According to Punch, amid growing tensions in the Niger Delta, the Itsekiri people of Warri have made a passionate plea to the Federal Government, demanding protection over what they describe as a systematic encroachment on their ancestral lands and waterways by Urhobo and Ijaw groups. At a press conference held in Lagos, the Igba of Warri Kingdom, Chief Rita Lori-Ogbebor, accused the government of enabling non-state actors to seize control of their territories under the guise of security operations…..READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE
Chief Lori-Ogbebor detailed the escalating land disputes with the Urhobo community, whom she claimed had violated historical tenancy agreements by occupying land far beyond the originally allocated two plots and refusing to pay the mandated one-pound annual fee. Referring to earlier court rulings, she asserted that the Urhobo settlers were legally tenants and not rightful owners, warning that the decades-long goodwill extended by the Itsekiri people is now being dangerously exploited.
“It is unacceptable for our coastline to be handed over to an individual,” Lori-Ogbebor said. “We cannot be governed or secured by anyone outside the rule of law.”
Calling for calm, she concluded with a clear message that their demand is not for war but for justice. “We are not calling for war. We are calling for justice. We are not demanding violence” she said…..READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE
