OTON PEOPLE LED BY YOUTH PRESIDENT COMR. MOSES ODIETE OF SAPELE OKPE COMMUNITY ATTACK ABIGBORODO COMMUNITY

PRESS STATEMENT

The Abigborodo community, a peaceful Itsekiri Community under warri north local government, has once again been subjected to violence and destruction. Armed men from Oton in Sapele Okpe, allegedly under the direct command of their Youth President Comr. Moses Odiete and backed by some military personnel, launched a coordinated attack on Abigborodo.

During this invasion, properties were destroyed, livelihoods shattered, and the people thrown into panic and fear. This unprovoked aggression is not only condemnable but also raises grave questions about the security of Itsekiri communities who have continued to suffer similar targeted assaults across Delta State.

Even more troubling is the apparent silence and indifference of the Governor of Delta State, himself an Okpe indigene. His refusal to condemn or address this attack gives room for suspicion of tacit approval, emboldening those who wish to trample on the rights of other ethnic nationalities in Delta State.

Abigborodo, like every other Itsekiri community, has a rich history and the right to exist in peace within her ancestral homeland. The continuous assault on Itsekiri lands by neighboring groups, aided at times by persons in power, is a dangerous trend that threatens not only the peace of Warri Kingdom but also the stability of Delta State and Nigeria as a whole.

We therefore demand urgent intervention and action from:

1. The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR – to order an immediate investigation and ensure that security operatives are not used as private armies against innocent citizens.

2. The Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Army Staff, and Inspector General of Police – to identify and discipline all military personnel who participated in this illegal invasion and to deploy security to protect Abigborodo.

3. The National Human Rights Commission and Civil Society Organisations – to document this attack as a gross violation of the rights of the Abigborodo people to peace, dignity, and security.

4. The Delta State Government and House of Assembly – to stop pretending and rise above ethnic sentiments in order to protect all citizens equally, not just the interests of their kinsmen.

We wish to place it on record that if this matter is treated with levity, the perpetrators of this violence will only be emboldened to carry out more attacks. The Abigborodo people and indeed the entire Itsekiri nation will not fold their arms forever while our lands are attacked, our people intimidated, and our heritage destroyed.

We reaffirm our commitment to peace, but peace cannot thrive in the face of continuous aggression. We therefore call on all men and women of conscience, both within and outside Nigeria, to speak out now and act decisively to prevent the escalation of this crisis.

We demand justice. We demand protection. We demand peace.