Ologbotsere Demands Justice, Insists Ogidigben Crisis Was Planned

The Ologbotsere of Warri Kingdom, Ojoye Engr. Dr. Oma Eyewuoma, has dismissed claims linking Itsekiri traditional institutions to the crisis in Ogidigben community, insisting that recent allegations circulating in the media are misleading. The position was made public in a press statement issued by his media aide, Eboma Tuoyo Michael, in response to a recent briefing by Ayiri Emami.

According to the statement, the violence in Ogidigben, which reportedly claimed lives, led to the burning of homes and forced residents to flee, followed a series of threats and coordinated actions known to stakeholders within Warri Kingdom. The Ologbotsere’s office maintained that the attacks were not spontaneous and accused those now presenting themselves as peacemakers of attempting to rewrite events after the damage had been done.

The statement further condemned what it called persistent attempts to drag the Palace of the Olu of Warri into the crisis. It clarified that at the time references were being made to implicate the Palace and the Ologbotsere, the royal institution was engaged in lawful, pre-scheduled cultural rites that were public, peaceful, and rooted in Itsekiri tradition.

It also faulted the silence of those issuing accusations on the burning of Ogidigben and the alleged role of armed youths loyal to them. The omission, the statement argued, undermines claims of innocence and peace advocacy, while deepening the wounds of victims whose experiences have been left out of the public narrative.

Calling for accountability, the Ologbotsere’s office urged security agencies, the Delta State Government, the Federal Government, and traditional stakeholders to focus on evidence rather than rhetoric. It stressed that the Itsekiri nation deserves peace built on truth and respect for its institutions, warning that justice for Ogidigben cannot be achieved through distortion or selective storytelling.