Itsekiri Group Rejects Okpe Claim Over Sapele, Cites 1943 Court Judgment

Itsekiri coalition disputes Okpe youth claim of exclusive Sapele ownership, arguing 1943 judgment covered only specific land parcel.

Itsekiri Grassroots Coalition (IGC), Sapele Chapter, has debunked claims by Okpe Union Worldwide Youth Wing that the ancient of Sapele belonged exclusively to Okpe.

The group argued that the recurring attempts by certain interests to present the 1943 West African Court of Appeal judgment as evidence of exclusive ownership of the entire Sapele town is legally and historically incorrect.

IGC was reacting to the position of the Coordinator of the Okpe Union Worldwide Youth Wing, Dr. Ereseyin Idolor, to insinuate that the ancient town of Sapele in Delta State, exclusively belong to Okpe based on the judgement.

But Coordinator of Itsekiri Grassroots Coalition (IGC) Sapele Chapter, Comrade Olayemi Uroye, in a statement issued on Wednesday maintained that the judgement was for a specific parcel of land and not the entire Sapele town

“The 1943 West African Court of Appeal judgment, concerned a specific parcel of land comprising approximately 510 acres formerly known as Sapele Township and did not adjudicate ownership over the entirety of present-day Sapele Local Government Area, nor did it extinguish the historical and customary rights of Itsekiri communities outside that specific parcel. The principle of law is clear: a judgment applies to the subject matter actually litigated”, he said.

According to Comrade Uroye, the Itsekiri people were among the aboriginal inhabitants and foundational communities of Sapele, with deep-rooted historical, cultural, and ancestral ties to the area dating back to centuries.

He mentioned Obontie (Obotie), Ugbosien, Ogun-Aja-Ugbege, Aja-Imele, Arowun, Ogorode, Aja-Ojigwo, Uton-Iyatsere and Ugbekoko, as aboriginal Itsekiri communities in Sapele Local Government Area.

“These communities are not settlements established by migrants or recent arrivals. They are ancestral communities that form an integral part of the historical development of Sapele and its surrounding territories.

“Expanding a decision concerning a defined area into a claim of ownership over all lands within Sapele is a misrepresentation of both the judgment and the doctrine of res judicata.

“The existence of long-established Itsekiri communities such as Obotie, Ugbekoko, Ogun-Aja, Aja-Imele, and Aja-Ojigwo cannot be erased through political rhetoric or selective interpretations of legal history.

“Historical records predating and surrounding the events of 1894 clearly establish Itsekiri presence in and around Sapele. Contrary to narratives that portray the Itsekiri as late arrivals or refugees, several nineteenth-century European and colonial records identify Sapele as part of the sphere of established Itsekiri settlements and activity”, he added.

Uroye said further “In 1893, British Vice-Consul Captain H. L. Gallwey wrote: ‘First we come to the Jakris, who are connected in race and language with the Yoruba people, extending from the Mahin country on the west to the Forcados on the east, and inland about as far as Sapele.’

“Likewise, a European account from the late nineteenth century observed: ‘West of the Niger Delta, the Itsekiri settlements included Ebrohemie, Warri and Sapele.’

“Sapele was historically linked to major Itsekiri commercial networks and trading activities long before the colonial era. By the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Itsekiri communities were actively involved in commerce, navigation, fishing, and land development throughout the area”.

According to Uroye “Historical accounts also point to Sapele’s connection to the wider Itsekiri trading system associated with the Olomu axis and other riverine commercial centers. The existence of long-established Itsekiricommunities such as Obontie (Obotie), Ugbekoko, Ogun-Aja-Ugbege, Aja-Imele, Aja-Ojigwo, Arowun, Ogorode, Uton-Iyatsere, and Ugbosien further reinforces this historical reality.

“History must be examined through documented records rather than political narratives. The available historical evidence demonstrates that the Itsekiripresence in Sapele predates modern political disputes and remains an integral part of the town’s foundation, growth, and identity”, he added.

Uroye said the Itsekiri Grassroots Coalition rejects any attempt to classify the Itsekiri people as settlers within Sapele noting that the Itsekiri were a foundational population of the area and remain one of its largest and most influential indigenous communities.

“Our cultural institutions, ancestral settlements, economic contributions, and historical presence are inseparable from the story of Sapele itself. Any attempt to reduce the Itsekiri to the status of outsiders serves only one purpose: the political marginalization and dispossession of a people whose roots in the area are well documented.

“As discussions regarding the restoration and restructuring of State Constituencies continue, the Itsekiri Grassroots Coalition will closely monitor developments to ensure that the rights, interests, and historical realities of indigenous Itsekiri communities are fully respected”, he added.

Uroye vowed that IGC would oppose any arrangement designed to diminish Itsekiri representation, suppress their voice, or undermine their legitimate stake in the political future of Sapele.

“Representation must be based on fairness, historical realities, and constitutional principles, not on attempts to rewrite history or exclude indigenous communities from decision-making processes.

“The future of Sapele must be built on inclusion, fairness, and recognition of the legitimate rights of all indigenous communities”, he added.