Warri crisis: Itsekiris seek state govt’s, IGP intervention

Nathan Tamarapreye

The Itsekiri ethnic nationality in Delta State has called on the state government to urgently constitute a panel of inquiry to investigate the protracted crisis and the recent murder of one Mr Dele Ogunbayo in Warri South Local Government Area.

The Itsekiri people made the call on Saturday at a press conference held at the palace of the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse 111.

They also called on the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) to immediately conduct a thorough investigation into the incident and bring the perpetrators to justice.

Chief Brown Mene, the Ojoye of Warri Kingdom, who read the statement on behalf of other palace chiefs and some Itsekiri sons and daughters, said that the crisis between the Itsekiris and their Ijaw counterparts had led to the death of some Itsekiri youth and the destruction of properties.

The traditional chief alleged that the late Ogunbayo, who was one of the vigilante leaders in Pessu Community, Warri South Local Government Area of the state, was murdered by a group of security personnel attached to a private firm.

“On Sept.18, 2025, at about 12 midnight, eyewitnesses testified that they heard multiple gunshots.

“In apprehension, they came out of their house in Pessu Community in Warri South, an aboriginal Itsekiri Community.

“The security men came with four vehicles and shot multiple times at Mr Ogunbayo. They ensured he was dead and took his remains to the morgue.

“We have lodged a petition with the Police for investigation of the incident, which the security group had initially denied but later claimed responsibility in a media publication,” he said.

Recall that Warri South Local Government Area had been embroiled in crisis in recent times, probably because of the wards’ delineation in the Warri Federal Constituency by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The Warri Federal Constituency comprised: Warri South, Warri North and Warri South-West with headquarters in Warri, Koko and Ogbe-Ijoh, respectively.

Chief Mene said that the latest attack was fueled by the persistence of the  Ama-Okosu of Ogbe-Ijoh in Warri South-West Local Government Area’s plan to extend his territorial sovereignty to Warri South Local Government Area.

He said that the action of the traditional ruler had consequently led to avoidable loss of lives and properties as well as a threat to peace and security in Warri South Local Government Area.

Chief Mene said that the Warri Federal Constituency, as it relates to boundaries and landmass of each of the local government areas, were a matter with verifiable facts and figures.

The Ojoye of Warri Kingdom alleged that the Ijaws from other parts of the country recently attempted to assist their kinsmen in Ogbe-Ijoh on a mission to hurriedly establish an Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom in Warri South.

“Parts of the move are the illegal occupation of private property on the Nigerian Ports Authority axis of Warri and the sudden mounting of signposts in the name of the kingdom.

“Unfortunately, calls on the state government not to encourage ghost communities like this one, which are now being advanced by ghost Kingdoms and representatives acting on behalf of some powerful government officials, are not heeded.

“At the risk of stating the obvious, Warri South is headquartered in Warri Urban, Warri South-West is legally headquartered in Ogidigben, an Itsekiri community, while Warri North is headquartered in Koko,” he said.

The Itsekiri leader said that the Ijaws, in a bid to continue with the path of peace which had led to loss of lives and properties, went on to mount the Coronation Anniversary banners outside the domain of the King of Ogbe-Ijoh, describing the domain as Warri South and Warri South-West Local Government Area.

Chief Mene also expressed displeasure that the Ijaws were seeking to name an illegally occupied property belonging to the Itsekiris around the NPA neighbourhood as Bolou-Ama or Smooth community.

He said that there was no empirical or historical evidence to support the existence of a territorial community known as Bolou-Ama or Smooth in the GRA Warri South.

“There is no empirical or historical evidence to support the existence of a territorial community known as Bolou-Ama or Smooth in the GRA Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State,” he said.

Chief Mene noted that, though the problem was not created by the current State government, but expressed hope that God would grant Gov. Sheriff Oborevwori the wisdom to resolve the situation amicably.

“What is more likely to cause unrest and breach of the peace in any society is the disregard for the rule of law.

“In the ongoing gymnastics between brain and fist, it is only logical to conclude that the fist approach, which has become the characteristic of some of the characters, constitutes more of a threat to the peace and tranquillity of the area than the respect for the rule of law,” he said.

On the claims that the Ogbe-Ijoh people have always had electoral ward(s) in Warri Urban Area, Mene said that it had never been in the character of the Itsekiri people to act outside the ambit of the law.

He said that Itsekiris does not take pride in making submissions that were bereft of empirical or verifiable flavours and substance.

The traditional chief explained that the Ijaws had never at any point in time had wards (s) in Warri South and that their wards were only in existence in the larger picture of Warri before it was split into three local government areas.

“The effect of which is that the Ijaw wards naturally went to other areas different from Warri Urban, which are Warri South-West and Warri North LGAs, and nothing more.

“It is sad that people who are in illegal occupation of private property can call for the creation of wards based on such occupation.

“Too many Deltans are familiar with the areas designated as GRA, Warri. This is an area the Government acquired for residential purposes.

“We think it is about time that the Delta State Government set up a Panel of Inquiry to look into the illegal occupation of private property in the Warri GRA.

“The truth will emerge that the majority of the people in issue are in illegal occupation of the respective private property therein,” he said.

Chief Mene, however, stressed that INEC intended to make Delta State ungovernable with the assistance of their paymasters, having long ago left the state of nature where might was right and surrendered their rights to the government in exchange for the protection of their lives and property.