By Oluwayemi Davidsoni, Warri
Palpable tension is mounting between the Itsekiri and Ijaw communities of Bateren, Deghele and Omadino in Warri South and Warri South West Local Government Areas of Delta State over the ownership of the oil fields recently affected by spillage alleged to have emanated from assets of Chevron Nigeria Limited around Abiteye, Utunana and Markaraba flow stations in the areas.
Crossfires by the two communities are coming on the heels of the reaction by Chevron to carry out a joint investigation visit (JIV) on the oil installations in the affected area.
As the Ijaws are laying claims to the ownership of the affected oil fields where Chevron is operating, the Itsekiris are insisting that, ownership of the communities and locations is uncontestable.
The Itsekiris claimed that from time immemorial, it “belongs to the Itsekiris of Bateren, Deghele, Omadino and have long been decided by the Supreme Court of Nigeria”
Only recently, the Ijaw youths of Gbaramatu Kingdom threatened the Itsekiris living in Abiteye, Utunana and Markaraba flow stations to evacuate the areas within 24 hours.
The Ijaws also accused Chevron of the oil spill threatening to stop smooth operation of the oil firms in the areas within the shortest possible time.
But the Itsekiris lamented that the Ijaws were merely engaging in “barbaric acts capable of causing anarchy in Delta State”.
“The Ijaw youths of Gbaramatu seem to be ignorant of their own history”, Itsekiris maintained calling on the Federal Government to intervene swiftly before the Ijaws actualize their alleged plots.
The Itsekiris claimed that the Ijaw youths “whose parents, grandparents and great grandparents have been our customary tenant for centuries are threatening their Itsekiri peace loving landlords that they want to embark on a full blown war”.
The Itsekiris however urged Chevron to follow due process by involving all parties in carrying out the Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) in the affected area where the oil spillage occurred.
The Itsekiri Liberation Group (ILG), in a petition to the Presidency over the weekend, warned of “looming danger and imminent total breakdown of law and order which may snowball into a major crisis in the riverine communities in Warri South and Warri South West local government area of Delta State”.
The group, in the petition signed by Comrade Mone Oris (Chairman) and Comrade Ajofortan Omagbemi (Secretary) respectively, remarked that the Ijaws should be restrained from executing their threats and enjoined the authorities to “arrest, detain and investigate” the alleged sponsors of the threats.
The Itsekiri group however cautioned that if the Federal Government failed to act swiftly against the Ijaw threats, and create a platform for the constitutional rights of the Itsekiri people to be upheld, they (Itsekiri) shall be left with no other option than to defend their land and people.
The petition was copied to the Senate President, Speaker House of Representatives, the Inspector General of Police, the Direcyor-General, Department of State Security (DSS) as well as the American Embassy in Nigeria.
A copy of the petition which was sighted by our correspondent in Warri on Sunday read in part, “We call on the DSS to track down and arrest those fanning the embers of war. All Ijaw stakeholders that are beating drums of war, financing this crisis should be identified, investigated and prosecuted.
“We call on the Federal government to immediately deploy the military to the aforementioned communities and oil installations in our domain.
“We demand that the multinational oil companies (Chevron) follow due process by involving all parties in carrying out the JIV in the affected area where the oil spillage occured”.