Residents of Odun Ebiwonjumi Community in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State have raised the alarm over an alleged invasion of their ancestral land by some Itsekiri people, calling on the Federal and state governments to urgently intervene to prevent the dispute from escalating into violence.
The residents made the demand during a peaceful protest in the community on Thursday, where they displayed placards bearing messages calling for the protection of their ancestral land and immediate government intervention.
The protesters said the latest development followed moves to construct a concrete jetty in the area by the Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC).
Speaking on behalf of the community, one of its indigenes, Busayo Ebiniyi, said the people of Odun Ebiwonjumi and their Itsekiri neighbours had enjoyed longstanding relations through friendship, trade and intermarriage.
“The Itsekiri nationalities have been friends and fraternised with us for decades, permit me to say for generations, as the case may be,” he said.
Ebiniyi, however, insisted that Odun Ebiwonjumi remained an ancestral settlement in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, stressing that its people owed their allegiance to the Ondo State Government.
He said the community's identity and ownership of its ancestral land had been passed down through generations and could not be surrendered.
According to him, the dispute extends beyond Odun Ebiwonjumi to several other coastal communities in the area, including Odun Makin, Ilu Titun, Odun Odunjo, Odun Maha, Eke Nla, Eke Kekere, Ubajakere, Eke Itiola, Odun Okoro, Odun Yonren, Odun Beku, Odun Ogungbeje, Odun Oyinbo, Odun Oriretan, Ubale Kekere, Ubale Nla, Ikuyinminu and Odun Igo.
He described the communities as distinct and independent Ilaje oil-producing settlements that had historically operated separately.
Ebiniyi appealed to the Ondo and Delta State governments, traditional rulers and other stakeholders to intervene before the disagreement degenerates into conflict.
“We want to plead with the governments of Ondo and Delta states to go all out for government-to-government agreements and assemble elders of both Ilaje and Itsekiri communities so that we will be able to dialogue on the essence of peace rather than war,” he said.
He stressed that the community remained committed to peace but would not accept intimidation or suppression.
Ebiniyi also explained that the name “Ebiwonjumi” represented more than a geographical designation, describing it as an ancestral identity inherited from their forefathers.
He appealed to the Federal Government, the Ondo and Delta State governments and traditional rulers to intervene, noting that the community had historically identified with Ugbo Kingdom in Ilaje Local Government Area.
He further cited projects executed in the community by successive Ondo State administrations as evidence of its longstanding administrative relationship with the state.
Another community leader, Hon. Olumide Ebiwonjumi, said the name “Ebiwon” was derived from Ebiwonjumi, the ancestral name of the community's forefathers.
He maintained that Odun Ebiwonjumi was situated in Ondo State, under Ilaje Local Government Area and Ugbo Kingdom, rather than Delta State.
Ebiwonjumi said the affected communities had previously been represented in the Ultimate Oil Producing Community Association and the Ilaje Eight United Oil Producing Communities Association before the implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
He said his upbringing in the community, coupled with the presence of government projects and political structures administered by Ondo State, further demonstrated the community's affiliation with the state.
The Baale of Odun Ebiwonjumi, Chief Orimisan Ebiwonjumi, son of the late Baale, Chief Ephenus Menukanren Ebiwonjumi, also reaffirmed the community's position.
He said successive projects executed in the area had been undertaken by the Ondo State Government and appealed to the state authorities not to abandon the community.
Chief Ebiwonjumi alleged that residents of six Itsekiri communities had recently entered Odun Ebiwonjumi with arms and ammunition while laying claim to the community.
He called on the Ondo State Government to provide basic amenities, including potable water, healthcare facilities, housing, solar power and a signpost clearly identifying the community as part of Ondo State.
The community leaders further alleged that the renewed disagreement was linked to the presence of crude oil resources in the area.
While reiterating their commitment to peaceful resolution of the dispute, Chief Ebiwonjumi said the community would resist any attempt to dispossess its people of their ancestral land.
He urged the government and traditional institutions to act swiftly, warning that failure to address the dispute could heighten tension and trigger an avoidable crisis in the coastal communities.
The community leaders called for dialogue and government-to-government engagement between Ondo and Delta states, stressing that peaceful resolution remained the best path to safeguarding lives, property and the longstanding relationship between the Ilaje and Itsekiri peoples.
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