Odun Ebiwonjumi Residents Protest Alleged Itsekiri Invasion, Seek Government Intervention
Residents of Odun Ebiwonjumi Community in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State have called on the state and federal governments to urgently intervene in an alleged land dispute involving some Itsekiri communities, warning that the development could trigger violence if left unresolved.
The residents made the call during a peaceful protest in the community on Thursday, where they displayed placards demanding government action and protection of what they described as their ancestral land.
The protesters said the latest disagreement followed moves by the Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC) to construct a concrete jetty in the community.
Speaking on behalf of the community, one of its indigenes, Busayo Ebiniyi, said the people of Odun Ebiwonjumi had enjoyed longstanding relationships with the Itsekiri through friendship, trade and intermarriage.
He, however, alleged that the situation had recently changed, claiming that some Itsekiri people had entered the community with arms and ammunition and were laying claim to the area.
Ebiniyi insisted that Odun Ebiwonjumi was located in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State and that the people owed their allegiance to the Ondo State Government.
According to him, the community is an ancestral settlement inherited from their forefathers and would not surrender its heritage.
He said the dispute extended beyond Odun Ebiwonjumi to several other coastal communities, including Odun Makin, Ilu Titun, Odun Odunjo, Odun Maha, Eke Nla, Eke Kekere, Ubajakere, Eke Itiola, Odun Okoro, Odun Yonren, Odun Beku, Odun Ogungbeje, Odun Oyinbo, Odun Oriretan, Ubale Kekere, Ubale Nla, Ikuyinminu and Odun Igo.
Ebiniyi described the communities as distinct Ilaje settlements that had historically operated as separate oil-producing communities.
He appealed to the Ondo and Delta State governments, traditional rulers and other stakeholders to urgently intervene and resolve the matter through dialogue.
“We want to plead with the governments of Ondo and Delta states to go all out for government-to-government agreements and assemble elders of both Ilaje and Itsekiri communities so that we will be able to dialogue on the essence of peace rather than war,” he said.
Ebiniyi stressed that the community preferred peace but would not accept intimidation or suppression.
He also explained that the name Ebiwonjumi represented an ancestral identity handed down through generations, urging the Federal Government, the Ondo and Delta State governments and traditional rulers to intervene.
He cited various government projects executed in the community by successive Ondo State administrations as evidence of its longstanding affiliation with the state.
Another community leader, Hon. Olumide Ebiwonjumi, maintained that Odun Ebiwonjumi was located in Ondo State and remained under Ilaje Local Government Area and Ugbo Kingdom.
He said the communities had previously been represented in the Ultimate Oil Producing Community Association and the Ilaje Eight United Oil Producing Communities Association before the implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act.
Ebiwonjumi, who said he was born and raised in the community, also pointed to government projects and political structures administered by Ondo State as evidence of the community’s connection to the state.
The Baale of Odun Ebiwonjumi Community, Chief Orimisan Ebiwonjumi, also reaffirmed the community’s position.
Chief Ebiwonjumi, son of the late Baale, Chief Ephenus Menukanren Ebiwonjumi, said successive Ondo State governments had executed projects in the community and appealed to the state authorities not to abandon its people.
He alleged that residents of six Itsekiri communities recently entered Odun Ebiwonjumi with arms and ammunition while laying claim to the settlement.
The traditional ruler appealed to the Ondo State Government to provide basic amenities, including potable water, healthcare facilities, housing, solar power and a signpost identifying the community as part of Ondo State.
The community leaders further alleged that the renewed disagreement was connected to the presence of crude oil resources in the area.
While reiterating their commitment to peace, Chief Ebiwonjumi warned that the community would resist any attempt to dispossess it of its ancestral land.
He urged the government and traditional institutions to act swiftly to prevent the dispute from escalating, warning that failure to address the matter could heighten tension and lead to avoidable conflict in the coastal communities.
