A 1999 Publication.
The Facts of The 1997 Warri Crisis and its Immediate Causes.
The profound unrest that gripped Warri in 1997, leading to widespread violence and devastation, was not an unforeseen eruption but rather the bitter fruit of deliberate political manipulation and a flagrant disregard for established legal frameworks. At its core, the crisis was triggered by a series of unauthorised actions concerning the creation and headquarters of local government areas within Delta State.
Before the contentious local government creation exercise, which followed the recommendations of the Arthur Mbanefo Committee, the administrative landscape of Delta (formerly Warri Province) was structured as follows:
- The Urhobos/Isoko had 8 local governments.
- The Ndokwas had 2 local governments.
- The Itsekiri had 2 local governments: Warri South and Warri North.
- The Ijaws had 2 local governments: Burutu and Bomadi.
The Federal Government had decided to realign this structure, aiming for a more equitable distribution:
The Urhobos/Isokos were to receive 2 additional local governments, bringing their total to 10.
The Ndokwas, Ijaws, and Itsekiri were each to receive 1 additional local government, bringing each of their totals to 3.
It was against this clear federal directive that Col. John Dungs, then the Delta State Military Administrator, acted with blatant disregard for authority. In November 1996, he visited the Ijaw settlement of Ogbe-Ijoh and, despite having no legal power to do so, promised the Ijaws the creation of a local government with Ogbe-Ijoh as its headquarters.
This unauthorised promise set the stage for the crisis. On December 13, 1996, Col. Dungs announced the creation of six new local governments in Delta State. In a move he claimed was to “correct the injustice in Warri,” he declared that the headquarters of Warri South Local Government (which was already in Warri metropolis) would be moved to Ogbe-Ijoh. He further stated that the new “Warri South Local Government” would consist of Ogbe-Ijoh, Isaba, and Olague (Gbaramatu), and what remained of the former Warri South would become “Warri Central.”
His proposed structure for Warri was:
- Warri North Headquarters: Koko
- Warri South Headquarters: Ogbe-Ijoh
- Warri Central Headquarters: GRA Warri
Crucially, these actions by Col. Dungs were entirely illegal. The Federal Government had already officially established the authentic local government councils for Warri through Decree No. 36 of 1996 (dated December 30, 1996) and Decree No. 7 of 1997 (dated March 3, 1997), which specified:
- Warri North Headquarters: Koko
- Warri South Headquarters: Warri
- Warri South West Headquarters: Ogidigben
Despite these clear federal directives, Col. Dungs proceeded with his illegal agenda. On March 15, 1997, he allowed NECON (National Electoral Commission of Nigeria) to conduct elections for his self-created “Warri South Local Government Council” headquartered in Ogbe-Ijoh. He then, around March 24, 1997, swore in Chief Oromoni as the “elected Chairman” of this non-existent entity—an act of gross illegality and direct defiance of the Federal Government.
When the futility of his actions became apparent, Col. Dungs made a last-ditch attempt to legitimise the situation by instructing Chief Oromoni to move to Ogidigben and function as the Chairman of the legitimate Warri South West Local Government. This was a fraudulent attempt, as no election had ever been conducted for the Warri South West Local Government with its proper headquarters at Ogidigben.
The realisation among the Ijaws that Col. Dungs could not deliver on his unauthorised promise of an Ijaw local government with Ogbe-Ijoh as its headquarters ignited their frustration, which quickly escalated into widespread violence. In the nights of March 22nd and 23rd, 1997, the Ijaws launched attacks, razing the Itsekiri town of Uba-Erure (Bennett Island) and blockading vital riverine waterways leading to Warri metropolis.
Initially, some observers believed the Ijaws had a legitimate grievance. However, as events unfolded, it became clear that the crisis was rooted in a deeper, long-standing agenda. The Ijaw’s justification for their attacks—that the Itsekiri had influenced the relocation of a local government headquarters from Ogbe-Ijoh to Ogidigben—was quickly proven false. Yet, they persisted, expanding their attacks to all three Warri Local Government Areas. By the end of March 1997, at least 9 Itsekiri towns and villages, including parts of Warri metropolis, had been torched, with significant loss of Itsekiri lives and property.
This campaign quickly turned into ethnic cleansing against the Itsekiri. By the end of May 1997, a pogrom marked by massacres, arson, rape, and looting had engulfed no less than 32 Itsekiri communities, leading to the loss of hundreds of Itsekiri lives, including men, women, and children. The systematic targeting and slaughter of Itsekiris continue, fueled by a perceived jealousy over the oil wealth in Itsekiri areas of Delta State. The stated aim of some Ijaw elements appears to be the elimination of any ethnic group that stands in their way, particularly the Itsekiri, in their quest for physical, economic, and administrative control over the entire Niger Delta.
Warri’s Enduring Legacy: The Historical Roots of the Itsekiri Homeland
The Itsekiri people are intrinsically linked to the Niger Delta, an indigenous ethnic group with a rich and extensively documented history. Their homeland, known as “Iwere,” is universally recognised as “Warri.” Historical accounts confirm that the name “Warri” originated from “Iwere,” the native name given to the Itsekiri lands and people by Olu Ginuwa.
The Warri Kingdom was founded by Ginuwa I, a Benin Prince who departed Benin before 1480. He settled among the indigenous Jekri (Itsekiri) people, who were then Yoruba-speaking, establishing his rule and becoming the first Olu of Warri. This foundational history underscores the Itsekiri’s deep-rooted connection to the land. Their language remains a Yoruba dialect, and their culture proudly reflects its Benin influences.
The Itsekiri homeland is geographically defined, covering approximately 4,000 square kilometers of the Niger Delta, bounded by latitudes 5° 20′ and 60° N and longitudes 5° 5′ and 5° 46′ E.
Historically, before the 1920s, the entire area that later became Warri Province (now Delta Province), which included Ijaw, Ndokwa, Urhobo/Isoko, and Itsekiri territories, was administered as a single political, judicial, and administrative unit from Warri. This centralisation naturally attracted migration from other ethnic groups into Warri. However, these other groups eventually sought separate administrative autonomy, a move the Itsekiri did not oppose.
Subsequently, a deliberate policy of fragmentation was implemented, leading to the creation of distinct Native Administrations for each ethnic group within their respective homelands.
This led to the formation of:
- Warri Division: For the Itsekiri homeland (later Warri South, Warri North, and Warri South-West Local Government Areas).
- Western Ijaw Division: For the Ijaws (later Western Ijaw Local Government Area, now Burutu, Bomadi, and Patani Local Government Areas).
- Urhobo Division: For the Urhobo/Isoko (later Western and Eastern Urhobo Local Government Areas, now Ughelli North, Ughelli South, Ethiope West, Ethiope East, Okpe, Sapele, Isoko North, Isoko South, Udu, and Uvwie Local Government Areas).
- Ndokwa Division: For the Ndokwa (now Ndokwa East, Ndokwa West, and Ukwuani Local Government Areas).
Despite these administrative divisions, the Itsekiri homeland (Warri South, Warri North, and Warri South-West Local Government Areas) continued to host enclaves of Urhobo and Ijaw migrant settlers. As these migrant populations grew, they initiated a series of land cases against the Itsekiri in court. Crucially, all court decisions, dating back to 1923 and culminating in a ruling by the Privy Council in London (then Nigeria’s highest appellate court), consistently affirmed the Itsekiri as the rightful owners of Warri land. These legal pronouncements definitively settled the false claims of ownership by some Urhobos and Ijaws.
While there are Ijaw settlements like Egbeoma, Gbaramatu, Ogbe-Ijoh, and Isaba within the riverine areas of Warri Division, these Ijaws are legally established as customary tenants of the Itsekiri people. It cannot be overstated that all land in Warri Division (Warri North, Warri South, and Warri South West Local Government Areas) is vested in the Itsekiri people, under the Overlordship of the Olu of Warri. The only minor exception is a 281.1-acre parcel in the possessory ownership of the Urhobo families of Olodi, Oki, and Ighogbadu of Okere, a result of the case of Idundun & Ors -v- Daniel Okumagba (1976). However, the radical title to this land remains undetermined.
Claims by some Ijaw groups, such as the Ijaw National Congress, regarding their population size or ownership of over 80% of the Niger Delta are unsubstantiated. According to the 1993 national census, the population of Warri Division was about 474,000. Within this, the Itsekiri constituted 64%, Ijaws about 14%, Urhobos 1.7%, and other Nigerians 20%. This demonstrates that the Ijaw population in Warri Division is significantly smaller than their claims suggest and their enclaves are not contiguous with each other or with Bayelsa State, making their demand for a separate geo-political entity within Itsekiri homeland untenable.
Numerous court cases have consistently upheld the Itsekiri’s ownership:
- Bakokodia (Gbaramatu): In Suit W/29/49, the Itsekiri won a declaration of title against the Ijaw people of Bakokodia, a decision affirmed by the West African Court of Appeal (14 WACA page 123). In Suit W/I09/70, the Ijaws explicitly signed terms of settlement acknowledging their status as “customary tenants of the Itsekiri.”
- Okerenghigho (Gbaramatu): In Suit W/30/62, the Itsekiri won a declaration of title to Okerenghigho and surrounding lands against the Ijaw people, a judgment upheld by the Supreme Court (1973 6 N. S. C. C. page 47).
- Omidudun (Benikrukru/Gbaramatu): In Suit No. W 124 76, the Itsekiri of Ugborodo won a declaration of title to all of Benikrukru land and surrounding areas against the Ijaw people of Benikrukru.
- Opuraja (Gbaramatu): The Ijaw people of Opuraja, surrounded by Itsekiri towns, have never disputed Itsekiri ownership.
- Ogbe-Ijoh/Isaba: In Suit W/I I/I956, the Itsekiri, led by the Olu of Warri, successfully claimed vast parcels of land from Ogbe-Ijoh through Isaba to the boundary with Western Ijaw Division against the Numa family of Ogbe-Ijoh and the Ijaws of Gbekebor. This victory was upheld by both the High Court and the Supreme Court ((1974-75) 9 N.S.C.C. at page 368-378).
- Warri Metropolis: The celebrated Ometan versus Chief Dore Numa case (1926-1933) saw the Itsekiri consistently declared owners of Warri metropolis, a decision confirmed by the Privy Council in London.
- Most importantly, in Suit W/148/1956, when Ijaw plaintiffs from Ogbe-Ijoh attempted to claim virtually all the land in Warri Division, including the metropolis, the court, facing an insurmountable plea of Res Judicata from the Itsekiri, struck out the action and explicitly precluded the Ijaws from ever bringing any further action against the Itsekiri concerning land claims in Warri Division. This decision was summarily upheld by the Supreme Court on April 27, 1967.
The result of these numerous legal battles is clear: The Ijaws cannot bring any further action against the Itsekiri regarding any parcel of land in the whole of Warri Division, and they do not own an inch of land in Warri Division. Their presence is based on permission granted by the Olu of Warri and the Itsekiri to settle and fish, subject to tribute.
The Itsekiri’s conduct in Sapele, where they accepted a court ruling against their ownership despite their numerical majority and significant investments, exemplifies their commitment to the rule of law. They simply ask for the same reciprocal respect for established legal decisions from the Ijaw and Urhobo in Warri.
By ITSEKIRI SURVIVAL MOVEMENT (ITSURMOV) edited and modified By Lord_of_Warri on 𝕏 (Twitter). Itsekiri Activist and Historian.