The Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 5, Benin, Edo State, Salman-Dogo Garba, has warned the three ethnic groups of Warri area, Delta State, to avoid any issues that will cause a repeat of the crisis that engulfed the City in 2003/2004.
Garba gave the warning on Thursday, June 19, 2025, during a security meeting with stakeholders from Warri and environs, held in his office of the AIG Zone 5 Benin.
The ethnic groups in the oil-rich communities of Warri are the Urhobos, Ijaws and Itsekiris
The inter tribal crisis led to the killing of the scores of persons and destruction of properties worth hundreds of millions of naira.
247nextnews.com reports that the recent tension among the ethnic groups was fueled by the recent delineation exercise in Warri by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Speaking earlier, the Delta State Commissioner of Police, Olufemi Abaniwonda, noted that following the delineation exercise carried out by INEC in Warri, there has been problems among the three ethnic groups in the area.
He disclosed that he sought the help of the AIG Zone 5 to step in to avoid further escalation and break down of law and other.
The AIG who explained that he conveyed the meeting at the Instance of the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, noted that there is no difference between the Ijaws, Itsekiris and the Urhobos
He appealed to the various stakeholders on the need for them to control their youths, and refrain them from making inciting and inflammatory statements, especially on the social media. He reiterated that when a life is lost, nobody can bring it back.
AIG Garba warned that any further breakdown of law and order and the trend of name-calling and social media protest will not be tolerated henceforth.
He warned that no ethnic group should refer to another ethnic group as Customary Tenants, adding that anyone caught will be arrested and prosecuted accordingly.
Present at the meeting were representatives of the Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom, Okere Urhobo Kingdom, Isaba Kingdom, Agbarha Warri Kingdom, Gbaramatu Kingdom, the three Local Government Chairmen in Warri area.
They all sued for peace and noted that they do not want a crisis in Warri. They also noted that the delineation exercise carried out by INEC has not been finalised and that INEC has asked all aggrieved parties to study the draft and bring up their complaints, observations and contributions.
A statement by the Spokeman of the Zone 5, Benin, SP Tijani Momoh, noted all parties agreed to work towards the peace and security of Warri Federal Constituency.
“They pledged to call their youths to order and work towards maintaining the existing peace in order to bring back economic prosperity in Warri, Delta State,” the statement concluded.
