The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) has reignited a fierce debate over the ownership of Warri in Delta State. According to the IYC, the oil-rich city belongs to the Ijaw people, not the Itsekiri ethnic group.
This claim is raising tensions in a region known for its complex history of land and political disputes.
At a press briefing in Abuja, the Grand Patron of IYC, Prince Collins Eselemo, said the Ijaw are the original settlers of Warri. He argued that the Itsekiris migrated from parts of present-day Ogun and Kogi States and have no ancestral claim to the Olu of Warri throne.
Eselemo accused the Itsekiris of misrepresenting historical facts. He declared, “If the Itsekiris have problem with citizenship, that should be their business. If they don’t know where they come from, it should be their business.”
He questioned the legal grounds of the Itsekiris’ claim, citing Nigeria’s Land Use Act, which vests ownership of all lands in the state governor.
According to him, “When you have a legal ownership, it must have been with the consent and signature of the Governor of the state via a certificate of occupancy.”
Land History and the Structure of Warri
Eselemo maintained that the Ijaw communities in Warri acquired land through colonial leases and personal ownership.
He said Warri was historically divided into two—European lease and non-European lease—with many Ijaw families owning land within the latter. He pointed to Robert Road as the dividing line between the colonial sectors.
“All the Ijaw families own their properties on virgin land from the non-European lease,” he stated, noting that these lands were never under the authority of the Olu of Warri.
He explained that Warri, one of Nigeria’s oldest towns, predates the country itself and was once a major colonial administrative centre. The British Navy first governed Nigeria from Forcados before relocating the capital multiple times, eventually settling in Abuja.
Eselemo said the idea that Itsekiri people own Warri was a political strategy, not a historical reality. He challenged anyone from the Itsekiri community to prove ancestral ties to the current Warri metropolis.
“There is no Itsekiri man whose great-great-grandfather is even buried on this land that I’m talking about,” he said.
Support for Tantita and Warning to Federal Government
The IYC also warned against any attempt to cancel the oil pipeline surveillance contract awarded to Tantita Security Services. The contract, led by Tompolo, a former militant leader, is currently under scrutiny after reports emerged suggesting security failures.
Eselemo described these reports as fake and politically motivated. He urged President Bola Tinubu not to yield to pressure from some Itsekiri groups trying to discredit Tantita’s operations.
“I want to advise and warn that President Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is a distinguished democrat and he should not cave in to this cheap blackmail,” Eselemo said. He added that Tantita’s work represents inclusion, as both Ijaw and Itsekiri youths are employed under the project.
According to him, oil remains central to Nigeria’s economy, and Tompolo’s efforts have helped reduce theft and vandalism. He called for continued support of the contract, which he described as a patriotic service rooted in Nigeria’s broader development goals.
Supreme Court Ruling on Constituency Boundaries
Eselemo also touched on the Supreme Court judgment regarding constituency delimitation in Delta State. He urged the Itsekiris to respect the decision, which directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to correct previous boundary errors.
He said the Supreme Court ruling invalidated past delineations that may have been based on flawed claims of land ownership. “The kernel of that judgment is that INEC should go and right the wrongs,” he explained.
According to Eselemo, any claim by the Itsekiris that the judgment supports their ownership of Warri is misleading. He said the ruling overturned previous assumptions and reaffirmed that land ownership cannot determine political authority or constituency boundaries in the state.
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