Alema of Warri Issues Caveat Over Okpe Sub-Palace Foundation Ceremony

Sapele, Delta State — January 24, 2026
The Alema of Warri Kingdom and Administrator of several Itsekiri communities in Sapele, Chief Emmanuel Oritsejolomi Uduaghan, has issued a strong caveat to the Orodje of Okpe Kingdom over the planned foundation-laying ceremony of an Okpe Sub-Palace in Sapele Town.

In a public statement titled “Caveat Emptor,” Chief Uduaghan said his attention was drawn to a publication made on January 22, 2026, by the Orodje of Okpe on his official Facebook page, inviting the public to a foundation-laying ceremony scheduled for January 24, 2026.

Chief Uduaghan stated unequivocally that Sapele is not the exclusive town of the Okpe people, stressing that from time immemorial, Sapele belongs to the Itsekiri nation. He noted that several Itsekiri communities in Sapele — including Ugbekoko, Utonyatsere, Ajimale, Aji-Dore, Irakpa, and others — fall under the overlordship of the Olu of Warri, His Majesty Ogiame Atuwatse III.

According to the Alema, historical records support the Itsekiri claim. He referenced the 1930 Colonial Intelligence Report on the Okpe-Sobo Clan authored by L. E. A. Fellows, which, he said, clearly listed Okpe villages as Amukpe, Elume, Orerokpe, and Gbukurusu, without including Sapele.
Chief Uduaghan also addressed the legal argument frequently cited by the Okpe Kingdom, clarifying that the judgment in Chief Ayomano v. Ginuwa II (JELR 81222, WACA) did not grant ownership of Sapele to the Okpe people. Instead, he explained that the judgment awarded the Okpe 510 acres of land, the location and extent of which are clearly defined and well known.

He therefore advised that the authority and activities of the Orodje of Okpe should be strictly confined to the said 510 acres granted by the court. He expressed hope that the proposed foundation-laying ceremony would take place within that legally recognized area, warning that any activity outside it would have far-reaching implications.

Chief Uduaghan cautioned that proceeding beyond the legally granted land would amount to an invitation to communal crisis, adding that such actions would be resisted by every lawful means available.
He concluded that the statement was issued for the information of the general public.