Residents of Odun Ebiwonjumi Community in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State have called on the Federal and state governments to intervene in an alleged dispute over the ownership of their ancestral land.
The community made the demand during a peaceful protest on Thursday, following allegations that some Itsekiri people had entered the area with arms and ammunition and were laying claim to the community.
The protesters, who carried placards with various inscriptions, appealed to the government to protect their ancestral heritage and prevent the disagreement from degenerating into violence.
The development reportedly followed moves by the Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission to construct a concrete jetty in the community.
Speaking during the protest, one of the community leaders, Busayo Ebiniyi, said the Ilaje and Itsekiri people had enjoyed decades of peaceful relations through trade, friendship and intermarriage.
Ebiniyi said, “The Itsekiri nationalities have been friends and fraternised with us for decades, permit me to say for generations, as the case may be.”
He, however, insisted that Odun Ebiwonjumi remained an ancestral settlement in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, stressing that the residents owed their allegiance to the state.
According to him, the community was inherited from their forefathers and the people would not surrender their ancestral identity or land.
He said the disagreement extended beyond Odun Ebiwonjumi to several coastal communities which, according to him, had historically existed as distinct Ilaje oil-producing settlements.
Among the communities he listed were 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.
Ebiniyi urged the Ondo and Delta State governments, traditional rulers and other stakeholders to urgently intervene through dialogue.
He said, “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 maintained that the community preferred a peaceful resolution but would resist any attempt to intimidate or suppress its people.
Ebiniyi also explained that the name Ebiwonjumi represented the ancestral identity of the community and appealed to the Federal Government, the two state governments and traditional rulers to intervene.
He said the community had historically identified with Ugbo Kingdom in Ilaje Local Government Area, adding that projects executed by successive Ondo State administrations further demonstrated its longstanding relationship with the state.
Another community leader, Hon. Olumide Ebiwonjumi, also maintained that the community was situated in Ondo State and fell under Ilaje Local Government Area and Ugbo Kingdom.
He explained that the name Ebiwon was derived from Ebiwonjumi, which he described as the ancestral name handed down by their forefathers.
Ebiwonjumi said the communities had previously been represented under the Ultimate Oil Producing Community Association and the Ilaje Eight United Oil Producing Communities Association before the implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act.
He added that government projects and political structures established and administered by Ondo State further reinforced the community’s claim of affiliation with the state.
The Baale of Odun Ebiwonjumi, Chief Orimisan Ebiwonjumi, son of the late Baale, Chief Ephenus Menukanren Ebiwonjumi, also backed the community’s position.
He said successive Ondo State administrations had executed projects in the community and appealed to the state government not to abandon its people.
Chief Ebiwonjumi alleged that residents of six Itsekiri communities had recently entered Odun Ebiwonjumi with arms and ammunition while laying claim to the area.
He called on the Ondo State Government to provide basic infrastructure, including potable water, healthcare facilities, housing, solar electricity and a signpost clearly identifying the community as part of Ondo State.
The community leaders alleged that the renewed disagreement was also linked to the presence of crude oil resources in the area.
While reiterating their commitment to peace, Chief Ebiwonjumi warned that the community would resist any attempt to dispossess its people of their ancestral land.
He urged the government and traditional institutions to act promptly, stressing that failure to resolve the dispute could heighten tension and trigger avoidable conflict in the coastal communities.
Discover more from Trace News Magazine
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
