The Itsekiri people of Warri Federal Constituency have called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to maintain the status quo that existed prior to the recent delineation of political wards in the area.
This appeal was made during a press conference in Warri, Delta State, by Alex Oritsegbeyiwa Eyengho, in response to recent threats to the Ijaghala and Kantu communities in Warri South West Local Government Area of the state.
Eyengho stated that what was submitted or presented by INEC to the Urhobo, Ijaw, and Itsekiri ethnic nationalities was merely a proposal for the delineation of Warri Federal Constituency, and not a final decision.
He stressed that the process was still ongoing and had not been concluded.
He accused the Urhobo and Ijaw groups of making false claims, urging the Federal Government of Nigeria to disregard their assertions over the Warri territory.
He emphasised that the Itsekiri position on certain key issues must not be ignored, as they seek to ensure that facts are fully established and respected.
According to him, “Most of the people of Ijaghala and Kantu are by birth of both Itsekiri and Ijaw ethnic descent in Delta State. The ownership of both Ijaghala and Kantu lands has been the subject of litigation between the Itsekiri (specifically Ugborodo and Omadino communities) and the Ijaws of Gbaramatu.
“The matter has long been settled by courts of competent jurisdiction, with the judgments known to all parties and the general public.”
In a passionate appeal through a ‘Save Our Souls’ message, Eyengho called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Governor of Delta State, His Excellency Sheriff Oborevwori, and Nigerian security agencies to come to the aid of the Ijaghala and Kantu communities, which, he said, are currently under threat from the Ijaws, particularly those from Gbaramatu under the influence of Tompolo.
He condemned a trending video on social media, allegedly sponsored by the Gbaramatu Spokesman, Godspower Gebenekama, and other Ijaw youths, accusing them of misleading the public by claiming that Gbaramatu owns both communities.
He further alleged that they coerced some Kantu residents into addressing the public on contentious issues under duress.
“During the height of the needless fratricidal Warri crises in the late 1990s, Ijaghala community was the first to be completely sacked along the Escravos River by the Gbaramatu Ijaws.
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“This led to the displacement of indigenes and residents, who became Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Nigeria for over a decade.
“At one point, the leadership of the Ijaghala community was pressured to announce its intention to leave Madangho Ward, which is part of the Ugborodo federated communities, in favour of joining Gbaramatu Ward,” he explained.
“They also renamed some Itsekiri communities during the crisis. The land where the Maritime University is situated is called Okerenighogho, not Okerenkoko, as the Ijaws have named it.
“We have no issue with the Supreme Court judgment, which advised that INEC should carry out proper delineation of the area. What we are contesting is the INEC report that was submitted.”
The former Secretary to Warri North Local Government Council, Mr Samuel Meyiwa Khali, described the INEC exercise as fraudulent and asserted that it should not be taken seriously.
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