Ijaw Youths Celebrate ‘Civil War Hero, Late Major Isaac Boro’ At 57

The Western Zone of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), covering Delta, Edo, and Ondo States, on Friday, celebrated the 57th late Major Isaac Jasper Adaka Boro’s Day, an annual event to honour the civil war hero.

The event was held at Chief Tunde Smooth playground in Warri South local government council, with a call on Ijaw youths to draw renewed inspiration from the fearless legacy of Boro as they confront growing political and developmental injustices in the region.

Speaking during the commemoration celebration, the Chairman of the IYC Western Zone, Comrade Nicholas Igarama, described Boro as a rare revolutionary who laid down his life in defence of the Ijaw people and the Niger Delta at large.

“We gather here not just to celebrate, but to reflect deeply on the vision, boldness, and sacrifices of our pathfinder, Isaac Adaka Boro,” he said.

“He confronted environmental degradation, economic exploitation, and political marginalisation head-on, at a time when doing so meant risking everything.”

Igarama lamented that despite Boro’s revolutionary efforts, the Ijaw people are still grappling with similar challenges decades later.

“We are still behind the expectations of our hero,” he declared.

“Boro started his agitation in his early twenties and declared the Niger Delta Republic at 27. He died at 29. That should challenge every Ijaw youth today to rise beyond rhetoric and start taking bold steps.”

Igarama also took aim at what he described as attempts to alter political realities in Warri Federal Constituency, where, according to him, the Ijaws remain the clear majority.

“We will not accept falsehoods from those who claim otherwise,” he stated.

“The recent INEC ward delineation exercise has laid bare the truth. We shall resist all attempts to suppress our rightful place in Warri.”

The IYC leader accused some interest groups of resorting to violence and arming themselves in frustration, warning that Ijaw youths would not be intimidated.

“Boro feared no one not even the government. We, too, will stand our ground as a peaceful but courageous people,” he added.

Igarama further urged federal and state interventionist agencies such as the NDDC, DESOPADEC, EDSOPADEC, and ONSOPADEC not to politicize development in Ijaw communities.

He listed several long-abandoned projects, including the Abari Bridge, Patani–Kumbo–Udofori Road, Ayakoromo Bridge, and Ogulagha–Odimodi Road in Delta State, as well as roads and infrastructure in Edo and Ondo Ijaw areas.

“These projects are not privileges; they are rights long denied. If development continues to elude our communities, we will resist with every legitimate means available to us,” he said.

Igarama called on Ijaw youths to live up to the bold spirit of Boro, reminding them that the real struggle is not in celebrations, but in continued agitation for justice, equity, and development.