‘Kantu Is Ours’ – Omadino Fires Back at Tompolo, Gbaramatu

The Omadino Federated Community in in Warri South West Local Government Area, Delta State has accused former militant leader Government Ekpemupolo, also known as Tompolo, of forcibly attempting to annex the Kantu community by promoting historically inaccurate claims about the area’s ethnic and territorial identity.

In a statement issued during a press briefing in Omadino, community leaders alleged that Tompolo and other figures within the Gbaramatu clan are seeking to reclassify Kantu, a settlement traditionally associated with the Itsekiri people as part of Gbaramatu, an Ijaw territory.

“We are here to set the records straight. Omadino is an aboriginal Itsekiri community with a well-documented history dating back over seven centuries long before the founding of the Warri Kingdom,” said Chief Yomere.

Omadino leaders maintain that Kantu has always been part of Itsekiri land, citing ancestral ties to the Omadino lineage, historical records, and legal rulings, including a 1949 court case which they say did not identify Kantu as part of Gbaramatu.

They allege that recent efforts to claim Kantu are politically motivated and part of a broader attempt to expand Gbaramatu’s territorial influence.

Legal disputes over land ownership in the region have a long history with Omadino representatives referencing past court victories, including cases involving Shell Petroleum Development Company, where Kantu reportedly identified as an Itsekiri community without objection.

“Where were Tompolo and Gbenekama then?” He said. Chief Yomere stated that Kantu is one of the most documented communities in Warri Kingdom and remains under the overlordship of the Olu of Warri.

The Gbaramatu leadership has previously held a press conference asserting their version of Kantu’s history. However, the Omadino community has rejected those claims as an effort to overwrite the historical and cultural identity of the area.

“Kantu is far older than the Gbaramatu clan. Both are children of Omadino. But truth must not be sacrificed on the altar of political expediency.”

Omadino leaders further expressed disappointment with Pa Edwin Atemubaghan, the Olare-Aja of Kantu, who, despite affirming the community’s Itsekiri root in a 2000 publication, now appears to have shifted his position in favour of the Gbaramatu claim, possibly under duress.

“If those who claim descent from Oweizibiri wish to identify with other Ijaws of Gbaramatu, that is fine,” he said. “But they have no authority to declare Kantu as an Ijaw community. That is an affront and completely unacceptable.”

The community also alleged that Tompolo has resorted to threats and pressure tactics to force Kantu residents into accepting a revised narrative that places them under Gbaramatu control. This, they believe, is part of a broader strategy to consolidate political and territorial claims in the area.