Just-ln: ltsekiri Nation Oppose Proposed Ijaw Toru-Ebe State Creation, Demand Warri State for llaje and Binis ..... Says State creation is based on ethnic affinity, not population or landmass, ltsekiri nation tell Senate

..... Says State creation is based on ethnic affinity, not population or landmass, ltsekiri nation tell Senate

The Itsekiri people of Warri Kingdom in Delta State have called on the Nigerian Senate to consider the creation of a Warri State with its capital in Warri township. The call was made during the South-South Zonal Public Hearing on constitutional amendment held by the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State.

Represented by Chief Edward Ekpoko, Chairman of the Itsekiri Leaders of Thought (ILoT), the Itsekiri also strongly opposed the Ijaw ethnic group’s proposal for the creation of a Toru-Ebe State, which they say includes ancestral lands belonging to the Itsekiri, the Ilaje of Ondo State, and the Binis of Edo State.

In a memorandum presented to the Senate, the Itsekiri stated that the Ijaw people are tenants on parts of the land they seek to include in the proposed Toru-Ebe State.

“There is no way a state created for customary tenants can control the landlords’ land,” the Itsekiri said. “The land belongs to the customary landlords, not the tenants.”

The group argued that state creation should not be based on landmass or population, but on ethnic and linguistic affinity. They expressed concerns about what they describe as long-standing political marginalisation, noting that despite contributing over 33% of Nigeria’s oil and gas resources, the Itsekiri have only one representative in the House of Representatives and two in the Delta State House of Assembly.

They also demanded the inclusion of a constitutional clause to protect minority ethnic groups, similar to provisions in the defunct Midwestern Nigeria Constitution.

“If minority protection is not guaranteed, then we are calling for the creation of Warri State,” the group said, proposing the new state be made up of Warri North, Warri South, and Warri South West LGAs all part of the traditional Warri Kingdom.

The memorandum was jointly signed by leaders of the Itsekiri, Ilaje, and Bini ethnic nationalities, all of whom expressed strong objection to the Ijaw-led state proposal. They argued that the Ijaw claim undermines the identity and history of other Niger Delta communities.

Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, who chaired the hearing, said the review aims to strengthen governance, equity, and justice across the country. Other stakeholders present included Senate President Godswill Akpabio and senators from the South-South region.