IJAW, ITSEKIRI AND URHOBO YOUTHS IN UK UNITE FOR PEACE IN WARRI
IJAW, ITSEKIRI AND URHOBO YOUTHS IN UK UNITE FOR PEACE IN WARRI
By Dr Odimientimi Agbedeyi
On a quiet Saturday morning in Coventry, long before the city’s cold breeze had fully awakened the streets, something extraordinary was already unfolding. From different corners of the United Kingdom, young men and women—Ijaw, Itsekiri, and Urhobo—arrived with a determination that stretched far beyond the borders of the UK.
They came not just as individuals, but as messengers, carrying with them the collective memory of a city they all call home—Warri.
It didn’t matter that years had passed since many of them last walked along Effurun Market streets, or felt the warm humidity of the Niger Delta. Their hearts still beat in the rhythm of home. And on this day, they answered a call greater than distance, tribe, or personal comfort.
THE FIELD OF HOPE
Charterhouse Field, normally just a stretch of green turf where students played casual weekend matches, transformed into a stage for something far deeper.
The Ijaw boys arrived first, drumming up energy with loud jokes and the familiar “Warri nor dey carry last” banter. Soon after, the Itsekiri contingent joined them, their laughter piercing through the chilly air, while the Urhobo youths strolled in with chest-high confidence and warm embraces for old friends.
For a moment, Coventry felt like Jakpa Road on a busy morning.
Then came the novelty match—Ijaw, Itsekiri, and Urhobo, no longer foes in the shadows of old conflicts, but teammates chasing the same ball, sweating in the same cold, laughing in the same spirit. Every pass, every tackle, every moment of collaboration painted a moving portrait of what Warri could be when unity wins over division.
Edaah, the convener, stood at the sidelines, his eyes following the ball but his mind fixed on something far more symbolic.
“If we can unite here,” he thought, “why can’t Warri become this peaceful back home?”
THE MARCH OF THREE NATIONS
White T-shirts fluttered in the wind, each bearing a message that seemed to echo across continents:
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No to Another Warri Crisis
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Peace Over Violence
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Warri Must Be Great Again
Passers-by paused to watch this river of youthful energy flow past. Some asked questions; others simply nodded, moved by a passion they didn’t need to fully understand.
Inside the group were young mothers pushing strollers, engineering students, healthcare workers, artisans, businesspeople—children of three ethnicities whose parents once stood on opposite sides of tension.
But today, they walked as one.
A MESSAGE FROM AFAR
At the cathedral’s steps, Edaah addressed them. His voice was firm, steady—yet heavy with emotion.
“Even far from home,” he said, “we can stand together. If we can unite here, then Warri can rise again. Our diversity must become strength, not division.”
His words danced with the cold air, settling softly on the hearts of the listeners.
A young Itsekiri woman began to cry silently. An Urhobo man placed a hand on her shoulder. An Ijaw boy handed her a tissue.
THE SPIRIT OF THE DIASPORA
Participants believed their voices—amplified globally—could inspire a new generation in Warri to choose unity over bitterness, cooperation over rivalry, hope over fear.
This was a message they hoped would reach their brothers and sisters back home:
“Warri must never bleed again.”
A CITY WAITING TO BE REBORN
As the sun began its slow descent behind Coventry’s skyline, the youths dispersed—some heading to trains, others sharing meals, all with hearts strangely lighter.
And though oceans lie between them and the Niger Delta, the memory of this day would travel back home like a warm, healing wind.
Author:
Dr. Odimientimi Agbedeyi
Global Egberi Media International
Tags:
#Warri #Ijaw #Itsekiri #Urhobo #DiasporaUnity #PeaceWalk #NigerDelta #GEMI
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Facebook Caption:
Warri youths in the UK unite in a powerful novel-like march for peace. Ijaw, Itsekiri and Urhobo stand together—reminding the world that Warri must rise again.
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