OPF Faults Itsekiri Claim to Sapele, Warns Against Provocation

The Okpe People’s Forum (OPF), a pan-Okpe socio-political and cultural organisation, has strongly condemned a recent statement credited to Chief Emmanuel Oritsejolomi Uduaghan, the Alema of Warri Kingdom, in which he allegedly claimed that Sapele belongs to the Itsekiri people.

Rising from an emergency meeting held in Sapele, Delta State, the OPF described the claim as reckless, inflammatory and capable of endangering peace in the area. The group also took exception to what it described as threats issued by Chief Uduaghan against the foundation-laying ceremony of a new Sub-Palace of the Orodje of Okpe Kingdom in Sapele, warning of possible communal violence if the project was allowed to proceed.

According to the OPF, the foundation-laying ceremony, held on January 24, 2026, went on peacefully without any disruption, despite the alleged threats.

The forum maintained that ownership of Sapele is both historically and legally settled in favour of the Okpe people, citing several judicial decisions, including the landmark case of Chief Ayomano & Another v. Ginuwa II (9 WACA 85), in which the West African Court of Appeal upheld Okpe ownership of Sapele lands and dismissed claims of Itsekiri overlordship.

The OPF stated that the judgment established the Okpe as the original settlers of Sapele, noting that Itsekiri presence in the town began after the Nana War of 1894, when displaced Itsekiri groups were granted refuge by the Okpe under customary tenancy arrangements.

The group further alleged that repeated claims over Sapele by some Itsekiri individuals, despite losing in court, amount to attempts to stoke tension and pursue what it described as non-existent land titles.

Reaffirming its position, the OPF said all lands in Sapele are vested in the Sapele Okpe Community Land Trust Association, the statutory body charged with land management on behalf of the indigenous Okpe people. It added that this arrangement is recognised under the Delta State Traditional Rulers, Council and Chiefs Law, which acknowledges Sapele Local Government Area as belonging to the Okpe people and recognises only the Orodje of Okpe as the statutory traditional ruler of the area.

While stressing that the Okpe people are peace-loving and hospitable, the OPF warned that it would resist any attempt by individuals or groups to misrepresent historical and legal facts or provoke conflict over Sapele lands.

The statement was signed by Igho Akeregha, President, Okpe People’s Forum (OPF).