Fresh unrest has gripped Sapele Local Government Area of Delta State following midnight raids that left parts of Otonyasere community in ruins. Residents allege that armed youths from Abigborodo in Warri North stormed the area on September 16, torching houses, shops, and properties. The assault, they say, is the latest flare-up in the long-running boundary dispute between the Okpe and Itsekiri peoples.
The outrage spilled into the streets a week later, on September 23, when hundreds of indigenes under the banner of the Okpe Youth Council Worldwide staged a peaceful demonstration. Led by National President Comrade Moses Newcome Odiete, the protesters thronged Sapele town with placards and chants, demanding that both the Federal and Delta State Governments put a stop to what they described as systematic oppression.
Odiete accused the Alema of Warri Kingdom and his followers of sponsoring the violence. “Okpe Osobo Forest Reserve is our ancestral land. They crossed the boundary bridge with guns, burning homes and chasing people out. We are peace-loving, but nobody has a monopoly of violence,” he warned. He insisted that Okpe would resist further incursions if government failed to act.
Community leaders echoed his claims, citing historical and legal precedents. Dr. Austin Arieja, a prominent Okpe voice, stressed that the disputed land has long been adjudged to belong to Okpe. “Their forebears lost repeatedly in court. Why revisit a settled matter? The Olu of Warri should call his people to order before things spiral out of hand,” he urged. Former Secretary-General of Sapele Okpe Community, Mr. Freeborn Ogodo, blamed political protection for the renewed aggression. “They attack because they feel untouchable. Our patience is not weakness. Abuja must wade in decisively,” he cautioned.
Traditional rulers, too, spoke out in pain. Okakuro Godwin Daddy revealed that he had lost his home and properties worth millions. “This is Sapele, Ward 7 — not Warri North. The Alema once vowed to burn my house, and today I am homeless. Where is the justice?” he asked. Victims narrated their losses in tears. A trader said he lost freezers, boat engines, palm oil, and cash after his house was set ablaze. Mrs. Morine Onojaefemre recounted how she fled through the bush with her children, only to lose her motorcycle and belongings to the flames. “I am left with nothing to feed my children,” she cried.
The protest later moved to the Sapele Local Government Secretariat, where demonstrators were received by Mr. Felix Abone, Executive Assistant to Chairman Bright Abeke. Abone assured the crowd that government was addressing the crisis. “The chairman is already in Asaba with the Governor. We commend your peaceful protest. Be assured that justice will be done,” he promised, adding that a stakeholders’ meeting would soon hold to broker peace.
Okpe elders, however, insist the violence has been festering for months. They recalled that in June, two bulldozers belonging to Seplat contractors were destroyed in the same forest, a move they described as deliberate sabotage aimed at driving away farmers and fishermen. “That was the warning sign. Armed youths were used to clear people off the land for a forceful takeover,” leaders explained.
With many families now displaced, Okpe leaders are making passionate appeals to President Bola Tinubu, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, and security agencies to intervene. “Our people are unsafe in their own homes. Government must uphold the law, restore peace, and stop this land grab before it explodes into a larger conflict,” the protesters declared.
