BREAKING: Tension in Omadino as Akpata Community Razed by Suspected Ijaw Militants on Tantita Uniform

Omadino, Warri Kingdom – Delta State | May 25, 2025

Tension is rising in Warri Kingdom, warri south west local government area, following a coordinated and violent attack on Akpata Community, a settlement under Omadino in the oil-rich Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State. The attack, which took place in the early hours of today, is believed to have been carried out by heavily armed individuals suspected to be Ijaw-speaking youths from the Gbaramatu community.

Eyewitnesses report that the assailants arrived in multiple speedboats, armed with high-powered weapons and speaking Ijaw, launching their assault from the Gbaramatu area. The entire Akpata settlement, home to several oil wellheads, was set ablaze, reducing buildings and infrastructure to rubble. Panic has gripped the region, with many residents fleeing to safety amid fears of further violence.

This incident marks a disturbing escalation in the long-standing tensions between the Itsekiri and Ijaw communities, echoing the dark memories of the Warri Crisis of the late 1990s and early 2000s, in which the Ijaw militias were infamously the first aggressors against the Itsekiri people.

It is important to note that Akpata is an Itsekiri community under the traditional jurisdiction of Omadino Community, one of the oldest and most established Itsekiri towns in Warri Kingdom. The area is not only of cultural significance but also a critical node in Nigeria’s oil production network.

The attacked settlement has in the past faced threats and sabotage, with reports indicating that men affiliated with Tantita Security Services, linked to certain militant interests, have previously attempted to occupy Well 10 oil facility under the guise of installing illegal security outposts (so-called “Niger Units”) in a bid to lay claim to Omadino lands.

Call for Government Intervention

As of this report, security agencies have not issued an official statement. The Delta State Government and the Federal Government are being urgently called upon to act decisively to prevent a full-scale conflict from erupting.

Community leaders across Itsekiri territories are urging their people to remain calm but vigilant, even as they demand a transparent investigation and the immediate arrest of the perpetrators.

This attack, if left unchecked, risks plunging the fragile peace of the Niger Delta region into renewed unrest. The Federal Government must act now to protect the lives and property of the Itsekiri people, uphold the rule of law, and ensure that criminality is not rewarded with silence or inaction.

The international community, oil companies operating in the region, and civil society groups are also urged to monitor the situation closely and lend their voices to calls for peace, justice, and the security of indigenous Itsekiri communities.

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