The Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 5 Headquarters, Benin City, AIG Salman-Dogo Garba, has barred stakeholders from the Ijaw, Itsekiri, and Urhobo ethnic nationalities in Warri, Delta State, from referring to one another as “customary tenants.”
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The directive was issued during a stakeholders’ security meeting convened in response to rising tensions—particularly between the Ijaw and Itsekiri—stemming from the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) proposed ward delineation exercise in Warri.
The meeting, held at the Zone 5 Police Headquarters in Benin on June 19, 2025, aimed to forestall any breakdown of law and order and reinforce peace, safety, and security in the Warri area.
Present at the meeting were the AIG, the Commissioner of Police Delta State Command, CP Olufemi Abaniwonda, the Area Commander Warri, Chairmen of Warri South-West, Warri North, and Warri South Local Government Areas, as well as representatives from the Gbaramatu Kingdom, the Olu of Warri’s Palace, Isaba Kingdom, Okere-Urhobo Kingdom, Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom, and Agbarha Warri Kingdom, among others.
In a statement released Friday by SP Tijani Momoh, Zonal Police Public Relations Officer, AIG Zone 5, CP Abaniwonda was quoted as saying that problems among the three ethnic groups began shortly after the INEC delineation exercise. He said he called upon the AIG to intervene to prevent further escalation and ensure stability.
AIG Salman-Dogo stated that the meeting was convened at the directive of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun. He emphasized that the Ijaw, Itsekiri, and Urhobo are all brothers and warned against actions that could reignite a crisis similar to that of 2003/2004.
He further urged community leaders to control their youths and discourage inciting or inflammatory remarks, especially on social media. “When a life is lost, nobody can bring it back,” he cautioned.
Speakers at the meeting—including representatives from Ogbe-Ijoh, Okere-Urhobo, Isaba, Agbarha Warri, and Gbaramatu kingdoms, as well as the three LG chairmen—unanimously called for peace. They acknowledged that the INEC delineation exercise is still at the draft stage and that the commission has invited feedback and objections from all concerned parties.
The AIG issued a stern warning that any further breakdown of law and order would not be tolerated. He also condemned the use of social media protests and emphasized that anyone found inciting unrest would be arrested and prosecuted.
“No ethnic group should refer to another as customary tenants,” he reiterated firmly.
The meeting concluded with all stakeholders pledging to maintain peace and stability in Warri. They agreed to caution their youths and support efforts to restore economic prosperity and harmony in the region.
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