Itsekiri leader seeks FG intervention amid Delta ward delineation crisis, warns of violence

Prominent Itsekiri leader Rita Ogbebor has called on the federal government to intervene in the escalating tensions in the Warri area of Delta State, warning that the situation could erupt into renewed violence if not urgently addressed. The 86-year-old businesswoman and philanthropist stated that political actors are exploiting ethnic divisions in the resource-rich region for control.

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You may say the word genocide is harsh, but it is true. It is a fact. There is a looming genocide against the Itsekiri, and Nigerians must know that the Itsekiri are being battered.

"You may say the word genocide is harsh, but it is true. It is a fact," Ogbebor declared at a press briefing in Lagos. "There is a looming genocide against the Itsekiri, and Nigerians must know that the Itsekiri are being battered." She expressed concern over recent public activities by Ijaw and Urhobo groups, which she described as mobilization against the Itsekiri, referencing separate press conferences where these groups urged global unity on the Warri issue.

Ogbebor warned that failure to resolve these underlying issues could trigger a wider conflict in the Niger Delta. "Nigeria will wake up one morning and the whole area will be in flames," she predicted. "And then it will not be the Itsekiri alone; it will be a war." She appealed to the federal government to ensure the protection of the Itsekiri people amid the rising tensions.

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Nigeria will wake up one morning and the whole area will be in flames. And then it will not be the Itsekiri alone; it will be a war.

The Itsekiri leader linked the current situation to the violent ethnic crisis in Warri between 1997 and 2003, which she attributed to political decisions concerning local government structures and resource control. "For eight years they fought us. What is at stake is the oil money," she said. "Every politician wants to control that area because of the oil wells in our land."

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For eight years they fought us. What is at stake is the oil money. Every politician wants to control that area because of the oil wells in our land.

Maintaining that the Itsekiri are the original inhabitants of Warri, Ogbebor cited several court judgments that have affirmed their claims. "There is a judgement that says everybody in Warri except the Itsekiri is a settler," she stated. She also criticized past decisions regarding local government administration, including the relocation of the Warri South-West Local Government headquarters, arguing these issues remain unresolved at the federal level. Ogbebor reiterated her call for the creation of Warri State, believing it would offer political protection and stability for her people.

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There is a judgement that says everybody in Warri except the Itsekiri is a settler.