Itsekiri Leader, Eyengho Raises Alarm, Says “My Life is Under Threat by Gbaramatu-Ijaws; My Phone Already Bugged”

•Describes ‘Gbaramatu-Ijaws press conference at Ijaghala as kangaroo, a poorly performed stage play’

A chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and Itsekiri opinion leader, Mr. Alex Oritsegbeyiwa
Eyengho, has raised the alarm over what he described as threat by the Gbaramatu-Ijaws, saying his phone line has been bugged and he’s currently being monitored.

In a rejoinder after an earlier press statement by Gbaramatu-Ijaws by Chief Godspower Gbenekamaa, Eyengho, a prominent Itsekiri-born filmmaker and journalist, said that his life has been under serious threat after he addressed a press conference on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, titled, “Death threat to occupants of, and arson in Ijaghala and Kantu communities”.

The Itsekiri leader, said that since he revealed that the Gbaramatu-Ijaws had concluded plans to storm Ijaghala community on Friday, June 13, 2025 to compel Ijaghala community leadership under duress to address a kangaroo press conference and declare that the Gbaramatu-Ijaws own Ijaghala community which they actually did, he had receive direct and indirect calls with warnings to watch his back.

However, saying that he wouldn’t succumb to “intimidated by any human being, no matter how highly placed in the society”, Eyengho for the umpteenth time called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Nigerian security agencies to immediately call those perceived to be behind the threats and plot to forcefully evacuate and pulverize the Ijaghala, Kantu and other Itsekiri Communities, to order.

Eyengho who said he is a bona fide indigene of Ijaghala, Kantu, Ode-Ugborodo, Abiugborodo, among other communities; all in Warri South, Warri North and Warri South-West Local Government Areas, narrated how the likes of Chief Godspower Gbenekama, Chief Sam Eyengho, one Grace Remere Ukunoritsemofe, and several others had “mobilized from Gbabor (now changed to Oporoza) settlement, and ended up putting up a poorly performed stage play, in the name of press conference”, after his “Save our Soul” statement exposing plot to coerce Ijaghala community leadership to declare that the Gbaramatu-Ijaws own Ijaghala community.

Giving a graphic details of what transpired at the alleged “staged press conference”, Eyengho said “they did stormed Ijaghala community as planned but did not bargain for what they met on the ground”.

He alleged “contrary to the lies told by Godspower Gbenekama, the leadership of Ijaghala community did not invite the Gbaramatu Ijaws to Ijaghala community for any press conference but the community was “stormed by force of arms, using stick and carrot”.

The circumstance, he said; “explains why not a single executive member of the Ijaghala Community Management Committee (ICMC), the Olare-Aja of Ijaghala community, and other members of the Ijaghala Council of Elders was present.

“Only about 5 Ijaghala indigenes were part of the spectators at the stage play arena, and among them, only Chief Sam Eyengho is worth mentioning”, he added.

According to him, “over 95 percent of the remaining participant and spectators, including Godspower Gbenekama and his other co Gbaramatu clan Chiefs, youths, etc, were mobilized from Gbabor”.

“The so-called letterhead paper of “Ijaghala Community” used to sign and publish the kangaroo press conference as a full page advertorial in the Vanguard newspapers of Monday, June 16, 2025, at page 28, was manifestly fake, and indeed a criminal act”.

He mentioned that the proponents had advertised themselves to the world as a poor and terrible student of basic history, when they stated in a mock bravado that the Itsekiri came from Benin through Prince Ginuwa, saying, “Even my 6-year old son knows of a fact that the Itsekiri history is dual”.

Explaining their historical background, Eyengho said; “The Itsekiri communities of Ugborodo, Omadino, Inorin, Ureju and Irigbo, existed in the Warri area from time immemorial, before the coming of Prince Ginuwa of the great Benin Kingdom and his entourage, to birth the Warri Kingdom, in a merger between the royal family from Benin and the Itsekiri people.

“On the flipside, the Gbaramatu-Ijaw clan who are strictly in Warri South-West LGA, migrated from Gbanran in today’s Bayelsa State, through their progenitor, Tomtebe, who begat Oweijubiri, and settled wherever they are today, with the permission of either Ugborodo or Omadino communities of Warri Kingdom.

Eyengho, also punctured holes in the claims of one of his brothers who had owed up his Gbaramatu affinity, challenging him to make his primary school certificate public.

“As for my brother, Chief Sam Eyengho, who claimed to have attended primary school, where again? In the year he mentioned, that settlement was known as Gbabor and not Oporoza it has been changed to today. Perhaps a show of his primary school living certificate, will help to clarify this.

“Chief Sam also rightly traced his paternal ancestry from Oweijubiri (he actually skipped the lead progenitor, Tomtebe, who was the father of Oweijubiri) to Igbeha (who was murdered by his Gbaramatu-Ijaw kinsmen from Gbabor/Oporoza), to Egogo, to Erueyin, to Eyengho, to Nawe and to him, Sam Eyengho. It would have been nice for him to trace his Ugborodo Community maternal ancestry too, as the owner of Ijaghala community. Suffice it to say that Chief Sam Eyengho and I are first cousins, paternally.

“This means that we both share the same paternal-paternal and paternal-maternal ancestry. Like I said in my previous press conference, majority of the people of Ijaghala are by birth partly Itsekiri and Ijaw ethnic groups in Delta State. However, the issue of ownership of Ijaghala land, have been litigated by the Itsekiri (Ugborodo and Omadino communities in Warri Kingdom) versus the Ijaws of Gbaramatu clan, and long settled by courts of competent jurisdictions, with the judgments known to parties and the public. Simpliciter, Ijaghala land is owned by Ugborodo Community in Warri Kingdom, under the Olu of Warri, but majority of the people are partly Itsekiri and Ijaw. Suffice it to say that the official language in Ijaghala community and of Ijaghala people, is Itsekiri, without alternative.

“The culture and tradition in the community and of the people, is also Itsekiri. It may interest you to know that other key ancestors of Ijaghala people like Egogo, Erueyin and Eyengho, were all buried at Oboro, the final resting place reserved exclusively for Ugborodo indigenes who are considered as Saints, advocates and protectors of Ugborodo culture and tradition.

“If this does not speak volume to the world regarding the ownership of Ijaghala community, I wonder what else will. It is only fake, stupid, wicked, mischievous, irresponsible and useless fathers that will be screaming to the rooftop on their children: “Don’t you know I am your father? You must tell the world through the mass media that I am your father. I will continue to burn your house, property and kill you all, if you don’t agree and announce to the world that I am you father.”

“For majority of us the indigenes, Ijaghala community is our motherland. Nothing can change this.

“Gentlemen of the press, it is on this note that I put on record that my life is under threat by the Gbaramatu-Ijaws, from top to bottom. If anything bad should happen to me, please don’t look elsewhere but Gbaramatu-Ijaw clan. My phone line has been bugged. I am as such being monitored. I receive direct and indirect calls with warnings to watch my back. However, I refuse to be intimidated by any human being, no matter how highly placed in the society, rich or reputably violent in the most dangerous manner. I shall continue to speak the truth with the facts known to me”, the statement further reads.