Gbaramatu IYC Women Calls On INEC To Implement Warri Federal Constituency Delineation Report, Accuses Itsekiris Of Claiming Gbaramatu Lands -

By Ebiowei Gabriel

Warri, Nigeria – December 8, 2025 – In a packed press conference held at Sarabubo community in Gbaramatu Kingdom, Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State earlier today, the women’s wing of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Gbaramatu Clan voiced a forceful protest against what they described as a systematic attempt by the Itsekiris to appropriate Ijaw‑owned lands in the Warri region. The gathering, which drew journalists, civil‑society observers, community leaders was led by Sonya James Afiyagba Agbunaese, a self‑identified descendant of the legendary Ikeretimi the Great and grand daughter of James Afiyagba Agbunaese.

Agbunaese opened the session by invoking a deep historical narrative that she said predates colonial maps of the area. “Before the name ‘Warri’ ever appeared on a British map, before any colonial administrator set foot here, and before the very term ‘Itsekiri’ was coined, the Ijaw people were the first inhabitants of this entire region,” she said, citing colonial‑era writings, intelligence reports and, she claimed, admissions from Itsekiri elders themselves. She presented copies of archival documents that she said corroborated the Ijaw’s primordial claim to the territory.

The IYC Gbaramatu Clan Women specifically challenged the legitimacy of Ode‑Itsekiri, which they assert is the historic Ijaw settlement of Okotomu founded by an Ogbe‑Ijaw man. “Ode‑Itsekiri was given to the Itsekiri as tenants, not as owners,” Agbunaese argued. “How can a stranger claim ownership of the landlord’s land? How can a late‑comer declare himself master of the house he entered as a guest?”

The press conference also delved into the contested history of the Sarabubo community, a small enclave that the clan says has been an Ijaw territory for centuries. According to Agbunaese, the name “Sarabubo” was misrendered by colonial officials as “Saghara,” a term she said does not exist in the local lexicon. She traced the area’s modern oil‑industry footprint from Gulf Oil to Chevron and later to the EGTL pipeline, asserting that each transition was facilitated by Ijaw custodianship. “The land was never bought by Gbaramatu; it has been in our possession for centuries,” she said, while holding up what she described as a ledger entry bearing the name James Afiyagba Agbunaese, a former priest of the Sarabubowei shrine.

The IYC Gbaramatu Clan women warned that the ongoing dispute threatens to reignite ethnic tensions in the Niger Delta. “We do not want Warri to burn again because of reckless ethnic agitation,” Agbunaese cautioned. “Nigeria is battling insecurity everywhere; we must not allow a land dispute to become a flashpoint.”

In a direct appeal to the federal government and INEC, the clan demanded the immediate publication of the final delineation results from the ongoing boundary exercise. “The results expose every Itsekiri lie and reflect the truth on the ground,” Agbunaese said. “They show who the real landowners are and who the true population majority is. That is why the Itsekiri are panicking and causing trouble everywhere.”

The Independent National Electoral Commission, which is overseeing the delineation process, has not yet issued a formal response to the request. However, a senior INEC official, who asked to remain anonymous, indicated that the commission is aware of the heightened sensitivities surrounding the Warri area and is working to finalize the exercise as expeditiously as possible.

The dispute between the Ijaw and Itsekiri communities has long been a source of tension in the Warri metropolitan area, a strategic hub for oil and gas activities. While both groups have co‑existed for generations, competing claims over land and political representation have occasionally flared into violence, prompting state and federal authorities to intervene.

As the press conference concluded, Agbunaese reiterated the clan’s resolve. “We will not allow our land to be stolen, our history to be rewritten, or tenants to become landlords,” she said. “We call on the Federal Government to take responsibility, release the final delineation results now, and let the truth stand.”

The situation remains fluid, with both communities mobilizing supporters and legal counsel. Observers note that the outcome of the delineation exercise could have far‑reaching implications for electoral boundaries, resource control and communal relations in the Niger Delta. The press conference, therefore, marks a pivotal moment in a dispute that continues to shape the political landscape of southern Nigeria.