Normalcy returns after tensions flare over removal of monarch's banners in Delta

Warri, Delta – Security forces in Nigeria's oil-rich Delta State intervened swiftly today to prevent a potential escalation of ethnic tensions in the Warri metropolis, following the removal of celebratory banners and posters honoring the 10th coronation anniversary of the Pere of Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom.

The incident, which pitted Itsekiri youths against Ijaw protesters, underscores the fragile peace in the region, exacerbated by ongoing disputes over land ownership and local government boundaries.

The banners, inscribed with "10th Coronation Anniversary of Monbene III, the Pere Amakosu of Ogbe-Ijaw Kingdom, Warri South-West and Warri South," had been prominently displayed at the Okere Road Roundabout and along electric poles on the Warri-Sapele Road, extending to the Miller Waterside Area.

Their placement in areas claimed by the Itsekiri ethnic group sparked outrage among local Itsekiri youths, who viewed the displays as an encroachment on their territory.

Speaking for the protesting Itsekiri youths, Oritsema Ejoh asserted that the Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom's domain is confined to Warri South-West Local Government Area (LGA) and does not extend to Warri South.

"His Ogbe-Ijoh kingdom exists only in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State," Ejoh stated, echoing long-standing Itsekiri claims backed by historical, electoral, and legal documents.

These include two high court judgments in suits W/277/2012 and W/147/2020, which reportedly affirm that Ijaw communities are not indigenous to Warri South LGA.

In response, scores of angry Ijaw youths and women mobilized from the Miller Waterside Area near Warri General Hospital Road toward the Okere Road Roundabout.

However, they were intercepted by a combined force of Nigerian Police and Army personnel stationed at Police Barracks junction.

Eyewitnesses described a tense standoff, with protesters confronting officers after police were observed methodically removing the banners and loading them into vehicles.

The confrontation spilled over into further unrest, as videos circulating on social media showed Ijaw youths destroying banners at the Warri South Local Government Council secretariat fence.

Arex Akemetubo, publisher of Waffi TV, addressed the crowd in a viral video clip, decrying the actions as "oppression and intimidation" of the Ogbe-Ijoh people by the Warri South LGA Chairman, police, and army.

"We call on the Delta State Government to protect us in our land, which belongs to the Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom," Akemetubo urged.

By late afternoon, the Nigerian Army had dispersed the protesters, explaining that the banners were removed proactively to avert provocation and a breakdown of law and order in the already volatile area.

Normalcy has since returned to the metropolis, according to local reports, though residents remain on edge.

This flare-up is part of a broader escalation in Warri Federal Constituency since the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) released a controversial draft ward delineation proposal on April 4, 2025. The plan, intended to redraw boundaries for electoral wards, has intensified rival claims among the Itsekiri, Urhobo, and Ijaw ethnic groups.

Ijaws assert their presence in Warri South LGA, while Urhobos claim numerical majority there. Itsekiris, however, maintain that Urhobos are a minority and that Ijaws have no legitimate stake in Warri South, positions they say are corroborated by court rulings.

The historical backdrop to these tensions traces back to the late 1990s Warri Crisis, a violent ethnic conflict between Itsekiris and Ijaws that displaced over 200,000 people and claimed numerous lives.

Sparked by disputes over local government headquarters locations—such as the relocation of Warri South-West LGA from the Itsekiri community of Ogidigben to the Ijaw town of Ogbe-Ijoh—the clashes centered on resource control in the oil-rich Niger Delta.

Although relative peace was restored by 2005 through state interventions, underlying grievances over land, political representation, and economic benefits persist.

Recent months have seen heightened agitation.

On September 9, Warri indigenes protested at INEC headquarters, demanding a halt to voter registration amid the delineation controversy. Itsekiri leaders have called for a federal probe into INEC's process, labeling it "skewed and fraudulent,"

while a coalition of Ijaw and Urhobo stakeholders defends it as compliant with Supreme Court orders. The Urhobo Renaissance Society, in a statement on September 9, urged all parties to respect constitutional boundaries and pursue peace, equity, and fairness in the "delicate but inevitable coexistence" of the three groups.

As Delta State grapples with these ethnic fault lines, stakeholders including the Urhobo Renaissance Society have reiterated calls for dialogue over violence. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the need for inclusive governance to prevent a recurrence of the devastating Warri Crisis.

Delta State Government officials have yet to issue an official statement, but community leaders emphasize that de-escalation must prioritize legal resolutions to safeguard the region's stability and economic vitality.