JUST IN: Ijaw Stakeholders Group Urge President Tinubu To Prevail On Governor Sheriff Oborevwori Over Rising Tension In Warri -

By Uche Alvin

The Warri Ijaw Stakeholders, under the leadership of Chairman Tariwei Goodman Ebi and Secretary Ebiwie Godfrey, have raised a strong alarm over rising tensions in Warri. The group is urgently calling on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to prevail on Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori to intervene before the situation spirals into another bloody conflict similar to the Warri crisis of 1997–2003.

The stakeholders revealed that Micah Polo, an Itsekiri man and former UK Army Reserve officer, was recently arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) in Asaba for allegedly procuring arms to destabilize Warri Federal Constituency. According to credible reports, the DSS seized 57 AK-47 rifles, 6 pump-action shotguns, and over 3,000 rounds of ammunition in connection with the arrest. The group further alleged that the Olu of Warri has been implicated as a key sponsor of the arms procurement.

They also warned that Itsekiri actors have been actively working to stall the release of the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) ward and unit delineation report, stressing:

“The Itsekiris have been looking for ways to make sure that the INEC ward and unit delineation report is never released. While we wait patiently, the Federal Government must understand that what they think the Itsekiris can do, we can do triple. We must not be pushed to the wall.”

The stakeholders raised further concerns about political bias and alleged federal backing, drawing parallels to the 1997–2003 crisis. Their statement reads:

“We are beginning to suspect that they are getting backing from you, Mr. President, because the same support was given to them then by the Nigerian Army, and the president at that time was also a Yoruba man — Chief Olusegun Obasanjo. Today, you are a Yoruba man, and your wife is an Itsekiri, which they have been bragging about as proof of her support. The then governor was an Urhobo man but had strong Itsekiri ties through his mother, and he did everything possible to ensure his cousin, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, succeeded him. Today, the present governor is also an Urhobo man. We do not believe this is a coincidence.”

The group recalled the resilience of the Ijaw people during the earlier Warri crisis:

“We are not scared because we faced it before, when the Itsekiris were aided and protected. Yet our gods — the supreme Egbesu — stood with us, and the outcome is well known.”

Emphasizing that their call for peace is not a sign of weakness, they continued,

“We are preaching peace not because we are weak or afraid of defending ourselves. Mr. President, you must act before matters escalate. The Ijaw nation has never been defeated, and it will not happen in our time.”

The stakeholders closed by invoking the memory of the late Major Isaac Adaka Boro, who gave his life for the liberation and dignity of the Niger Delta people, underscoring that the Ijaw struggle for justice is deeply rooted.

They ended with a proverb and a direct appeal:

“A stitch in time saves nine. Mr. President, we urge you to prevail on Governor Sheriff Oborevwori to urgently act, secure lives and property, and ensure that the INEC delineation report is released without bias or manipulation.”

Signed:
Tariwei Goodman Ebi

Chairman.

Ebiwie Godfrey

Secretary.