Okochiri Kingdom in Okrika was filled with excitement as the Amayanabo, HRM King (Dr.) Ateke Michael Tom, performed the Okuru-Kaka Iya marriage rites, formalizing his union with his wife, Queen Anita Nimitebo Ateke Tom.
The Okuru-Kaka ceremony is the most significant of all marital rites under the native laws and customs of the Okrika people.
In the photos from the event, the Queen wore a raffia (Okuru) tied around her waist, holding the King’s hand. Both of them, barefoot, walked through various compounds in Okochiri Kingdom as part of the sacred marital rites.
The act of tying the raffia (kaka-ing of the Okuru) is a deeply symbolic ritual, signifying an unbreakable bond between the couple. Once the raffia is tied, the marriage is deemed indissoluble according to Okrika native laws and customs.
This age-old tradition underscores the cultural depth and commitment embedded in Okrika-Ijaw marriages.
Queen Anita hails from the prestigious Owoi-Opu-Oru War Canoe House of Awolome-Biri in Koniju Kingdom. Her union with King Ateke Tom represents a remarkable blending of the Owoi-Opu-Oru lineage and the Sekuro Royal House of Okochiri Kingdom, both within Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State.
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