Controversy Brews As Urhobo Faults Itsekiri’s Claim To Ownership Of Warri

Controversy is again brewing over which ethnic nationality is the landlord of oil rich city of Warri in Delta State as both the Itsekiri and the Urhobo nations are laying claim to the commercial hub.

The Itsekiri people under the umbrella of Itsekiri socio-cultural organisation, Movement for the Protection of Iwere Homeland, Development and History (MPIHDH) worldwide, were said to have stirred the hornet’s nest when they purportedly declared that the Agbarha Urhobo were tenants to the Olu of Warri.

But president of Warri Agbarha Diaspora Network, Lennox Egavoja Gold, faulted that claim by his Itsekiri brothers, stating that they (Urhobo) were the landlords, not tenants, of Warri.

Mr. Gold warned MPIHDH to desist from misinforming the public, describing their claim as fictitious, and insisted that they would not fold their hands and watch Itsekiri people make fictitious claims even though they were desirous of peace and development.

According to him, from time immemorial as reinforced with documentary evidence, Agbarha Urhobo were the owners of Warri metropolis.

He pointed to several commissions of inquiries including Hon Justice Nnemeka Agu, Hon Hassan Idoko and Theophilus Danjuma, as mechanisms that resolved the lingering Warri crisis that spanned over 100 years.

Mr. Gold in a letter entitled: ‘Itsekiri False Alarm on Land Revalidation by Agbarha Warri’ People’ and addressed to Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, said Agbarha Warri Urhobo people cannot revalidate what was theirs, noting that claims by Itsekiri could trigger another ethic crisis.

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“The Itsekiris referred to Agbassa (which is the ancestral headquarters of Agbarha Warri Kingdom) as Obomale, meaning Juju town. However, the question we should ask ourselves is, is it not the Agbassa people that owns the Juju? And this town is in the heart of the Warri metropolis,” he said.

He said the judgement in the case between Ometan (for himself and on behalf of Otovwodo) vs Dore Numa and others in suit No W/41/57 and W/121/57 did not extend or affect the other sub-clans of Igbudu, Edjeba, Ogunu, Okurode, Ukpokiti and Oteghele.

“However, we challenge the Itsekiri people to publish the content or paragraph of the judgment of the court that made the Agbarha Warri Kingdom a customary tenant to the Olu of Warri.”

Gold further contended that a Warri High Court gave a favourable judgement to Okere-Urhobo in suit number W/48/68 between Olu of Warri & others and Daniel Okumagba who represented Okere-Urhobo, adding that the said judgement was affirmed by the Supreme Court.

Besides, he argued that the “Olu Palace belonged to the Ighogbadu, Oki and Olodi families of the Okere-Urhobo kingdom.

“We challenge the Itsekiri people to mention any prominent Itsekiri leader (dead or alive) that can trace his or her ancestry to Warri metropolis. The answer is none! But Agbarha people will do. The land belongs to us, so we are not going to revalidate what belongs to us,” Gold insisted.

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He, however, stressed the need to focus more on fostering unity, collaboration and peace that will bring unprecedented development to the oil city rather than dissipating energy on conversations bothering on ownership.

(Daily Sun)