News - South South - Delta
Updated: May 07, 2021

Olu of Warri Stool: Itsekiri People Call For Peace

By Ridwan Yusuf
May 07, 2021
0

Hundreds of Itsekiri on Friday stormed the Zone 5 Police command in Benin to protest continued police involvement in the crisis rocking the Olu of Warri stool.

Armed with placards with various inscriptions, the people requested that the police should allow all the chiefs go back to Warri and resolve the issues amicably.

The protesters said the continued insistence that police should resolve the issue was a let-down on the custom and tradition of Itsekiri.

A leader in the group, who gave his name as David Iwere, said, “We are here as Itsekiri, we are tired of our matter being in the pages of newspapers and various social media all the time.

“What is happening in Itsekiri has never happened before, we are here to appeal to the AIG to send all the chiefs home and give them a time to come back and report the settlement they have made.”

Another speaker, Mrs Okhere Amaju said they were peaceful people and wanted peace to return to the land.

“We are here as a group, we want peace; we are tired of crisis we have come to appeal that they should take the matter back home and we can settle ourselves.

“Itsekiri issue is not for the police, we are a people with culture and tradition, we need to go and resolve our issues at home. We need peace in Itsekiri,” she said.

Maintaining the same position, Samuel Khalil appealed to all the chiefs and the ruling house to give peace a chance.

Scott Anwani, an Itsekiri indigene said: “We have gone round to most of the chiefs in Warri kingdom and other stakeholders who are involved in all these issues.

“We have met one on one letting them know why we must ensure that there is peace in Itsekiri nation.

“They are our leaders, we are not supposed to be divided; the Ologbotshere, the Iyatsere, the Uji, Uwangue, the ruling house, the chiefs, they should all come to a round table and resolve this matter and make peace so that we can be happy,’’ he said.

In his response, the Zone 5 Police Public Relations Officer, Tijani Momoh, said the request of the demonstrators would be conveyed to the AIG and whatever directive he gave would be communicated to them.

Itsekiri land has been embroiled in crisis following the announcement of the demise of the Olu of Warri and the disappearance of the 400 years old crown of the Olu.