Itsekiri Youth Leader Accuses Delta CP of Bias, Raises Alarm Over Warri Land Dispute

Warri Political Interest Forum (WPIF), an Itsekiri based socio-political pressure group in Warri, has raised serious concerns over the bais role of the Delta State Commissioner of Police, CP Abaniwonda S. Olufemi, in the ongoing conflicts surrounding Odion Community, an Itsekiri Community in Warri South Local Government Area. In a statement signed by its President, Youngreen Abugewa WPIF accused the police boss of taking sides and being partial in the lingering dispute. The group warned that such Inciting statement could inflame already fragile ethnic relations in Warri.

According to the group, the Police Commissioner’s recent reference to Onoriode Street as “Odion Urhobo Community” is not only historically misleading but also contradicts court judgments, including rulings from the Supreme Court, which affirm Itsekiri ownership of the disputed land. WPIF stressed that the Urhobo’s have been residents there and that doesn’t make them to create a community from another man’s ancestral land. It warned that attempts to rebrand these areas risk igniting further communal crisis in Warri

The group also lamented what it described as the selective silence of the police in addressing violent attacks against Itsekiri youths, including a recent shooting in Okere and the death of a young man identified as Mr. Dele. Despite the existence of video evidence showing armed individuals, WPIF said no arrests have been made, raising firm believes about the impartiality and bias of the Delta State Police Command. The group said such inaction undermines public confidence in the police and fuels suspicion among Itsekiri’s in the State.

WPIF further pointed out that previous panels of inquiry, reportedly set up under the administration of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and other administrations in the past, had affirmed the Itsekiri ownership of the lands in question. Yet, according to the group, the state government has failed to take decisive action against the ongoing misuse of the name “Odion Urhobo,” which continues to serve as a trigger for ethnic tension in Odion Community.

The group has now called on the Commissioner of Police to retract his statements and act with neutrality. It also appealed to the Delta State Government to uphold the law and enforce established boundaries.

Sign

Prince Youngreen Abugewa
Chairman