Indigenes of Warri

Nigeria have been told by the Itsekiris leaders including their expected intellectuals that they are the only indigenes of Warri and that the Ijaws and Urhobos of Warri are mere settlers who must be ruled by the Itsekiris and whose destinies must be decided by the Itesekiris. It will be remembered that in about 180 pages of an address presented by late Justice F. O. M. Atake to the Idoko commission of inquiry, in the June1997, he dwelled so mush on who are the indigenes of Warri and concluded that the Itsekiris were the only indigenes of Warri. He based his conclusion on a number of alleged cases won by the Itsekiris against the Ijaws and the Urhobos from 1925 to this day.

The fallacy of his arguments would be simply illustrated by a situation whereby two brothers or two neighbours have a land case in a particular community and the one who gains an upper hand become the only indigene and the one who lost becomes a mere settler or tenant. Below is a part of my address submitted to the Idoko Commission of inquiry on the subject "who are the indigenes of Warri"

I have decided to give this heading because of the classifications of the various people of Warri. While I do not fault Atake’s definition of indigene, but I totally disagree with him in his application. An indigenous person according to him "must originate naturally from that particular place. An indigene of Warri therefore is a person who naturally originate from Warri". In his application therefore he believes that only the Itsekiris are indigenes of Warri while the Ijaws and Urhobos migrate from western Ijaw and Urhobo Division respectively. In order to justify his defective reasoning, he illustrates his case with evidence given in court by some Ijaws in a case involving some Isaba people. He did not remind himself of the pleading of the Olu of Warri, Erejuwa 11 for and on behalf of the Itsekiris in suit N0W/148/56 brought by chief Oloiki and five others for and on behalf of the Ogbe-Ijoh people against the Olu of Warri, Erejuwa 11 for and on behalf of the Itsekiri people. In the said pleading which was filled by the late Chief O. N. Rewane, he stated that:

As to the remainder of paragraph 4 of the particulars of claims, and as to paragraph 5 to 14 of the particulars of claim, the Defendant denies that the history of the people of Ogbe-Ijoh or the Itsekiri people is correctly stated therein. The said history, so far as it is material for the purpose of this action, is as follows:

For many years before AD 1480, the area now known as Warri Division, including the three lands in dispute was occupied by Yoruba-speaking people whom later became known as the Itsekiris. About AD 1480, Giwamu 1, a son of the then of ruling Oba of Benin, left Benin City with his followers and subordinate chiefs. The said Giwamu and his successor occupied the lands between Warri and Benin River (approximating to the present Warri Division) and established their kingdom.

The said kingdom became known as the kingdom of Warri (sometimes referred as Oere, Ouere, Awerri, Owerri, Jekri) and the rulers thereof became known as Olus of Warri. Form the above pleading, it is evidently clear by Atake’s application of the word indigenes, that the Itsekiris who are Yorubas who migrated from Yoruba land and their Olu who migrated from Benin can not therefore be regarded as indigenes of Warri because they are immigrants from Yoruba and Benin. The Ijaws migrated from Western Ijaw settled in Warri Division before the Itsekiri ever came there. This is supported by various authorities such as Jacob Egharevba in his short history of Benin at page 21 where the Oba of Benin in sending Prince Ginuwa into exile directed that Ijaw canoe men to take him to where he can found his own kingdom and they took him to Amatu, an Ijaw village for forty years, married and had children including Prince Ejijen and later escaped to Ijala after brutally killing his Ijaw wife. Another authority on the Ijaws being the first settlers on the Niger- Delta, Benin river and Escravos in particular is found in Prof Ryder’s Book titled "Benin and the Europeans 1485 – 1897 pages 27 and 146".

William Moore an Itsekiri, whose book, History Of Itsekiri has been cited in various litigations as an authority also stated in his book that Ginuwa was an immigrant and guest among the Ijaws. He also stated that "prior to the advent of Benin prince Ginuwa, the territory now know as the kingdom of Itsekiri or lwerre was inhabited by three tribes namely: Ijaws, Sobos and Mahins"

F. O. M Atake also refereed to the Urhobos of Warri as immigrant from the uhobo Division who are not the original settlers of Warri and that they are customary tenants of the Itsekiris. If this is true, why should a customary tenant grant lease to the owners of the land. The Itsekiris who cliam to be the owners and indigens of Warri have been adjudge tenant to Okere-Urhobo clan in a consent judgement in suit N0.W/28/65. This consent judgement covered the area of land on which Hussey Collage including the Plamgroove Motel and the land on which the late A. O. Rewane built his own edifice when he died he was buried in that House. This clearly shows that the Urhobos of Warri are the true Indigenes of Warri.

The Urhobos of Okere who migrated from okpare-Olomu and the Urhobos of Agbarha who migrated from Agbarho-Otor and who have settled in Warri from time immemorial are indigenes of Warri. The Ijaws of Gbaramatu who have been living at there present homeland until 1930 when they transferred from Forcados to Warri for political administration. The Isabas (Ijaws) who gave their daughter Ebinimiere (Emave), in marriage to Erejuwa and who later became the mother prince Uwala and princess Iye who was later inherited by Akengbuwa 1 who begot Prince Omatoye, Prince Ejo and the sister from where the present olu’s father Erejuwa 11 and his grandfather Ginuwa 11 are indigenes of Warri. Another interesting case in the one that involved the family of the most powerful Itsekiri in which Chief Dore Numa , the warrant chief who was a political agent of the colonial masters acknowledged and indeed accepted his true status as a tenant of the Ijaws of Egbema clan by paying yearly tribute. After his demise, his children proved recalcitrant. Consequently, the children were dragged to court and the case was decided in favour of the Ijaws. See suit N03/33 CAT of Ebilo of Itsekelewu Vs Eligho Dore of Odegene delivered on 4^th July, 1933. A copy of the judgement was attached to Egbema’s memorandum as Annexure 5 submitted to Justice Idoko commission of inquiry 1997.

Here again one is tempted to ask Justice Atake, who is the indigene of Warri in this case? By F. O. M Atake’s definition of indigene, he cannot be properly described as a true indigene of Warri but a true indigene of Urhobo. He was born in Sapele by an Urhobo father who married an Itsekiri lady in Sapele and he grew up in Sapele an Urhobo town. It may be necessary to ask him to find out about his own qualification as an indigene of Warri. in my own case, my grandfather Bekederemo’s mother is from Ogbe-Ijoh and Egbokodo, an Itsekiri village in what way therefore would Atake claim to be an indigene of Warri with an Itsekiri mother and an Urhobo father than myself. He calls me an Kiagbodo man from Burutu Local Government Area and in reply, I called him an Orogun man from Ughelli North Local government Area. Having stated the above to show that some of the Itsekiris rude and provocative statements, I will sincerely appeal to those recalcitrant, narrow mined and arrogant Itsekiris to develop the spirit of live and lets live. The Itsekiris, the Ijaws and the Urhobos are one and the same people and live together for over four hundred (400) years and each of them is an indigene of Warri.

At this juncture, I should like to pay tribute to the memories of the following Itsekiri citizens: Justice Arthur Prest, a former Federal Minister of Communication in the first Republic and champion of Itsekiri Tradition and protector of Itsekiri Rights who was confidant of Olu and active leader of the Action Group in Warri, Grey Egbe a former permanent Secretary and Prince J. A. Omagbemi a community leader who preached gospel of peace to the Itsekiris and warned that unless the Ijaws and Urhobos of Warri were recognized by the Itsekiri as indigenes, there will be no peace. At the meeting of the Warri aborigines unity organization held in Warri in September, 1971, chief priest said: it was politically wrong to treat the Urhobos and the Ijaws as strangers of Warri as they were indigenes of the town.

I consider it morally wrong for some people to take other people’s properties. Neither the laws nor the Government has given people the authority to do this.

See Daily Times of Saturday, 11^th September, 1971.

Both the late Justice Arthur Prest and Prince J. A. Omagbemi automatically became the enemies of the Olu Erejuwa 11 and his chiefs. It is remarkable to note that Hon. Justice Arthur Prest who was a principal party to the change of the tittle Olu of Itsekiri to Olu of Warri in 1952 realised later in his lifetime that it was a very wrong decision. However, he paid dearly for his change of mind. He became an outcast amongst the Itsekiri leaders and was tabooed. In his death, he was not spared. The Olu decreed that no Itsekiri leaders should attend his funeral ceremony. So, it was his mother’s people from Uvwie and the NBA Warri Branch that assisted the immediate family with his burial.

It is an irony of fate that late Alfred O. Rewane who was the leader of the Itsekiri Leaders of thought that championed the Champaign against chief Arthur Prest leading to the Royal Decree that no Itsekiri should attend Arthur Prest’s funeral had the same treatment meted on him at his death when present Olu Atuwatse 11 also decreed that no Itsekiri should attend late A. O. Rewan’s funeral notwithstanding the great contribution he made to the development of the Itsekiri nations.

Is it therefore not ridiculous that a prominent Itsekiri leader of late A. O. Rewan’s fame should be buried in a leased land hen he had earlier claimed to be the owner of Warri from the (Urhobos) Okumagba’s family.

The colonial master believed that the Ogbe-Ijoh people were the first settlers in Warri and hereby submitted an intelligent report Ref: N0. W. 284/1928/8 of 12^th June, 1928 submitted by F. P. Lynch Resident. Warri province to the Honourable, the secretary, southern provinces, Lagos Captioned "Warri Township Assessment Report as reproduced hereunder:

N0. W. 204/1920/8

12^th June, 1928

MEMORANDUM

From: RESIDENT TO: THE HONOURABLE

WARRI PROVINCE, WARRI THE SECREATRY, SOUTHERN PROVINCES LAGOS.

Warri Township, Assessment Report

"I forward herewith the original and a copy of the Warri Township Assessment Report as carried out by Mr. Pretharoe.

2. Mr. Pretheroe obviously took a great deal of trouble over this report and the information contained in the body of the report will be valuable record.
3. It will be that as regards the actual assessment of the people, considerable changes are necessitated, as will be seen from instructions issued by this office to the District Officer Warri, a copy of which is attached.
4. Further changes have had to be made during the collection of the tax, 9which commenced on June 5^th) as many persons of the labourer’s class have changed had amongst employers or have, on discharge from their employment, returned to their towns.
5. A copy of the amended assessment will be forwarded in due course, if required.

(sgd) F. P. Lynch

RESIDENT

Warri Province

P.S This has been erroneously held over till present date

(Intd.) F. P. (Lynch), 16^th July, 1928.

Boundaries The boundaries of the second class township of WARRI are shown on

Plan number 1 attached to this report

History 2. The township of Warri, in marked contrast to the village of OLD

WARRI is of recent growth. The original settlement, which in due course became the nucleus around which the population settled, was known as OGBE-IJOH and the name is still retained to define the portion of the town around the present market. As the name indicates OGBE-IJOH was originally an Ijaw settlement and translated literally means, I am informed, "the Ijaw fish market". I have been unable to trace any information, either verbal or documentary, which will assist in any way in dating the foundation of OGBE-IJOH. It is wrong to say that there is evidence that the settlement is now more than a century old land that, down to comparatively recent times, the settlement was small and supported a very meager population. The Ijaw fishermen, always more at home in their canoes than on land, fished up and down the stretch of water which now forms the Warri anchorage and made use of the settlement to sell their catches. In the main the purchasers came from the old Established Sobo hamlet of AGBASA and the more recent Jekri village of Okere.

3. The first change occurred some sixty or sixty-five years ago when a few Sobo families, not more that five in number apparently, settled and built houses on the high river bank on site now occupied by bungalows 6 and 7. The descendants of these families date their occupied to a much earlier period but I have heard of no evidence which substantiates the claim in the least degree. These families cleared a small area and planted corn, yams, and possible pawpaws through the authority for including the later tree in merely traditional.
4. At that date Warri presented/very different spectacle to that which appears today. A small Ijaw settlement, now dying still occupied a site at present covered and overlapped by the market and a small Sobo settlement stood where bungalows 6 and 7 now stand. Both these settlements were on the high right bank of the river and behind them the ground fell away into a swamp filled with long grass, some mangroves and numerous small lakes. Almost the whole of the present golf course is built on the site of this swamp and, in appearance, it was originally doubles very similar to that still existing near the prison. Beyond the swamp, in an Easterly direction stood the comparatively large village of AGBASSA while on the North side, the growing hamlet of Okere was rapidly extending its boundaries inter-communication between these villages and the riverside settlement was maintained by means of "bush paths" which meandered around the edge of the swamp.
5. In 1888 or 1889 several Government officials visited Warri on numerous occasions and apparently were favourably impressed with the high right bank of the river. At all events in 1891, or perhaps early in 1892. The preliminary steps were taken in the construction of the consulate building. This was completed and occupied in 1883 0r 1884 and in 1826 a post officer was built.
6. In the year 1904 the Warri-Sapele road was started and the same year saw the establishment of the first Government School in the town. The following year a telegraph line from Warri to the Lagos boundary near Owo, via Sapele and Benin as constructed. At this time also various other offices were erected for the medical department, public works and police departments. In 1900 after many delays the present residency was erected. The erection of the later building was attended with tragedy for owing to the heavy and continuos rains, the scaffolding collapsed and in the resulting crash a number of the workers lost their lives and yet more or less seriously injured.

Reference was made to Warri in the 1910 hand-book and the relevant portions are as follows:

Situation and Extent

"The Warri district lies on the Southern border of the central Provinces and is bounded by the District of kwale, Abo, Forcados and the Eastern Province District of Brass.

Its area is approximately 1,276 square miles.

Population

"The population is returned at 141, 614 and is comprised of Ijaws, Sobo and a small settlement of Jekris.

The Ijaws are indigenes of Warri but not under the over lordship of the Olu of Warri.

There are also unfounded claims by some Itsekiri intellectuals that the influence of the various Itsekiri Monarch from Ginuwa who died and was buried at Ijala and his first son Ejijen who also lived in Ode-Itsekiri died and was buried in Ijala to Erejuwa I ere not born in Warri, did not live in Warri and were not buried in Warri, did not live in Warri and were not buried in Warri. it was the change of title from Olu of Itsekiri to Olu of Warri that made the Olu to move to rented house in Ekurede-Itsekiri in 1952 here he later built his palace on leased land.

Today, every prominent Itsekiri man who lives in Warri, lived on buildings on leased land and I challenged most of them to trace their two or three generations in Warri Township to entitle them to indigenes of Warri to the exclusion of others.

I appeal to the Itsekiris to have a change of attitude and live with their brothers and sisters as co-equals and co-owners of Warri. The mere fact, that the Ijaws and Urhobos were once under you due to the Itsekiris early contact with the Whitman whereby most Ijaws and Urhobos were treated by your forefathers as political slaves under your forefather’s authority particularly late Chief Dore Numa, can no longer be tolerated by their children who on their own are wealthier, more educated and more politically matured than most Itsekiris today. We recognised that the Itsekiris, the Urhobo and the Ijaws of Warri have no other nation. No other local government area, no other land expect that which has been given to them in Warri. We recognised that the land and all its wealth in Warri are gift from God and the people need peace to enjoy them.

The Itsekiris are therefore strongly advised to drop their arrogance and felling of superiority over their neighbours if they are to live in peace with their neighbours. It is appropriate to state hereunder what the senior resident of Warri Province, Major R. L. Bowen Ref. N0. W. P 86/3 dated 16^th November, 1944 as one of the reasons by the Ijaws and Urhobos in rejecting the change of title of Olu of Itsekiri to Olu of Warri.

"I was surprised at a recent meeting of the Western Ijaw Council to see the depths of feeling on this matter the Itsekiris were called sly and cunning and nothing could make them believe that it was not the Olu’s intention to attempt to became their overlord. For this I think the Itsekiris are much to be blamed themselves. Frequent attempts by the Olu to interfere in the Ijaw lands of Forcados and Burutu, the Sapele land case, the unfortunate reference by Edema Arubi to the Urhobos as slaves, which were not immediately repudiated by the Itsekiri Council and the general idea of many of the Itsekiris that they are a superior people and were civilized by contact with the Europeans long before the backward tribes of the hinterland, have led to a cumulative feeling of suspicion and distrust, which it appears quite impossible to eradicate from the minds of the other tribes. I have not asked the Obi of Aboh for his view but have learnt privately that it would probably be unfavourable to a change.

I appeal once again to the Iteskiris particularly their leaders including Chief Jemide J. Ayomike, Chief G. Mabiaku, Mr. Alison Ayida who have recently moved to Warri to live in Warri township, to change their attitude and embrace peace and live together as brothers/sisters and with their neighbours.

 CHIEF (DR) E. K. CLARK