A fresh wave of violence has hit the oil city of Warri in Delta State, Nigeria, as a communal attack on the Odion
community by alleged “Itsekiri boys” has left several people injured and properties destroyed.
The attack, which occurred on Sunday, has sparked fears of a looming crisis in the area. Eyewitnesses report that the
attack began with the burning down of a building amidst gunshots, leaving an uncertain number of people with gunshot wounds.
A tricycle operator who sustained bullet wounds is currently receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital. Bullet
holes were seen on his tricycle and on the walls of some buildings, while a few bullet shells were found in the area.
The Odion community has accused the Warri South Local Government Council chairman, Comrade Weyinmi
Agbateyiniro, of abetting the attacks. However, the council boss has denied the allegations, describing them as
“falsehoods”. He claims his administration has worked to ensure unity and peace in the local government area.
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The community claims that trouble started with the destruction of a coronation banner of their monarch, the Ovie of
Agbarha-Warri kingdom, as well as the renaming of an area and establishment of an executive body, moves they tried
to resist. The situation has been brewing for two years, with the community raising alarms for government
intervention to no avail.
The affected communities are now calling on the State Government to immediately intervene to avert a degeneration of the crisis. They lament that they could not save anything as the fire started unexpectedly, and all they could do was run for their lives.
According to sources, the incident may be connected to the recently released fieldwork on the wards delimitation
exercise carried out in Warri Federal Constituency by the Independent National Electoral Commission. The report has resulted in protests by the Itsekiri ethnic nationality, which has declared a total rejection of the outcome.
This is not the first time conflicts have erupted in the area. In 2012, a communal crisis brewed between the Ogbe-Ijoh
and Aladja communities, with tensions still running high today. The Ogbe-Ijoh community had raised alarms over a looming inter-communal clash, citing restrictions on the movement of people and goods through Aladja community.
The recent attack has left residents in fear, with many displaced from their homes. The situation has sparked
concerns about the potential for further violence and the need for urgent government intervention.
Efforts to get comments from the Itsekiri youth leadership were unsuccessful as of press time, leaving many questions unanswered about the motivations behind the attack.
