Itsekiri Traditional Council has called on Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, to urgently establish a panel of inquiry into rising inter-ethnic tensions between the Itsekiri and Ijaw communities in Warri Federal Constituency.
Speaking at a press conference on Saturday at the Palace of the Olu of Warri, the Warri Council of Chiefs expressed concern over the removal of banners celebrating the 10th coronation anniversary of the Pere of Ogbe-Ijoh, HRM Couple Mackson Oromoni (Monbene III). The chiefs insisted that the banners were erected on Itsekiri land and described their removal as a provocative act.
“This is our homeland. We don’t want it distorted. We are for peace,” said Brown Mene, Ogwa-Olusan of Warri Kingdom, who addressed journalists on behalf of the Council.
The chiefs urged the Inspector-General of Police to investigate the matter and called on the Ogbe-Ijoh monarch to take down all banners and billboards placed within Warri South Local Government Area. They pointed to an earlier court ruling which, although under appeal, had declared the disputed areas outside his jurisdiction.
Mene further appealed to Governor Oborevwori to intervene, noting that while the dispute predates his administration, he has a duty to calm tensions. “What is more likely to cause unrest is the disregard for the rule of law,” he warned.
The dispute escalated earlier in the week when youths allegedly tore down Ogbe-Ijoh coronation banners in Warri, sparking anger among Ijaw groups. Civil society and ethnic leaders have since weighed in, warning of the risk of renewed violence.
National President of the Niger Delta Youth Council, Comrade Bene Youkore Mamamu, urged National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu and other security agencies to act quickly to prevent a fresh crisis.
Similarly, the Fiowei (Spokesman) of Gbaramatu Kingdom, Godspower Gbenekama, accused some security operatives of complicity in the removal of the banners. “It became more worrisome because security agencies, who were supposed to maintain law and order, were the ones who fanned the crisis,” he alleged.
He called on the governor to convene dialogue involving the Itsekiri, Ijaw, Urhobo, and other ethnic groups in Warri. “We, the leaders who do not want war, know what war has brought to Warri. Where there is war in Warri, the economy of Delta State and Nigeria crumbles. That is why we are calling for peace,” Gbenekama said.
