By Peter Onyekachukwu 
By Peter Onyekachukwu
The Itsekiri Traditional Council, under the Warri Council of Chiefs, has called on Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, to urgently institute a panel of inquiry into the rising inter-ethnic tensions between the Itsekiri and Ijaw communities in Warri Federal Constituency.
Speaking at a press conference on Saturday in the Palace of the Olu of Warri, the Council expressed outrage over the removal of banners marking the 10th coronation anniversary of the Pere of Ogbe-Ijoh, HRM Couple Mackson Oromoni (Monbene III), from parts of Warri metropolis. The chiefs insisted that the banners had been placed within Itsekiri territory.
“This is our homeland. We don’t want it distorted. We are for peace,” said Brown Mene, Ogwa-Olusan of Warri Kingdom, who addressed journalists on behalf of the Council.
The chiefs appealed to Governor Oborevwori to investigate the incident and to ensure that officials allegedly involved in fueling tensions are held accountable. “They cannot be seen serving in the same government they are seeking to destabilise,” Mene warned.
The Council further urged the Ogbe-Ijoh monarch to remove all such banners and billboards in Warri South Local Government Area, noting that a lower court had already ruled the areas to be outside his jurisdiction, though the matter remains on appeal.
Mene emphasised that while the crisis predates Oborevwori’s administration, the current government carries the responsibility of restoring calm. “What is more likely to cause unrest is the disregard for the rule of law,” he added.
The dispute deepened on Monday after youths tore down Ogbe-Ijoh banners in Warri, sparking anger in the Ijaw community and drawing reactions from civil society and ethnic leaders.
National President of the Niger Delta Youth Council, Comrade Bene Youkore Mamamu, urged the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and other security agencies to act swiftly, warning that failure could trigger another bloody conflict.
Similarly, Gbaramatu Kingdom’s spokesman, Godspower Gbenekama, criticised the alleged involvement of security operatives in the removal of the banners. “It became more worrisome because security agencies, who were supposed to maintain law and order, were the ones who fanned the crisis,” he said.
He called on Governor Oborevwori to convene dialogue among Itsekiri, Ijaw, Urhobo and other ethnic nationalities in Warri to prevent violence. “We, the leaders, who do not want war, know what war has brought to Warri. Where there is war in Warri, the economy of Delta State and Nigeria crumbles. That is why we are calling for peace,” Gbenekama added.