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IYC says Benin Kingdom has no authority over Ijaw ancestral lands
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Group urges Tinubu, NASS leadership to ignore ‘baseless’ Edo claims
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Warns against actions capable of provoking ethnic tension in South-South
The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Western Zone, has faulted a motion moved by Hon. Omosede Gabriella Igbinedion, member representing Ovia Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, over the proposed creation of Toru-Ebe State, insisting that Edo Ijaws cannot be excluded from the process.
The group described the lawmaker’s motion, which sought the exclusion of Edo State’s riverine areas from the proposed Toru-Ebe State, as inappropriate, unfounded and capable of undermining national cohesion.
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It was contained in a statement jointly signed by Nicholas Tamaradenyefa Igarama, Chairman of IYC Western Zone; Ebi Joshua Olowolayemo Esq., Secretary; and Comrade Tare Magbei, Information Officer.
The group accused Hon. Igbinedion of making historical claims that were “baseless and misleading.”
The statement reads partly:“Hon. Omosede’s claim that Ijaw territories are owned and controlled by the Benin Kingdom is not only baseless but absolutely unfounded. Ijaws are the aboriginal people of where they presently reside in Edo State, and at no time have our lands fallen under the monarchy of the Oba of Benin.
“On the issue of state creation, Ijaws in Edo State do not require the consent or permission of the Edo State Government, the Benin Kingdom, or any ethnic nationality to be part of Toru-Ebe State. This is our constitutional right and a matter of self-determination.”
The IYC further stated that Ijaw identity in Edo State remains intact and historically distinct, stressing that no Ijaw monarch in the state has ever paid tribute or allegiance to the Oba of Benin.
“Our identity is Ijaw and will remain so for life. There has never been a time when any Ijaw monarch in Edo State paid royalty or tribute to the Oba of Benin. Any attempt to rewrite history or interfere with our collective decision is unacceptable,” the statement added.
Condemning the resolution arising from the motion, the group warned lawmakers from Edo State against what it described as “legislative interference” in the aspirations of the Ijaw people, urging them to respect established historical and cultural realities.
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The IYC also called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, to disregard what it termed “baseless claims” by the Edo State Government and the Benin Kingdom on the Toru-Ebe State proposal.
According to the group, all aboriginal Ijaws in Edo State are united in support of the proposed state and require no external approval to pursue their aspirations through constitutional means.
The council further urged stakeholders in the South-South region to avoid actions capable of endangering unity and peace, warning that continued claims over Ijaw ancestral territories could provoke unnecessary tension.
It also called on relevant committees of the National Assembly on constitutional review, intergovernmental affairs and state creation to investigate boundary issues involving Ijaw communities in Edo State and uphold historical boundaries.
The IYC concluded by urging Ijaw lawmakers in the National Assembly to rise to the occasion and defend what it described as the collective patrimony of the Ijaw people against “external interference.”
