PRESS STATEMENT:- IJAW COMMUNITIES IN EDO STATE HAVE THE RIGHT TO DETERMINE THEIR FUTURE — NO ONE CAN SILENCE THEIR CHOICE ON TORU IBE STATE
PRESS STATEMENT
IJAW COMMUNITIES IN EDO STATE HAVE THE RIGHT TO DETERMINE THEIR FUTURE — NO ONE CAN SILENCE THEIR CHOICE ON TORU IBE STATE
By Dr. Odimientimi Agbedeyi
Global Egberi Media International
10 December 2025
The attention of the Niger Delta public, political stakeholders, and the wider Nigerian audience has been drawn to recent remarks made on the floor of the House of Representatives by Hon. Omosede Igbinedion during a motion against the proposed creation of Toru Ibe State.
While the motion attempts to resist the inclusion of various riverine communities currently under Edo State, it is necessary to state—clearly and without ambiguity—that the narrative presented in the House was one-sided, historically selective, and fundamentally misleading.
This press statement seeks to correct those inaccuracies and reaffirm the fundamental human rights of the Ijaw people in Edo State, who can no longer be treated as political dependents or cultural extensions of another ethnic group.
1. HISTORY IS NOT A POLITICAL TOOL — IJAW COMMUNITIES ARE NOT BENIN SUBJECTS
The claim that all riverine communities such as Ughoton, Siloko, Aghamioba, Udo (Okomu), Ologbo, Obazuwa, Ekewan, Ikoro, and surrounding areas are integral to the Benin Kingdom is a revisionist interpretation that ignores the historical realities of the Niger Delta.
Long before the creation of Edo State and long before colonial boundary demarcations, Ijaw clans such as Arogbo, Egbema, Olodiama, Gbaramatu, and others existed as independent political units with their own monarchies, decision-making structures, and trade networks.
That some communities interacted with or traded with the Benin Kingdom does not make them Benin property.
Diplomacy is not subjugation.
Neighbourliness is not ownership.
History must reflect all voices—not only the loudest one.
2. IJAW PEOPLE HAVE BEEN PEACEFUL FOR DECADES, BUT PEACE MUST NOT BE MISTAKEN FOR WEAKNESS
For decades, the Ijaw communities within Edo State have coexisted peacefully despite:
• Political marginalisation
• Developmental neglect
• Manipulated census figures
• Suppression of their true population strength
• Denial of their cultural and traditional autonomy
• Land disputes and administrative oppression
• Lack of infrastructural attention to riverine needs
These issues have been endured in the name of peace, but that peace must not be weaponized to silence their legitimate aspirations.
Let it be stated firmly:
The Ijaw people will not continue to remain peaceful if their constitutional right to decide their political future is trampled upon.
Their patience is not an invitation to oppression.
3. SELF-DETERMINATION IS A FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHT — NOT A CRIME
The Nigerian Constitution guarantees freedom of association, identity, and administrative expression.
The Ijaw communities affected have the right to decide:
• Which state aligns with their cultural and developmental needs
• Which governance structure understands their riverine challenges
• Which political arrangement acknowledges their identity
The creation of Toru Ibe State is not an attack on Benin Kingdom; it is a call for:
• Inclusion
• Representation
• Equity
• Administrative convenience
• Cultural preservation
• Development tailored to riverine realities
The House of Representatives must resist any attempt to distort the legitimate aspirations of minority groups for political gain.
4. NO ETHNIC GROUP HAS THE RIGHT TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF IJAW COMMUNITIES WITHOUT THEIR CONSENT
No leader, political caucus, or historical institution has the right to unilaterally declare Ijaw communities as Benin territories without consulting them.
These communities have never been subjects of the Benin monarchy and should not be claimed through parliamentary speeches or emotional appeals to ancient civilisation.
Benin Kingdom is respected.
Its cultural contributions are globally acknowledged.
But respect should not be converted into territorial entitlement.
If the people choose to remain in Edo State, they will say so.
If they choose Toru Ibe State, they must be allowed to say so as well.
5. TORU IBE STATE MUST BE DISCUSSED THROUGH DUE PROCESS — NOT FEAR OR HISTORICAL INTIMIDATION
State creation in Nigeria follows:
• Constitutional procedures
• Community consultations
• Federal inquiries
• Referendums
• Boundary evaluation
No individual or group can redraw boundaries with speeches or threats.
And no community can be forced to remain under a state that does not reflect its identity.
The Ijaw people of Edo State have spoken.
They seek representation.
They seek dignity.
They seek a future that recognizes their humanity.
No amount of historical romanticism will stop this reality.
CONCLUSION: PEACE, JUSTICE, AND THE FUTURE OF THE NIGER DELTA
The call for Toru Ibe State is not a rebellion.
It is not tribal provocation.
It is a constitutional expression of identity and aspiration.
The Ijaw people will continue to pursue their rights peacefully, but the Nigerian government, legislators, and stakeholders must recognize that:
No ethnic group has the power to imprison another within boundaries drawn without their consent.
Nigeria’s unity must be built on justice, not on historical intimidation.
The peace-loving Ijaw people of Edo State will defend their constitutional rights, and no one should provoke unnecessary crisis by attempting to suppress their voice.
Let every community speak for itself.
Let justice guide the conversation.
Let the future reflect fairness—not fear.
Dr. Odimientimi Agbedeyi
Global Egberi Media International
10 December 2025
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