PRESS BRIEFING BY THE ITSEKIRI YOUTHS ELITES (IYE)
RE: Misleading Assertions by the URS and the Non-Negotiable Itsekiri Ownership of Warri
The Itsekiri Youths Elites (IYE) an Itsekiri youth based Sociopolitical and cultural pressure group notes with great concern the recent press statement issued by the Urhobo Renaissance Society (URS) regarding ethnic tensions in Warri. While we recognize the need and importance for dialogue and peace in a multi-ethnic setting like Delta State, we vehemently reject all efforts that attempts to undermine or rewrite the historical and legal identity of Warri as an Itsekiri homeland.
The URS mischievous call for a multi-royal dialogue involving traditional rulers from Okere-Urhobo, Agbarha, Ogbe-Ijoh, and others must be viewed with caution, as it frames Warri in a manner inconsistent with its origin, political evolution, and territorial integrity.
Warri, as recognized by colonial, post-colonial, and judicial authorities, is the historic and political capital of the Itsekiri people. The Olu of Warri, His Majesty Ogiame Atuwatse III, CFR, is not one among equals within Warri as mischievously tagged by the URS. It is the singular, sovereign traditional authority over Warri territory. This is not a matter of sentiment or contemporary preference, but of historical fact and legal validation. As affirmed by the Nigerian Supreme Court and other courts of competent jurisdictions in multiple court judgements and reinforced by numerous colonial administrative records, the Itsekiri have held uninterrupted political and cultural leadership over Warri for over 500 years.
It is therefore totally unacceptable to suggest that other ethnic monarchs possess co-equal or overlapping authority within Warri metropolis. The areas referred to as Okere Urhobo, Agbarha, Ogbe-Ijoh, are all under the overlordship of the Olu of Warri. Migration, urban sprawl, and economic activity have led to shared residency in Warri, but not shared ownership. Attempts to conflate these realities distort Warri’s legal geography and risk reigniting old tensions.
The reference to the crisis of the 1990s is particularly regrettable. Those dark days in our history were the result of provocations, misinformation, and systematic attempts to erase the identity of the Itsekiri people from their own homeland. The colonial decision in 1952 to restore the title “Olu of Warri”, after an earlier administrative adjustment was based on rigorous inquiry and evidence, acknowledging the Olu’s authority over Warri and the historic presence of the Itsekiri as the original and continuing custodians of all lands in Warri. To now resurrect those debates under the guise of peace is to stoke the very embers we seek to extinguish.
We, the Itsekiri Youths Elites, remain committed to peace, justice, and genuine inter-ethnic understanding. But peace must be anchored in truth. Dialogue must rest on the solid foundation of history, law, and mutual respect not revisionism or political theatre. We call on all parties, including the URS and other ethnic organizations, to tread with truth, wisdom and responsibility. The Itsekiri people are open to conversations that strengthen coexistence, but we will resist all attempts to dilute our heritage or question our rights.
Signed:
Eboma Tuoyo Michael
Secretary, Itsekiri Youths Elites (IYE)
Toju Ogharanduku
Public Relations Officer, IYE
RE: Misleading Assertions by the URS and the Non-Negotiable Itsekiri Ownership of Warri
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