The long-standing dispute between the Itsekiri and Ijaw ethnic groups over the ownership of Ikantu and Ijaghala communities in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State has taken a volatile turn, as representatives from both sides issue conflicting claims, allege threats, and appeal for government intervention.
In a press statement on Tuesday, Mr Alex Eyengho, an Itsekiri media practitioner and indigene of Ijaghala, accused members of the Gbaramatu-Ijaw community of threatening his life and attempting to forcibly assert ownership over the Ijaghala and Kantu communities.
Eyengho, who described a recent press conference organised by Ijaw leaders as a “poorly performed stage play,” alleged that Gbaramatu-Ijaw actors stormed Ijaghala on Friday, 13 June, under duress and staged a “kangaroo press conference.”
“They came with threats and intimidation, compelling our people to endorse a false narrative,” Eyengho said.
“The so-called press conference had no input from the recognised Ijaghala Community Management Committee or the Olare-Aja. It was largely attended by people mobilised from Gbabor (now renamed Oporoza),” he added.
Eyengho went further to accuse ex-militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, of using his influence and the Federal Government’s pipeline surveillance contract to “intimidate the Itsekiri people in their ancestral lands.”
“My life is under threat. My phone has been bugged and I’m being monitored. Should anything happen to me, the Gbaramatu-Ijaw must be held accountable,” he declared, calling on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and national security agencies to investigate.
According to Eyengho, legal judgments have long settled the ownership of Ijaghala in favour of the Itsekiri, specifically the Ugborodo and Omadino communities under the Olu of Warri.
“Ijaghala is culturally and linguistically Itsekiri, even though many residents are of mixed Itsekiri and Ijaw ancestry,” he explained.
In an earlier swift response on Monday, Chief Godspower Gbenekama, Fiyewei (Spokesman) of Gbaramatu Kingdom, raised similar alarm from the Ijaw side, alleging threats to the safety and rights of Ijaw people in the Ikantu and Ijaghala communities.
“We, the Ijaw people, will not fight the Itsekiri, but they must leave our people alone,” Gbenekama stated at a press conference.
“If any Ijaw is attacked in Ikantu or Ijaghala because they trace their roots to Gbaramatu Kingdom, the gods will fight for us,” he had warned.
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Gbenekama insisted that the Ijaws have a constitutional right to reside anywhere in Nigeria, including Ijaghala and Ikantu.
He called for immediate action from the federal and state governments to prevent a breakdown of peace.
“These threats must not be taken lightly. INEC must proceed with the delineation exercise without intimidation, and the government must go after known gun runners in Warri Federal Constituency,” he added.
The rising tension comes amid INEC’s proposed ward delineation in the Warri Federal Constituency—an exercise both ethnic groups fear could affect historical land claims.
Both sides accuse each other of inciting violence and spreading falsehoods. While the Itsekiris warn against “forceful annexation,” the Ijaws claim systematic threats to their presence in the disputed communities.
Observers say that unless the government takes swift action, the situation could escalate into open conflict, with ripple effects across the riverine region of Delta State.
Calls have intensified for President Tinubu, Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, and security agencies to de-escalate the situation through dialogue, legal clarifications, and balanced enforcement of peace.
For now, residents of Ijaghala and Ikantu remain on edge, caught in a crossfire of historical grievances and modern political manoeuvring.
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