By Charles Pemu 
The Urhobo nation has strongly rejected claims that the Ijaw people own land or are indigenous to Warri South Local Government Area (LGA) in Delta State. Urhobo leaders, including Chief West Adehor and Hon. Mark Ikpuri, describe the narrative as false and a tactic to extort money and fuel insecurity.
They clarify that the Ijaw only own Miller Waterside, purchased from the Agbassa Warri Urhobo, making them tenants rather than landowners. The Urhobo accuse some self-appointed representatives—Chief Victor Okumagba, Chief John Erabor, Chief Isaac Emifoniye, and Comrade Stanley Agbosa—of working against Urhobo interests for personal gain.
The Urhobo have declared Chief Okumagba persona non grata following his conduct in Abuja. They urge the National Security Adviser and INEC to base decisions on verified data to ensure fairness and peace. The Urhobo emphasize their historical and legal indigeneity in Warri South, dismissing Ijaw claims to Ogbe-Ijoh and other riverine areas as unfounded.
They commend INEC’s boundary review but call on it to resist political pressures. The dispute impacts political representation and resource control in Warri South LGA, where ethnic identity remains key to local governance.