OKPE GROUP REJECTS ITSEKIRI CLAIM TO SAPELE, WARNS AGAINST PROVOCATION

The Okpe People’s Forum (OPF), a pan-Okpe socio-political and cultural organisation, has strongly rejected claims by an Itsekiri chief that Sapele belongs to the Itsekiri, warning that such assertions could inflame communal tensions in Delta State.

In a statement dated February 4, 2026, and signed by Mr. Igho Akeregha, President of the Okpe People’s Forum after an emergency meeting held in Sapele, the OPF faulted comments credited to Chief Emmanuel Oritsejolomi Uduaghan, the Alema of Warri Kingdom, in which he reportedly claimed ownership of Sapele and issued warnings ahead of the foundation-laying ceremony of a new sub-palace of the Orodje of Okpe Kingdom in the town.

The group described the remarks as reckless and inflammatory, noting that Chief Uduaghan allegedly threatened communal violence should the Okpe people proceed with the sub-palace project or continue to assert ownership of Sapele.According to the OPF, the ownership of Sapele is both historically and legally settled in favour of the Okpe people.

The group cited several judicial pronouncements, 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 affirmed the Okpe as the original settlers of Sapele, adding that Itsekiri presence in the town only began after the Nana War of 1894, when displaced Itsekiri groups sought refuge in Sapele under customary tenancy arrangements granted by the Okpe.

The forum further alleged that repeated claims by some Itsekiri individuals to Sapele land persisted despite losing multiple court cases, describing such actions as attempts to revive what it called “a non-existent title”.

Addressing the recent controversy, the OPF said the foundation-laying ceremony of the sub-palace of the Orodje of Okpe Kingdom in Sapele was successfully held on January 24, 2026, despite warnings reportedly issued by Chief Uduaghan, including a caution directed at the Orodje of Okpe Kingdom, His Royal Majesty Felix Mujakperuo, Orhue I, to stay away from the event.

The group maintained that title to all lands in Sapele is vested in the Sapele Okpe Community Land Trust Association, which it said is the statutory body responsible for land administration 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, according to the OPF, acknowledges Sapele Local Government Area as belonging to the Okpe and recognises only the Orodje of Okpe as the statutory traditional ruler for the area.

Reacting to claims circulating that court judgments limited Okpe ownership of Sapele to 510 acres, the OPF dismissed such narratives as false and misleading, accusing unnamed individuals of deliberately twisting facts to justify alleged land-grabbing efforts.

While reiterating the Okpe people’s desire for peaceful coexistence, the forum warned against what it described as deliberate misrepresentation of legal and historical facts capable of provoking conflict.