-By Zik Gbemre

 

All Itsekiri elites know is misleading propaganda. Olu and his Itsekiri people are riverine people. They abandoned their hamlets on the Benin River to clog around Warri City, and federal government is not helping matters. 

 

All three past commissions of enquiries recommended the separate LGs for Ijaw, Urhobo and Itsekiri respectively but these recommendations were not implemented. 

 

The three Commissions of Enquiries set up by federal government were: Justice Philip Nnaemeka-Agu 1993,

Justice Alhassan Idoko 1997 and

General T.Y Danjuma 2003. 

 

What is expected of President Tinubu is to dust the past 3 reports of Commissions buried in National archives, review and implement them accordingly without bias for permanent resolution of Warri crises.

 

What is the connection between Koko Town and Warri City? Agreed Koko is Itsekiri town but has no boundary with Warri City. Warri is not a tribe. Warri City of Warri South LG is dominated by Agbarha-Ame of Urhobo and Okere-Urhobo people.

 

Koko LG would have been the proper name. Even the so-called Warri North you have Ijaws as majority tribe and not Itsekiris. Why can't the Federal govt create LGs for only Itsekiri people without adding Ijaw and Urhobo? 

 

There is no relationship between Ogidigben and Warri South West. All the Treaties signed by Europeans, there is no treaty signed between Jekri of Warri and Itsekiri people of Warri.

 

In his thought provoking reflection on, "I CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW: A Review of Warri City And British Colonial Rule In The Western Delta, Prof Frank Ukoli, a great scholar noted, "The authenticity of the British Protection Treaties with Chiefs of Benin River and Jekri Territory (in Escravos River) in 1884 and 1894 and with the Agbassa (Sobo) of Warri District in 1893 are cases in point. These two Treaties prove two issues.

 

"Conclusively: that Itsekiri territory is in Benin River and both Banks of Escravos River, an area which geographically doesn't include Warri City and that Agbassa and Okere-Urhobo people own Warri city"

 

Urhobo Historical Society(UHS) led by Prof Peter Ekeh with Chief Daniel Obiomah,Oke Sikere,Onoawarie Edevbie as members of the UHS editorial team, stated clearly, "But most damaging to the case of the Itsekiri establishment are two significant revelations from a close examination of the so-called Protection Treaties which the British signed with the 'Chiefs and Peoples' of the Niger Delta (and elsewhere in Nigeria) in the 1880s and 1890s. 

 

"First, in the treaties with the Itsekiri, the full extent of Itsekiri country was defined to include the lands and waters of Benin River and both banks of the Escravos River. Nowhere did the Itsekiri lay claim to Warri nor was Warri mentioned, either in the 1884 treaty or the 1894 treaty. 

 

On the other hand, the treaty with the Agbassa (Sobo) of Warri District of 1893 shows quite clearly that the British recognized Warri as belonging to the Indigenous people of the area, i.e the Agbassa people. Also of great significance as will become evident later in this review, nowhere in the treaties with the Itsekiri was the word ‘king’ used; the treaties were with the 'Chiefs' of Jekri."

 

Zik Gbemre

September 3,2025

 

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