{"id":5132,"date":"2025-12-08T19:34:19","date_gmt":"2025-12-08T19:34:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/coastaltimes.com.ng\/index.php\/2025\/12\/08\/gbaramatu-iyc-women-calls-on-inec-to-implement-warri-federal-constituency-delineation-report-accuses-itsekiris-of-claiming-gbaramatu-lands\/"},"modified":"2025-12-08T19:41:06","modified_gmt":"2025-12-08T19:41:06","slug":"gbaramatu-iyc-women-calls-on-inec-to-implement-warri-federal-constituency-delineation-report-accuses-itsekiris-of-claiming-gbaramatu-lands","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/coastaltimes.com.ng\/index.php\/2025\/12\/08\/gbaramatu-iyc-women-calls-on-inec-to-implement-warri-federal-constituency-delineation-report-accuses-itsekiris-of-claiming-gbaramatu-lands\/","title":{"rendered":"Gbaramatu IYC Women Calls On INEC To Implement Warri Federal Constituency Delineation Report, Accuses Itsekiris Of Claiming Gbaramatu Lands"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Ebiowei Gabriel<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Warri, Nigeria \u2013 December\u202f8,\u202f2025 \u2013 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\u2019s 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\u2011owned lands in the Warri region. The gathering, which drew journalists, civil\u2011society observers, community leaders was led by Sonya James Afiyagba Agbunaese, a self\u2011identified descendant of the legendary Ikeretimi the Great and grand daughter of James Afiyagba Agbunaese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Agbunaese opened the session by invoking a deep historical narrative that she said predates colonial maps of the area. \u201cBefore the name \u2018Warri\u2019 ever appeared on a British map, before any colonial administrator set foot here, and before the very term \u2018Itsekiri\u2019 was coined, the Ijaw people were the first inhabitants of this entire region,\u201d she said, citing colonial\u2011era writings, intelligence reports and, she claimed, admissions from Itsekiri elders themselves. She presented copies of archival documents that she said corroborated the Ijaw\u2019s primordial claim to the territory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The IYC Gbaramatu Clan Women specifically challenged the legitimacy of Ode\u2011Itsekiri, which they assert is the historic Ijaw settlement of Okotomu founded by an Ogbe\u2011Ijaw man. \u201cOde\u2011Itsekiri was given to the Itsekiri as tenants, not as owners,\u201d Agbunaese argued. \u201cHow can a stranger claim ownership of the landlord\u2019s land? How can a late\u2011comer declare himself master of the house he entered as a guest?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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 \u201cSarabubo\u201d was misrendered by colonial officials as \u201cSaghara,\u201d a term she said does not exist in the local lexicon. She traced the area\u2019s modern oil\u2011industry footprint from Gulf Oil to Chevron and later to the EGTL pipeline, asserting that each transition was facilitated by Ijaw custodianship. \u201cThe land was never bought by Gbaramatu; it has been in our possession for centuries,\u201d 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The IYC Gbaramatu Clan women warned that the ongoing dispute threatens to reignite ethnic tensions in the Niger Delta. \u201cWe do not want Warri to burn again because of reckless ethnic agitation,\u201d Agbunaese cautioned. \u201cNigeria is battling insecurity everywhere; we must not allow a land dispute to become a flashpoint.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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. \u201cThe results expose every Itsekiri lie and reflect the truth on the ground,\u201d Agbunaese said. \u201cThey show who the real landowners are and who the true population majority is. That is why the Itsekiri are panicking and causing trouble everywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2011existed for generations, competing claims over land and political representation have occasionally flared into violence, prompting state and federal authorities to intervene.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the press conference concluded, Agbunaese reiterated the clan\u2019s resolve. \u201cWe will not allow our land to be stolen, our history to be rewritten, or tenants to become landlords,\u201d she said. \u201cWe call on the Federal Government to take responsibility, release the final delineation results now, and let the truth stand.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The situation remains fluid, with both communities mobilizing supporters and legal counsel. Observers note that the outcome of the delineation exercise could have far\u2011reaching 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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Ebiowei Gabriel Warri, Nigeria \u2013 December\u202f8,\u202f2025 \u2013 In a packed press conference held at…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5134,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[13],"tags":[1659,1658],"class_list":["post-5132","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-accuses-itsekiris-of-claiming-gbaramatu-lands","tag-gbaramatu-iyc-women-calls-on-inec-to-implement-warri-federal-constituency-delineation-report"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/coastaltimes.com.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/img_5609-3.jpg?fit=776%2C603&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4222,"url":"https:\/\/coastaltimes.com.ng\/index.php\/2025\/07\/01\/allow-inec-to-publish-final-field-report-of-delineation-exercise-says-warri-federal-constituency-stakeholders-as-they-send-open-letter-to-president-tinubu-national-security-adviser\/","url_meta":{"origin":5132,"position":0},"title":"\u201cAllow INEC To Publish Final Field Report Of Delineation Exercise\u201d Says Warri Federal Constituency Stakeholders, As They Send Open Letter To President Tinubu, National Security Adviser","author":"Freeborn Abraye","date":"July 1, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"\u200eBy Uche Alvin OPEN LETTER TO THE NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA\u200eSupreme Court-Mandated Ward Delineation Exercise: Allow INEC to Publish Final Fieldwork Report for Warri Federal Constituency.\u200e\u200e\u200eWe, write to you not only as concerned Nigerians but as\u00a0 direct stakeholders in the peace, stability\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/coastaltimes.com.ng\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":4408,"url":"https:\/\/coastaltimes.com.ng\/index.php\/2025\/07\/14\/stop-distorting-history-and-living-in-lies-with-fake-crown-fake-land-and-fake-population____ijaw-group-tells-itsekiris\/","url_meta":{"origin":5132,"position":1},"title":"\u201cStop Distorting History And Living In Lies With Fake Crown, Fake Land And Fake Population\u201d____Ijaw Group Tells Itsekiris","author":"Freeborn Abraye","date":"July 14, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"By Esther David PRESS RELEASE STOP DISTORTING HISTORY. STOP LIVING ON LIES. FAKE CROWN, FAKE LAND, FAKE POPULATION.WE HARBOURED YOU Issued by: Ijaw Stakeholders of Warri Federal Constituency Date: [14\/7\/2025] There comes a time when silence becomes betrayal and that time is now. We, the Ijaw people of Warri Federal\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/coastaltimes.com.ng\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/coastaltimes.com.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/img_0882-1.jpg?fit=627%2C489&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/coastaltimes.com.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/img_0882-1.jpg?fit=627%2C489&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/coastaltimes.com.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/img_0882-1.jpg?fit=627%2C489&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4415,"url":"https:\/\/coastaltimes.com.ng\/index.php\/2025\/07\/15\/the-myth-of-itsekiri-ownership-of-warri-a-colonial-invention-unraveled___ijaw-stakeholders-group\/","url_meta":{"origin":5132,"position":2},"title":"The Myth Of Itsekiri Ownership Of Warri: A Colonial Invention Unraveled___Ijaw Stakeholders Group","author":"Freeborn Abraye","date":"July 15, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"By Esther David IJAW STAKEHOLDERS OF WARRI FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY TRUTH-TELLING MEMORANDUM TO NIGERIANS, INEC AND THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY Date: July 15, 2025RE: HISTORICAL AND POLITICAL TRUTH-TELLING IN WARRI THE MYTH OF ITSEKIRI OWNERSHIP OF WARRI: A COLONIAL INVENTION UNRAVELED It is time to break the wickedness of centuries. Warri, the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/coastaltimes.com.ng\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/coastaltimes.com.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/img_0325-3-1.jpg?fit=569%2C762&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/coastaltimes.com.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/img_0325-3-1.jpg?fit=569%2C762&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/coastaltimes.com.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/img_0325-3-1.jpg?fit=569%2C762&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4419,"url":"https:\/\/coastaltimes.com.ng\/index.php\/2025\/07\/16\/breaking-delta-ijaw-stakeholders-group-sends-powerful-message-to-inec-demands-for-immediate-announcement-implementation-of-warri-federal-constituency-ward-delineation-report\/","url_meta":{"origin":5132,"position":3},"title":"BREAKING: Delta Ijaw Stakeholders Group Sends Powerful Message To INEC, Demands For Immediate Announcement, Implementation Of Warri Federal Constituency Ward Delineation Report","author":"Freeborn Abraye","date":"July 16, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"By Uche Alvin Letter to INEC WAR OF TRUTH AND THE WOUND OF LIES: WHY THE ERA OF MANIPULATION MUST END IN WARRI A Heartfelt Publication by the Ijaw Stakeholders of Warri Federal Constituency to INECDate: July 16, 2025 The truth has bled for too long. 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