primary school" which was founded in 1914, and one secondary school, "Okpekpe Grammar School" which was founded in 1980.
Marriage is usually contracted by the families of the spouses and it is mostly done during the marriage season which is during harvest when there is plenty of food.
Festivals
They have several festivals, notably Beans and New Yam Festival locally called Eshile and Ukphakpha respectively. It marks the beginning of the harvest season. Another notable festival in Okpekpe is the National Day celebration.
International Exposure
Idigenes of Okpekpe were actively involved in the recently concluded maiden edition of Okpekpe International Road Race which was won by Moses Masai from Kenya, with a time of 29 mins 39 seconds. This maiden edition of Okpekpe International Road Race was inaugurated by the former governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomole, who was the former president of Nigeria Labour Congress and also a participant in the Okpekpe International Road Race. Okpepke is located in Edo State.
Prominent people
Some prominent Okpekpe indigenes include ST Alokwe, the first medical doctor to come out from Okpekpe as well as the immediate past clan head. Another prominent daughter of the clan is Barr. Grace Egbagbe, renowned broadcaster with the Nigeria Television Authority and Omo Alokwe who recently became famous for riding his bike solo and unsupported from London's Landsend to Lagos in attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the longest journey in a single country by motorcycle while raising funds for Medicins San Frontieres.
