Prominent Ijaw Born Legal Practitioner, Barr. Jeffrey Pere Oromoni Reveals Documents Supporting Claims Of Ogbe-Ijoh As Rightful Owner Of Warri South LGA -

By Esther David

‎OGBE-IJOH: ABORIGINAL INDIGENES OF WARRI SOUTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA.
‎THE FACTS, THE HISTORY AND THE LIES THAT MUST END.
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‎For decades, elements within the Itsekiri ethnic group have perpetuated a narrative denying the indigeneity of the Ogbe-Ijoh people in Warri South Local Government Area (LGA). This claim, however, is directly contradicted by overwhelming historical evidence, legal documentation, and both colonial and post-independence government recognitions.

‎HISTORICAL TRUTHS VS. FABRICATED NARRATIVES
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‎It is an incontrovertible fact that all leases executed by Chief Dore Numa were undertaken in his capacity as a government agent on behalf of the Ogbe-Ijoh people not as a traditional landowner, nor on behalf of the Olu or any Itsekiri entity.
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‎To date, the Itsekiris do not possess the lands in question. Historical records clearly show that the Itsekiri people are relatively recent settlers in Warri South Local Government Area. If indeed the Itsekiri Kingdom owns Ogbe-Ijoh land, where were they when these lands were first settled and named Ogbe-Ijoh, a name that remains in all official records to this day?
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‎There is no legal, historical, or administrative record that grants any Itsekiri individual or community ownership over Ogbe-Ijoh lands in Warri South LGA.
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‎It is time for the Itsekiri leadership to abandon these misleading claims and stop indoctrinating their youth with historical falsehoods regarding the ownership of the three Warri Local Government Areas.
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‎HISTORICAL AND LEGAL FOUNDATIONS OF OGBE-IJOH OWNERSHIP
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‎The Ogbe-Ijoh people’s ownership of areas such as Warri GRA, Miller Waterside (NPA), and Alders Town is well-documented:
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‎Chief Dore Numa, in his correspondence with the colonial government and the Ogbe-Ijoh community, clarified that he executed leases not as an owner, but on behalf of the government:
‎ Lease B2 (July 30, 1906): 360 hectares covering NPA/Miller areas to Ogbe-Ijoh Market.
‎ Lease B5 (July 13, 1908): 180 hectares covering Alders Town and its environs.
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‎Warri Assessment Report (1927), Delta State Traditional Rulers and Chiefs Law (1999), and Delta State Community Development Law (2004) affirm Ogbe-Ijoh’s indigenous status and territorial rights within the Warri Urban District.
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‎COLONIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
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‎Colonial records further cement Ogbe-Ijoh’s historical roots:
‎1. The Southern Nigeria Civil Service Handbook (1910, p. 28) identifies Warri District natives as the “Ijaw of Ogbe-Ijoh”, attributing the founding of Warri (Ware) to Ewein, an Ijaw ancestor.
‎2. Warri Urban District Council (1952) recognized Ogbe-Ijoh electoral wards: C1, C2, and GRA Ward F1.
‎3. Prethoroe’s 1928 Warri Township Assessment Report confirms the township was established on Ogbe-Ijoh land.
‎4. In 1948, colonial visitor Hubbard stated that Warri GRA belonged to the descendants of Ewein of Ogbe-Ijoh.
‎5. In 1955, Ogbe-Ijoh, alongside parts of Urhobo and Itsekiri, received four autonomous wards: Alders Town (B3), Ogbe-Ijoh (C1 & C2), and Government Area (F1). These same areas remain delineated today by INEC as:
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‎ 1. Bulou-Ama Ward 02
‎ 2. Ewein Ward 07
‎ 3. Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Urban Ward 12
‎ 4. Parts of GRA Ward 08
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‎CONTEMPORARY REALITIES AND FUNCTIONAL OWNERSHIP
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‎Today, Ogbe-Ijoh’s continued presence and authority in Warri South are undeniable:
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‎1. NPA Representation: Employment and contracts are equitably shared between Ogbe-Ijoh and Itsekiri.
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‎2. Royalty Payments: NPA pays royalties equally to the Pere Ama-Okosu of Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Kingdom and the Itsekiri monarch.
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‎3. Territorial Control: Ogbe-Ijoh Market, NPA, Alders Town, and surrounding areas remain under Ogbe-Ijoh control and influence.
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‎4. Revenue Rights: Companies and businesses operating in these Ogbe-Ijoh areas pay royalties to the Pere Ama-Okosu of Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Kingdom and to the Ogbe-Ijoh leadership.
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‎5. Political Marginalization: Ogbe-Ijoh representation in Warri South Council was disrupted under the Itsekiri-led administration of Governor Uduaghan.
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‎6. Civic & Religious Evidence: Leases for the Catholic Church and Warri Central Mosque are issued under Ogbe-Ijoh authority. Attempts to rename Ogbe-Ijoh Market to “Warri Central Market” were blocked by the Delta State Executive Council under Governor Chief James Ibori.
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‎7. Colonial Testimony: In a 1923 letter, Chief Dore Numa wrote to the Warri Province Resident:
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‎ “The Ogbe-Ijoh natives are the rightful owners of New Warri or Ogbe-Ijoh and Alders Town lands. These areas do not belong to the Jekris or the Sobos.”
‎ He acknowledged that his landholdings were due to government allocation, not native ownership.
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‎8. INEC Recognition: During the Supreme Court mandated delineation exercise, INEC officials met Ogbe-Ijoh people on ground and documented Ogbe-Ijoh territories without any resistance from the Itsekiri.
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‎A CALL FOR TRUTH, JUSTICE AND PEACE
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‎The continued denial of Ogbe-Ijoh’s status as an indigenous group by segments of the Itsekiri elite is not only historically false, it is socially and politically destructive. Ogbe-Ijoh is not a settler community in Warri South, it is a foundational pillar of Warri South Local Government Area, validated by history, law and state institutions.
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‎The era of monopolizing Warri under an illusion of ethnic superiority is over. Warri Federal Constituency belongs to Ijaw, Itsekiri and Urhobo. The future of the Warri City lies in shared ownership, mutual respect and peaceful coexistence.
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‎Let us be guided by truth, history and justice, not by ethnic ambition.
‎Warri Federal Constituency is owned by Ijaws, Itsekiris and Urhobos. Let each live and thrives with dignity.