EDO STATE: IJAW AT GELEGELE ARE TENANT TO THE BENIN PEOPLE

That Gelegele is a Bini community is a long settled issue. There are established, verifiable administrative inquiries by the then Midwest State Government and judgments from the High Court up to the Supreme Court in Lagos giving authority and power to the Binis over the land occupied by our forbears for centuries. Our claim to Gelegele and environs is neither fictional nor adventurous. The area was incontrovertibly founded by a Bini

Prince Ekaladerhan who escaped a royal death decree over 10 centuries ago particularly Ughoton Princess Kobe from Ughoton founded Gelegele after previous attempts to inhabit the swampy terrain failed the name Gelegele derived from the exclamation: “Gelegele emwan khian evbo” Our investigation showed that the first Ijaw man from undoubted history to setle in Gelegele was one Feti who suffered a misadventure in the near sea where torrential waves swept away his makeshift .home about 100 years ago.
He obtained permission from one Okunseri, the then priest of Ughoton, to settle there under traditional oath of allegiance. As time went on the Ijaw population in Gelegele grew but continually paid homage to the Binis nay the Oba of Benin, through Ughoton until late Oba Akenzua II, CMG, stopped them.

However, in 1969 the Ijaw who had prior knowledge of oil discovery in the land, rose against the authority which erupted in a crisis at a time a Bini man, one Ogbeifun Egharevba was Odionwere of Gelegele. An administrative inquiry was setup by the then Midwest State Government of Brigadier-General Samuel Osaigbovo Ogbemudia, headed by one Mr. S. Jamgbadi, a Senior
District Officer and sat at Ekehuan. A report was issued in 1970, and we quote inter-alia: “It is however established that the Ijaws have been resident in Gelegele for many years and that during these years they have acquired landed property and cultivated farms; but from the facts in evidence they qualify as TENANTS on the land - their-long period of occupation notwithstanding.
The matter went through the High Court of Justice and Federal Court of Appeal in Benin and the Supreme Court -in Lagos.
The Binis secured victory all the way. The following suit numbers are material evidences to buttress our claim to the land at Gelegele
and environs

1. High Court of Justice, Benin Judgment delivered on the 22nd December 1978 by .Justice. Ekeruche J in Suit No. B/I44/1970.
2. Federal Court of Appeal judgment delivered on the 16th December1981 by Abdul Ganiy Olatunji· Agbaja and 2 others in
Suit No. FCA/B/82/80.
3. Supreme Court unanimous Judgment delivered on the 19th ‘August 1983 by Muhamedu Lawai Uwais, former Chief Justice of the Federation and 4 others in Suit No. SC.131/1982.
Ijaws are only settlers on Benin land and have no legal, moral or historical support for their claims to be owners of where they find themselves.