It is urgent that Delta State Governor Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori form a Panel of Inquiry to look into the interethnic conflict between the Itsekiri and Ijaw people in the state’s Warri Federal Constituency.
Under the sponsorship of the Warri Council of Chiefs, the Itsekiri Traditional Council made this call while speaking to reporters at the Palace of the Olu of Warri. They took a stand against the recent contentious removal of banners celebrating the 10th anniversary of the coronation of the Pere of Ogbe-Ijoh, Warri Kingdom, HRM Couple Mackson Oromoni, Monbene III, from certain areas of Warri city, stating that the aforementioned areas are under Itsekiri jurisdiction.
The Ogwa-Olusan of Warri Kingdom, High Chief Mene Brown, spoke on behalf of the Council of Chiefs and proclaimed, “This is our homeland.” It shouldn’t be twisted. Peace is what we advocate.
The Inspector-General of Police was urged by High Chief Mene “to immediately conduct a thorough investigation into the recent killing of Dele Ogunbayo in the Pessu area of Warri on Thursday, September 18, 2025?” Government policies on the entrustment of security gear to private citizens should be reviewed.
Additionally, the Itsekiri Traditional Council urged HRM Monbene III, the Ogbe-Ijoh monarch, to “cause to be removed, all the said banners and billboards mounted in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State of Nigeria, same being outside the reign of His Majesty by the judgment of the Lower Court that His Majesty has appealed against.”
“We call on His Excellency, the Governor of Delta State, to please urgently do the necessary, which is to cause a proper investigation of this development with a view to calling on all those involved to order; as they cannot be seen serving in the same government they are seeking to destabilize it,” High Chief Mene continued.
We recognize this is a festering problem that he has regrettably inherited rather than brought about himself. We pray that he will have the discernment and resources necessary to take the necessary action to calm the tension and, eventually, settle it amicably.
Disregard for the law and the constant balancing act between the fist and the head are more likely to lead to disturbances and breaches of peace in any society. It is only reasonable to conclude that the first approach, which has come to define certain of the personalities, poses a greater threat to the area’s peace and serenity than obeying the law.
“As a people, the Itsekiris have continuously urged the local, state, and national governments to continue acting in accordance with the laws, regardless of who gets cut off.”
Egogo of Warri Kingdom Chief Robinson Ariyo also spoke, saying, “We conducted our investigations for the first 48 hours after the incident occurred, and the military’s position was quite clear that they were not involved at all.”
We want to accept what the military personnel said in the first 48 hours (about the savage death of Ogunbayo), not the most recent statement released 72 hours later, because it is impossible to picture them approving and reprimanding it.
The nature of guns was cited by the military. In an emergency, we react differently than in a typical situation. What I have is a WhatsApp group from Ijaw people threatening to assassinate someone in Pessu. Just under six hours remained before Dele Ogunbayo was shot and killed.
Chief Ariyo, a lawyer, responded Friday, September 19, 2025, to a journalist’s question on Governor Oborevwori’s statement by saying, “This is not a time for us to say we should start talking about social media, we are talking about lives.”
Safeguarding people and property is the government’s first priority. The government should consider a person’s murder to constitute homicide.
“An administration is not a government if it does not fulfill its responsibility to safeguard people and property. No matter the tribe, all people should be affected by a human being’s death.
