MyopicMods:
The seemingly unending crisis between the predominantly fishing communities of Ijaw in Edo State and Benin’s penultimate week has broken the fragile peace among the inhabitants of Ikoro, a community and the Benin of Obazuwa in Ovia North East Local Government Area of the state as both parties are threatening each other war over claims to the ownership of land in the community.

The Ijaw people also known as “Ijo or “Izon” are people of the Niger Delta Delta in Nigeria inhabited regions of the states of Bayelsa, (their original Homeland), Delta, Edo, Ondo Lagos state, and River state.

Many are found as migrant fishermen in camps as far as West and lived in locations near many sea trade routes and well connected to other areas by trade as early as the 15th century.

The need for concerted efforts to end the crises can not be overemphasised as the faceoff between the Ijaws and Benin dated back to many decades has led to calls on many fora by the Ijaws and demanded that the recipe for peace and to douse the rising tension is for the creation of an autonomous local council for the Ijaw people in Edo state.

But Benin’s had challenged such demand describing the Ijaws as settlers and thereby should not take advantage of their hospitable nature by laying claims to the ownership of any portion of Benin land in Edo South senatorial districts.

Even though the relationship between the Ijaws and Benin’s can best be described as fragile, tension again risen when an umbrella body of the Ijaws, Ijaw Youth Councils (IYC) in Olodiama accused some persons of Benin extraction from Obazuwa community of destruction of their properties, intimidation, and harassment.

They noted that the recent attack by the Benin people was another attempt to display them from the Ikoro community, one of the 5 clans occupied by the Ijaws in Ovia North-East local government area of the state, adding that their people had lived in peace in the said community for many years.

Speaking on behalf of the Ijaw at Olodiama clan, Comrade Sam Ebiwana at a briefing chronicled some of the alleged acts of aggression and intimidation as followed.

Ebiwana alleged; “First, On 1st January, 2021 Obazuwa community people stopped a heavy-duty truck of a construction company handling a six kilometre Ekenwa, Obazuwa /Ikoro community by federal government assisted road project.

“Secondly, On the 31st of March, 2021, Obazuwa community people stopped 6 Ikoro youths, they were not only attacked but also framed up on trumped-up charges.

“Thirdly, on the 14th of July 2012, Obazuwa community people attacked top Engineering Company’s property in Ikoro, destroying properties worth millions of naira claiming ownership of that particular land. It is now time for concerned authorities to intervene to avoid further attacks on Ikoro people to avoid break down of law and other.

Another Ijaw leader, Godwin Ewanta, stated, “We have settled in the Ikoro community for centuries before the people came in. Why are they now calling us settlers? Not that we are weak, if we decide not to react, we just decide to stay calm because we are law-abiding citizens. So we are begging the government to look into it. Those causing the problem between two communities should invite them.

However, a Benin social-cultural group, Benin Solidarity Movement in a reaction to the recent uproar among the Ijaws and Benin’s warned that Benin will not fold its hands and allows the Ijaws to continue to lay claims to any inch of Benin land and noted that Ijaws are not the only ‘settler’ tribes in the area.

Apparently speaking for Benin’s, President of the BSM, Comrade Curtis Ugbo insisted that the Ijaws from history are tenants to the Oba of Benin Kingdom.

“Benin Solidarity Movement (BSM) worldwide viewed with disdain the television broadcast of ITV news on the 21st July, 2021 by a self-acclaimed Ijaw group, IYC Chairman in the locality.

“It is an obvious fact that the Ijaws living in Iko community (which they corrupted to Ikoro), a community controlled by the Enogie of Obazuwa in Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo state are lost and do not know their history.

“Let us make it very loud and clear to the settler Ijaws who vis-a-vis are customary tenants to the Oba of Benin Kingdom that there is no town or community in the Benin Kingdom called Ikoro in Ovia North Local Government Area of Edo State.

“And they should know also that they are not the only tribes that are settlers in that locality and for all we care, the IYC may be talking of a community that is situated in Bayelsa State acclaimed as a homogenous Ijaw State.

“The brains behind the pseudo IYC should be called to order immediately before they drag their kinsmen into an unwarranted circumstance, as far as the Iko Community issue is concerned.

“Ijaws should let it be known that they are settlers in the Benin Kingdom and our Great Oba of Benin Kingdom is the Overlord of all the lands in the Kingdom. And the fact that the Benin’s are accommodating should not be misconstrued as a sign of weakness by these miscreants who hide under different aliases and groups to trigger crises that will end up consuming them.

“We have been stretched to the limit and it will be a matter of good judgment if they call themselves to order now before it is too late.

“They should also be informed that we are not contesting anything with them as regards their Ikoro. Our area of interest lies within our territory, Iko Community in Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State where we have over the years accommodated them and other tribes as it is our nature to be good hosts.

The IYC should be reasonable enough now to change their steps in this macabre dance that they have inadvertently forced themselves into; for nobody has a monopoly of violence”.

In solidarity with its Ijaw brothers, an Ijaw group under the aegis of Izon-Ibe Dragnet has tackled the Benin Solidarity Movement (BSM) over their comment on the Ikoro community recently alleging that there is nothing like the Ikoro Community in Edo State.

The Izon-Ibe Dragnet particularly warned the BSM not to see the peaceful disposition of the Ijaws of Edo, particularly the people of Ikoro and the entire Olodiama Kingdom as a sign of weakness, stressing that no one has the monopoly of violence.

This was contained in a rejoinder signed and issued to newsmen in Benin, the capital of Edo State by Bandua Itebete, Spokesman, Izon-Ibe Dragnet, a copy of which was sent made available to LEADERSHIP Weekend noted that Ikoro community as it were predates Obazuwa community.

“It is worthy to note that the Ijaw nation has never been conquered and hence our resolve to live in peace with our neigbours should not be seen as an act of weakness.

“However, we have keenly observed the activities of a group with the name” Benin Solidarity movement (BSM) ” and still wonder why such a group becomes the mouthpiece of the Benin speaking tribe which to us it’s not only unfortunate, it is very sardonic.

“It seems the said Benin Solidarity Movement (BSM) is grossly deficient of history, if not they would have known that Ikoro Community predates Obazuwa Community and such cannot be called settlers.

“A little research on what transpired in the early ’80s between Ikoro Community and a now non -existent Ikoloke Community which shared boundary with Ikoro Community would certainly give the BSM a clearer picture of what they are about to plunge the people of Obazuwa Community into and hence get a little wisdom from it and apply brakes before it’s too late.

Efforts to get the Public Relation Officer of the Edo State Police Command SP Kontongs Bello to react on efforts to restore peace amidst the threat to peace were unsuccessful as calls placed to him were unanswered.

However, a source within the command confided to LEADERSHIP Weekend that the police authorities are monitoring the situation there and will ensure that law and order prevail in the affected communities.

https://leadership.ng/land-dispute-ijaw-benin-beat-drums-of-war-over-ownership/amp/?fbclid=IwAR1fkuazQ2CdRB1ZCLBBTSOnQruVyUVRheaS2Zz0iU8ZggIqm0H46sHfap8

November1857:
Ijaw with trouble are 5&6

Goodmarlian:
I thought ijaw are Binni migrants?

Is this how Niger delta republic will be?..

Captain8:
you this jobless ipob follow follow again..... how did Ijaw make trouble?
mumu, abi u nor know wetin be trouble?

yanabasee2:
Which kind war?


Something that they'll be using juju to show off...


They don't have arms and they don't even have the technical Frontline arrangements of local militaries... How then will they fight?


Sha.... if Nigeria was restructured, there wouldn't be issues of this kind anymore....

Captain8:
we dont pray for war...but seem you are the only ignorant person in nigeria.......

go find out the people with the most dangerous weapons in nigeria........ do you think boko haram weapons can withstand niger delta weapons?

you too ignorant in this country

yanabasee2:



Ok.... Mr I too know....

Captain8:
we dont pray for war...but seem you are the only ignorant person in nigeria.......

go find out the people with the most dangerous weapons in nigeria........ do you think boko haram weapons can withstand niger delta weapons?

you too ignorant in this country

DubaiLandLord1:
Which one be Niger Delta weapon again? Benins are trying to tear Una ass, you still dey dream of Niger Delta republic

Captain8:
you this jobless ipob follow follow again..... how did Ijaw make trouble?
mumu, abi u nor know wetin be trouble?

Crazychris:

Captain8:
you be mumu....
who fed you those two lies?

which of the Egbesu your people captured? is it the one your dream?
some of your elders go just drink ogogoro start to dey load your brain with lies...........whose kingdom Egbesu did your captured??..answer me..


Ijaw surrender to who? A fight that non of the participant from kingdom lost life...

Izon has never lost any war since the it migrated from israel and egypt.....

God specially chosed Izon nation and gave it blessing that no nation on earth will defeated it in a war......

even federal forces could not defeated Ijaw boys 2009.........yaradua only pleaded for amnesty....

we Ijaws love Ilaje and every tribe...... we are united niger delta...

ThEGodFaThEr103:

This is na Mumu raised to the power of 10!
Benin people are already displacing your ijaw people as we are speaking now and you're here ranting about "Egbesu".
Keep believing that there's anything like "Niger delta republic" in this country. Monkey!

Crazychris:
Yes o ijaws are trouble makers and natural land grabbers. Around 1999-2007 there was war between we ilaje from ondo state and the ijaws, they wanted to claim our ancestral land but we showed them and their egberisus.
The war was fierce face to face gun battle and it went on for years so many life were lost during those years I no fit forget.
When you wake up dead bodies here and there, all my homies take up arms to defend themselves.
Some of my homies died. I was given and trained how to use SMG-Machine gun during the war but my mom trashed those guns and took us out of the city around okitipupa ondo state for safety. If not I would have been dead by now, omo you guys get many sophisticated weapons o. Those ijaw get guns but we get odeshi, our own odeshi was called WAMA while theirs was EGBERISU one small boy go just dey in front of their boat dey swallow our bullets. Later on we discovered the weakness of the egberisu and captured it, we took the war to them in their land killed thousands of them. That was how they surrendered though they also killed many ilaje too casualty on both sides. Government couldn't interfere, I could remember when government brought in soldiers to quench the war only few of them returned because it was not a terrestrial war meant for soldiers....
It was war on water using different type of boats. E no easy they later surrendered Sha and we became friends but we don't sleep with 2 eyes closed.

Captain8:
this is not matter of too know......you fvcked up wel wel for that your comment........

DubaiLandLord1:
Which one be Niger Delta weapon again? Benins are trying to tear Una ass, you still dey dream of Niger Delta republic

yanabasee2:



Look man....


I made a comment and I never insulted you or your generation... You quoted me and spill trash and to you, you feel you made a sense out of it...


I just refuse to engage you...

Probability because you are immature to have a mature conversation...


So swerve and keep your nonsense opinion to your sill self..

Captain8:
point at any where i insult you??

you must tell me where i insult you oo......

we dont pray for war...but seem you are the only ignorant person in nigeria.......
go find out the people with the most dangerous weapons in nigeria........ do you think boko haram weapons can withstand niger delta weapons?
you too ignorant in this country

Omoluabi1stborn:
Ijaws should know that, Apart from Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers.

They're settlers in other states.

Captain8:
just as Yorubas are settlers in lagos, kwara......
oyo is the only home of Yorubas....