It is located about 25 kilometres northeast of Auchi. It has a population of 3155 inhabitants. Its people belong to a large homogeneous group of people, called the Afemai.
Investigations gathered revealed that Okpepke is surrounded by other towns and villages like Imiegba, Itsukwi, Imiakebu, Ebelle, Ukhomedokhai, Okeko, Ikphelli among Ukho among others.
The community is also a regular host to the Okpekpe International Road Race, an annual sporting event organised by the Edo State government featuring visitors from across the country as well as friends in the international community.
Apart from playing host to visitors who had come to celebrate the annual sporting festival (Okpekpe 10km race) the community is naturally attractive due to the topography of the area which clearly locates it on top of the hill.
While the existence of mosquitoes in any environment is characterised by bush, water among others, Okpekpe is located in a regular rainfall part of the country with thick bushes but surprisingly, no single mosquito can be found therein.
A visit to the community will reveal that respect for elders of the town is never compromised among indigenes, while visitors are warmly received and educated to really understand the popular saying: “We don’t say goodbye but see you again”.
Just like a community in Ilorin (Agbaji) where beating of drums and keeping dogs are forbidden, getting married relations is outrightly sinful in Okpekpe community.
Historical account clearly state that the people of the community are believed to have descended from Ogogo (father) and Atuegbe (mother)’s children, who later migrated to their present location from the old Benin Kingdom during the ‘tyranny’ of Oba Ewuare, the great, the then Oba of Benin.
The source further showed that the migration became necessary because the Oba had decreed that all communities within the Kingdom must mourn the death of his (Oba Ewuare) 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 defense against any likely invasion by the Oba. The present settlement of Okpekpe was occupied by very dangerous thorn bushes, called “Ugba-Okpekpe”, meaning “the thorn of Okpekpe”, the source revealed.
In an interview with ROYAL NEWS correspondent, the Paramount ruler of the community, Onwueweko of Okpekpe kingdom, HRH (Apa) Peter Abalume Osigbemeh, disclosed that he has been enjoying his stay with his subjects in the last 12 years.
The monarch who ascended the throne in 2002 highlighted some of his achievements as the sustenance of the peaceful and harmonious working relationship among members of the community as well as their neighbouring villages.
He however enjoined indigenes of the community to remain friendly among themselves as well as visitors and neighbouring communities in order to attract more growth and developments into Okpekpe kingdom.
An indigene of the community, Princess Jummai Idonije, disclosed that she is always proud of the community and promised to continue to be good ambassador as well as good model for younger generations to emulate.
She however described the International Road Race as a major event that had attracted people from across the globe to the ancient community even as she expressed confidence that more development will soon be brought to the community by indigenes from across Nigeria and those abroad saying: “No where like home”