Unpaid Warri Land Rent Threatens Peace, Lori-Ogbebor Warns

Elder stateswoman and prominent Itsekiri leader has called on the Federal Government to intervene in a longstanding land dispute in Warri, Delta State, warning of growing tensions between ethnic communities in the oil-rich region.

Chief Rita Lori-Ogbebor urged authorities to enforce colonial-era court rulings from 1927 and 1951, which affirmed the ownership of Warri by the Odion and Ogisi families, both of Itsekiri descent.

The call comes after a one-month deadline expired last week for the Urhobo community in Warri to pay a symbolic yearly tenancy fee of one pound, as mandated by the historical judgments. The activist said the Urhobo, particularly the Eyiekpimi and Okumagba families, have refused to comply and have exceeded the boundaries of the land originally allocated to them.

Read also:Odion-Ogisi Family Gives Urhobo 30 Days to Pay Century-Old Rent

“Many are wondering what we will do now that the deadline has passed. Let us be clear: we have done what is necessary within the law,” Chief Lori-Ogbebor said during a press conference in Lagos.

She warned that the situation is becoming more volatile, with both Urhobo and Ijaw groups allegedly occupying lands traditionally belonging to the Itsekiri. She specifically accused former militant leader Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, of acquiring large stretches of Itsekiri territory with backing from elements within the Federal Government.

“Our waterways and fishing routes, our heritage, are being taken over. The Urhobo are pushing from the land, and the Ijaw from the sea. Where are the Itsekiri supposed to go?” Chief Lori-Ogbebor said.

She claimed that much of the land acquisition and encroachment is happening under official silence and warned that the perceived inaction of the government risks further inflaming ethnic tensions in the region, which has a history of communal unrest.

Despite the provocations, she insisted the Itsekiri people would continue to seek a peaceful resolution but urged the authorities to intervene and uphold the rule of law to prevent further unrest.