By Simon Ebegbulem

THE Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, and Ijaw elders in Edo State, weekend, raised an alarm over alleged plan by the state government to deploy soldiers to Gelegele and other Ijaw communities in the state, including Okikoro where they have their Egbesu shrine. They warned that such action will be a declaration of war against the Ijaw nation and will be resisted.

The state government, through the Special Adviser to the Governor on Communication, Mr Cusoe Osagie, said there are no such plans yet, adding, however, that the state government will ensure that lives and property of indigenes of the state living in those areas are protected in the event of any threat to peace in the area. “I am not aware of any deployment of soldiers to that area. However, the state government reserves the right to protect all law abiding citizens in the state. No breach of peace has been reported yet, but if and when that is done, the state will ensure that lives and properties are protected. If the IYC are law abiding people in the state then they have nothing to fear about,” he said National


President of IYC, Eric Omare, who raised the alarm during a press conference in Okomu, Ovia South West Local Government Area of Edo State, stressed that the Ijaw are not settlers in Edo State, “Ijaw people are indigenes and owners of the land that they occupy in Edo State. Let me also make this point, any threat or attack on Ijaw people in Edo State, is an attack against the entire Ijaw people in Nigeria. “Only this afternoon we got a message that the government of Edo State, in collaboration with the Benin Traditional Council, has perfected plans to send soldiers to Ijaw communities starting from Gelegele and the Egbesu shrine in Okikoro. We want to advice, if they do that it will be a declaration of war against the ijaw nation, they should not take the Ijaw nation’s silence for weakness. The Ijaw nation has the capacity to defend her people anywhere in Nigeria,” Omare said.
Reacting to the Supreme Court judgement which the Benin people said gave them the right to the land, Omare asserted: ¨I have read the judgement they are referring to between two individuals in Gelegele and Ughoton, that judgement has nothing to do with the entirety of the land owned by the Ijaw people of Edo state. You cannot use a land dispute between two individuals from two communities to rope the entire nation, it is ridiculous. So that judgement has no relevance to the issues at stake. We want to warn the government of Edo state to behave like a government and not an extension of the palace¨. Also speaking, Dr Tommy Kolodowei, Otunba Kalasowei of Ijaw Apoi nation, insisted ¨this land belong to my ancestors. The Apoi ancestors occupied this land for centuries. The Apoi in Ondo State today moved from Okomu to Ondo State. Now if Apoi people left Okomu to Ondo State and in Ondo state today, Apoi has 10 kings, all approved Kings and where they left from does not have a king, that does not make sense to anybody. I want Nigeria to solve that puzzle for me.’’

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/12/edo-govt-planning-destroy-shrine-deploy-soldiers-ijaw-elders/

It is a sacrilegious abomination in Edo land for ijaws peoples to be purporting another kingdom. I think, it is highly provocative and strongly condemn.

I urge Edo state Government to demolish such nefarious and barbaric act from Edoland .

Its like these ijaws peoples don't really know where they are from. I think, this is a personality and identity disorders.

Have this lost ppl from bayelsa forgotten that the issues of gelegele had been rule in favour of Benin people 3times by supreme court?

What is wrong with this Philistinian people?

Well there are Two ways to handle a goat either you eat it or you beat it with koboko... We know what to do!!

......The Edo's 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"

To all the ijaw tenants in Edo state , you can continue crying on the internet as well as issuing threats, we rule Edo state and our command is your wish

AxxeMan:
It is a sacrilegious abomination in Edo land for ijaws peoples to be purporting another kingdom. I think, it is highly provocative and strongly condemn.

I urge Edo state Government to demolish such nefarious and barbaric act from Edoland .

Its like these ijaws peoples don't really know where they are from. I think, this is a personality and identity disorders.

Have this lost ppl from bayelsa forgotten that the issues of gelegele had been rule in favour of Benin people 3times by supreme court?

What is wrong with this Philistinian people?

Well there are Two ways to handle a goat either you eat it or you beat it with koboko... We know what to do!!

Fishermen go cry today oo

This are the ijaw backyard kings

Look how they dress like Oba of Benin and later turn around and try and insult the same Edo people they copy and look up to, this miscreants are really lost

Nigeria will contain every body



dis country just tire me

If soldiers come into a shrine, destroy the shrine and the gods are either unable to prevent the invasion or avenge the destruction of the shrine, such god is not worthy of worship.

I think you should worship the soldiers who are more powerful than the gods and could destroy them.

I guess they reversed it, the Bini chiefs wear white while the Oba wears red....

THE Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, and Ijaw elders in Edo State, weekend, raised an alarm over alleged plan by the state government to deploy soldiers to Gelegele and other Ijaw communities in the state

Just look at this people

If this issue is not handled properly, it could engulf the entire SS and lead to unimaginable lost of lives and properties. The federal government should intervene ASAP!

Binis and Ijaws have been living side by side together for centuries - so why all this nonsense at this time?

Why are the Binis trying to impose their Oba on another tribe. Those Ijaws have been there for ages as their ancestral land, perhaps National Boundary Commission can delineate that area into Delta State.
Do you know that there is Igala in Anambra State and no one is forcing them to pay allegiance to any Igbo traditional ruler?

Let peace reign otherwise death and destruction will overtake the land

Blackfyre:
I guess they reversed it, the Bini chiefs wear white while the Oba wears red....

Straight Edo copy and Paste !!

..

Guyman02:
Why are the Binis trying to impose their Oba on another tribe. Those Ijaws have been there for ages as their ancestral land, perhaps National Boundary Commission can delineate that area into Delta State.
Do you know that there is Igala in Anambra State and no one is forcing them to pay allegiance to any Igbo traditional ruler?

Guy but sense is cheap na!! Abeg borrow

Standardcosting:
What has those clay brought them?

Has any I jaw become;

A President?

A vice-president?

A Dangote?

A Bill gate?

Given them paradise?

If they have achieved any these through those clays, then they have a point.

They had an ineffectual Buffon

Misleading topic
However, an advice to adherentsfaithfulszealotsfanatics-
Destroying shrines and peoples' places of finding any kind of meaning to life is tantamount to a gross violation of life, barbarism and many words come to my mind but I am too outraged on the native worshippers' behalf to remember any now!

I cringe when I see people go on "shrine and destiny destroying" campaigns and crusades...reeks of self hate and mental slavery (we by now should all have come to the realization that we were shackled by colonialism and it's trappings- acknowledge this at least even if still stuck to these cultures...)
Live, and let live

No people in this world would ever respect a people without their own philosophies, Africa in this case
Jeez

AxxeMan:
It is a sacrilegious abomination in Edo land for ijaws peoples to be purporting another kingdom. I think, it is highly provocative and strongly condemn.

I urge Edo state Government to demolish such nefarious and barbaric act from Edoland .

Its like these ijaws peoples don't really know where they are from. I think, this is a personality and identity disorders.

Have this lost ppl from bayelsa forgotten that the issues of gelegele had been rule in favour of Benin people 3times by supreme court?

What is wrong with this Philistinian people?

Well there are Two ways to handle a goat either you eat it or you beat it with koboko... We know what to do!!

Thiat is what u get when govt decides to neglect its towns n villages. I WONT be suprised to see Urhobi laying claims to ownership of my village in time to come.

/

It beats me how mortals are willing and ready to die in defense of their all powerful gods.

Egbesu should be able to defend itself.

/

gadgetsngs:


Thiat is what u get when govt decides to neglect its towns n villages. I WONT be suprised to see Urhobi laying claims to ownership of my village in time to come.

Dat one still good .... Urhobos na our clans men na

This I jaw people should chill jare... why clamour for a fight you can't win. Rubbish

PrinceOgun:







Fishermen go cry today oo

Dem norbe fishermen again ooo dem be Goats now

Other ethnic groups and the Ijaws were under the control of Oba of Benin since ages.

Read:

http://www.edoworld.net/The_Origin_of_Benin.html

I think they said Niger delta fighters are coming

Charly68:
I think they said Niger delta fighters are coming

Thier Boat dey leak dem don turn back

But when some bloody Igbos were doing the likes in a state in the West.
Some people thought they were right.

If it leads to war many fine houses and offices in benin will be burnt down overnight by the Ijaws, lagos-benin highway will be hell, alot of robberies and kidnapping will take place in benin.
Benin have more to lose compared to the Ijaws, so the benin should avoid anything like war.

seems the ijaws got many lands scattered in Nigeria oooo
dem just de claim anything, Tot they said lagos belongs to them