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LETTER TO INEC: “WAR OF TRUTH AND THE WOUND OF LIES” – WHY THE ERA OF MANIPULATION MUST END IN WARRI
Being A Heartfelt Message from the Ijaw Stakeholders of Warri Federal Constituency to INEC
Date: July 16, 2025
The truth has bled for too long. Beneath the creeks of Warri, the winds whisper a long-silenced history, yearning to break free from the chains of manipulation and falsehood. We are at a historic crossroad, one that demands courage, not compromise, clarity, not confusion.
For decades, a carefully constructed myth has masqueraded as fact, that the Itsekiris are the sole owners of Warri, that the Olu of Warri is a king over lands and peoples who never pledged him allegiance, that the Ijaws and Urhobos are mere squatters in their ancestral territories. These are not just lies, they are wounds inflicted upon truth and justice.
But time, like history, is a stubborn judge. And the era of fraudulent tactics, deceptive legal gymnastics, historical forgery and ethnic manipulation must give way to fact, to the future, to the spirit of the Nigerian constitution and to the principles of democratic equality.
Let it be known that the Ijaws of Warri were here before the crown arrived, before the Itsekiris crossed the Bight of Benin, and long before British officers drew artificial lines to ease indirect rule. The Olu of Warri, originally styled as Olu of Itsekiri, was never king over Ogbe-Ijoh, Gbaramatu, Isaba, Diebiri, Egbema or the entire Warri mainland. These lands were Ijaw and Urhobo long before they were ever claimed by colonial favor or diplomatic proximity.
In Suit No. W/148/78 (Itsekiri Communal Land v. Chief E.A. Sagay), the court warned against the “excessive territorial assumption” of the Itsekiris and reaffirmed that traditional titles do not translate to land ownership beyond ancestral limits. In the same legal spirit, the Supreme Court has in multiple rulings emphasized the right to self-governance, cultural autonomy and indigenous recognition as protected by the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).
To silence the voice of indigenous people through cartographic deceit and loud propaganda is not just an injustice, it is a violation of both natural law and constitutional integrity.
The policy of the future, if it is to lead Nigeria into peace and unity, must be founded on historical accuracy, not historical robbery. As U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis once said, “The greatest threat to liberty is not the lawbreaker but the law manipulator.” And Warri has suffered for too long at the hands of law manipulators disguised as landowners, liers with fake identity.
Let us be clear, no manipulation, no lobbyist, no fake census, no manufactured royal claim can stand before the supremacy of truth. The truth is the supreme court over every forgery and no amount of Itsekiri aggression will silence the ancestral voices that still echo from the banks of the Warri River and Land.
Today, we reaffirm that the lands of Ogbe-Ijoh, Gbaramatu, Isaba, Diebiri and Egbema are not Itsekiri. They are Ijaw. And we will defend this truth with facts, with documents, with court judgments and if needed, with our last breath. Truth has no fear. Only lies panic.
To INEC, we say, the time for submission is over. Release the final ward delineation. Stop allowing the ghost of colonial distortion to rule over a democratic commission. The people demand representation based on reality, not repetition of fraud.
To the Federal Government and the National Security Adviser, do not allow yourselves to be used as tools to validate deception. Nigeria belongs to all, not to any manipulative minority.
To the international community, bear witness to a struggle not for domination but for identity. Not for power, but for dignity. Stand on the side of history, not on the side of false royalty.
The Ijaw nation is not seeking war, we are seeking what is ours. We are not rewriting history, we are reopening it. And when history is opened, it will roar like thunder, the Ijaws were never conquered, never displaced, never ruled by the Olu of Warri.
Let every generation remember, you can manipulate land titles but not ancestral truth. You can twist legal language, but not the lineage of a people. You can silence a people temporarily but you cannot silence their God-given identity.
Let Warri breathe. Let truth prevail.
Signed,
Chief Tiemopere Joshua (President)
Chief Ebikeke T. Goodstime – Secretary
Ijaw Stakeholders of Warri Federal Constituency
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PRESS RELEASE: PDP Burutu LGA Commends Ex-Deputy Governor Otuaro’s Loyalty to the Party, Thanks Him for Dispelling Defection Rumours
The office of the acting Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP ), in Burutu Local Government Area, Comr. Jackson Agbor is sending commendations to H.E. (DCN) Barr. Kinsley Otuaro for rebuffing media reports of defection to the All Progressives Congress. With this denial, it’s now clear to mischievous minds that the former Deputy Governor of Delta State (2015-2023) is a bonafide member of the People’s Democratic Party in Delta State.
Comr.Jackson Agbor commends him for his integrity, steadfastness, dedication to excellence, and his avowed commitment to the ideals of the People’s Democratic Party, no matter the subtle attempt to sway him. You have proven to be an ideological politician, a trait uncommon to leaders in developing countries.
As the acting Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party in Burutu LGA, I and my team will work assiduously tapping from your wealth of knowledge as a consummate politician,so as to deliver the candidates of the People’s Democratic Party in all levels of elective positions in the 2027 general elections.
We look forward to working with his excellency Barr. (DCN) Kinsley Burutu Otuaro former Deputy Governor of Delta State.
Cyril Arogbo
Publicity Secretary
PDP
Burutu Local Government Area.
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“A Phenomenal Woman, A Great Blessing…” Amb. Willy Celebrates Wife, Jennifer Tom-Willy, On Birthday
By Favour Bibaikefie
Warri, Delta State – the atmosphere is filled with celebration today as Amb. Tom Ebiakpo Willy showers love and admiration on his wife, Mrs. Jennifer Tom-Willy, the Chief Executive Officer of the Jenny Willy’s Stitches, as she clocks another year.
In his tribute, Ambassador Willy described his lovely wife as “a phenomenal woman, my greatest blessing, whose passion, elegance, and entrepreneurial spirit continue to amaze me.” He prays for her to be filled with “abundant joy, divine favour, and unstoppable success in all she does.”
Mrs. Jennifer Tom-Willy, widely known for her creativity and innovation in fashion design, has not only continued to make her mark as both a dynamic entrepreneur in Delta State and beyond, but also tailored joy, family values, and respect in the hearts of both her husband, children, family members, and friends. Her husband’s inability to hold back his public show of affection and recognition of her “deep cut” on him and her entrepreneurial achievements reflects the strong bonds they share both in marriage and in life aspirations.
“I’m proud of all you are and all you do,” Amb. Willy concluded in his message of love.
As the euphoria associated to the birth anniversary of this amazon continues to rent the air, we at IduwiniVoice heartily felicitate with Amb. Willy and his immediate family. Happy birthday, Mrs. Willy.
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OPEN LETTER TO THE DELTA STATE GOVERNMENT RE: FALSEHOOD ABOUT WARRI NORTH AND THE HISTORICAL TRUTH OF EGBEMA IJAW MAJORITY
OPEN LETTER TO THE DELTA STATE GOVERNMENT
RE: FALSEHOOD ABOUT WARRI NORTH AND THE HISTORICAL TRUTH OF EGBEMA IJAW MAJORITY
From: Ijaw Stakeholders of Warri Federal Constituency
Date: [16/8/2025]
Dear Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, Governor of Delta State,
We read with outrage the recent misrepresentation by your administration claiming that Warri North Local Government Area is “predominantly inhabited by the Itsekiri.” This is false, misleading, and a reckless distortion of history.
The 1999 Constitution binds every arm of government to truth and equity:
S.14(2)(b): “the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.”
S.42(1): forbids ethnic discrimination in state action.
S.17(2)(a),(d): demands equality and forbids exploitation of human and natural resources against communities.
Your government’s post violates these provisions by attempting to erase the majority status of the Ijaw people of Egbema Kingdom in Warri North.
2. Historical Truth: Warri North is Dual, Not Exclusive
Warri North is made up of two traditional kingdoms:
1. Egbema Kingdom (Ijaw)
2. Itsekiri Kingdom
It is therefore a constitutional and historical fraud to present the LGA as if it belongs exclusively to the Itsekiri.
British Intelligence Reports (1936, 1951) confirm that Egbema Ijaws constitute the majority population in Warri North.
Early European accounts such as Pacheco Pereira (1505) describe Egbema and other Ijaw groups as dominant along the Benin and Escravos Rivers.
Even colonial census records (1921, 1931, 1952, 1963) confirm Ijaw numerical dominance across Warri territories.
3. Geography and Settlement Facts
The physical landmass of Warri North betrays this false narrative:
Egbema Ijaw communities (e.g., Opuama, Polobubo, Tsekelewu and others) occupy vast swamp and riverine territories of the LGA.
The Itsekiri communities, though significant, do not outnumber the Egbema Ijaws.
Court records and colonial leases show Ijaw communities consistently recognized as landowners, while others were settlers or tenants.
4. The Fraud of Manufactured Itsekiri Majority
For decades, colonial distortions and post-independence manipulation inflated Itsekiri status. The fraudulent “6–4” ward allocation (six wards to Itsekiri, four to Ijaw) exemplifies this injustice.
The Supreme Court in Timinimi v. INEC (SC/CV/1033/2023) has already pronounced this structure unconstitutional, unjust, and illegal. INEC has verified through fieldwork in the creeks and communities. The only step left is publication.
5. Our Warning to the State Government
Governor Oborevwori, government cannot function on falsehood. To continue to project Itsekiri exclusivity in Warri North is to deliberately incite tension between communities and to disregard constitutional order.
As Justice Nnamani once ruled: “Equity will not allow the law to be used as an instrument of fraud.” By pushing a false narrative, your administration risks being complicit in the very fraud equity forbids.
6. Our Demand: Tell the Truth and Obey the Law
1. Delta State Government: Retract and correct your false claim. Acknowledge the dual reality of Warri North, Egbema Ijaw and Itsekiri.
2. Federal Government: Direct INEC to publish the Supreme Court–ordered delineation result without further delay.
3. Public and International Community: Reject state-sponsored propaganda that erases the Ijaw majority and sustains political fraud.
7. Conclusion: Truth vs Falsehood
Ijaw (Egbema): Majority, ancestral landowners of Warri North.
Itsekiri: Minority, co-inhabitants but not exclusive claimants.
The Supreme Court has spoken. INEC has verified. Only publication remains.
As Thomas Paine warned: “A body of men holding themselves accountable to nobody ought not to be trusted by anybody.” INEC’s silence and your government’s propaganda will not bury the truth.
Signed
Chief Tiemopere Joshua
(President)
Chief Ebikeke T. Goodstime
(Secretary)
Ijaw Stakeholders of Warri Federal Constituency
CC:
The Presidency
The National Assembly
The National Security Adviser
United Nations, AU, EU