ITSEKIRIS KIDNAPPED BY IJAWS AND STILL MISSING
Itsu...@aol.com
19 July 1999
ITSEKIRIS KIDNAPPED BY IJAWS AND STILL MISSING
It is interesting that Nigerians have now seen it fit to condemn the
kidnapping of foreign oil workers by Ijaws. The lives of Itsekiris who have
been kidnapped by Ijaws are no less valuable or important and must attract
real condemnation. We know that greater value is placed on foreign
company’s assets than the lives of our people and the savage and militarily
co-ordinated attack on the Itsekiris by the Ijaws is being treated with
gross neglet.
Here is a list of Itsekiris kidnapped by Ijaws and still missing:
1. Mr. Mayomi Ejejigbe from Orugbo was kidnapped near the new port at Warri.
2. Madam Roli Ejejigbe from Orugbo was kidnapped near the new port at Warri.
3. Mrs. Patience Adidi Atsiangbe at Warri.
4. Mr. Victor Ogbe living in Ode-Itsekiri.
5. Madam Arioritsebafo Okotie of Grey Awanis compound Ajamimogha.
6. Mrs. Eyeetsetunokan Mabel Tenumah of 23 Ekurede Itsekiri Road..
7. Mr. Murphy Omagbemi Agindotan residing at Ugbuwangue.
8. A man popularly known as Unueboro.
9. Mr. John Metete.
10. Mr. Aduwenye Ekengbuda (105 years) kidnapped at Omadino.
11. Sunday Kake (the Olare-Aja of Omadino) kidnapped at Omadino.
12. Siza Iwetan kidnapped at Omadino.
13. An Obodo man staying at Omadino.
14. Koko Oghonuya missing at Ureju.
15. Pa Atsegho Atikan (the Olare-Aja of Kantu) kidnapped.
16. Mrs. Jokotin Atikan (the wife of Olare-Aja) kidnapped
17. Miss Olumewo Atikan (the grand daughter of Olare-Aja of Kantu) kidnapped
18. Mrs. Ornatie Okpara missing in the bush at Kantu.
19. Mr. Alfred Adwenye kidnapped at Warri farm by Ijaws. He is from Gbodede..
20. Mr. Joseph Apoh, Sea Truck Captain kidnapped 17/4/97 (between Shell & New
Port in Warri River)
21. Madam Megbeleofaghan Jakpa (68yrs) kidnapped at Aja-Ogirime (Keremu).
22. Madam Onariri Jakpa (66yrs).
23. Emmanuel Okorodudu kidnapped at Ebrohinmi on 24/4/97.
24. Mr. Osborne Lori kidnapped on 16th April, 1997.
25. Mr. Godfrey Oluwaeyere a staff of Delport Nigeria Ltd, NPA Warri,
kidnapped on
16 th April, 1997.
26. Mr. William Tenuma in the Warri River off Ugbuwangue on 16/10/98.
27. Mr. Tunde Erewa in the company of William Tenuma on 16/10/98.
This list is just the tip of the iceberg. Since 1997, kidnapping and
beheading of Itsekiris has been the Ijaw favourite past time.
We appeal to all Nigerians and the international community to condemn
outright the kidnapping and killings of Itsekiris by the Ijaws and to demand
an immediate halt to this inhuman acts. Our many appeals to the Nigerian
government has not produced any reduction in the kidnappings and killings.
Please contact the Nigerian government and embassies, your government and
the United Nations to register your concern.
Contact representatives of the Ijaw communities and tell them to STOP
KIDNAPPING AND KILLING ITSEKIRIS.
Tosan Ojime
Appeals Secretary
Email: ITSU...@aol.com
................................ visit our website at
http://www.itsurmov.itsekiri.net.......................
The world is ignoring the Itsekiri as a human catastrophe unfolds. The guilt
of silence as fellow human beings are regularly hunted and massacred will
haunt the conscience of mankind in the same way it has done in other
tragedies if nothing is done now.
The Itsekiris are a minority ethnic group ( population approx. 307,000 ) in
the Niger delta. The Itsekiris live in the westernmost part of the Niger
delta, bounded by the Bight of Benin on the west and latitude 6 N., longitude
5 45’E. and latitude 5 20’ N. The Itsekiri homeland has never been in doubt.
Facts of history have shown that Warri North, Warri South and Warri
South-West Local Government Areas, from time immemorial, has always been the
homeland of the Itsekiri people. Our homeland is legally defined, the legal
ownership of which has been declared and acknowledged by the highest Courts
in Nigeria and in the United Kingdom.
1. No Warri South Local Government with headquarters in Ogbe-Ijoh was ever
created by the Federal Government of Nigeria.
2. No local government headquarters already established in any other place
was ever moved to Ogidigben, either on March 13, 1977 or at any other time
before or since that date.
3. Warri South-West Local Government was created by the State Creation
Decree No. 36 of 1996 dated 30th December 1996 with its headquarters in
Ogidigben, a town of largely Itsekiri inhabitants, and has remained there
ever since.
4. The local Government Basic Constitution Decree No. 7 of 1997 dated 3rd
March 1997 further reinforced the legality of Warri South-West local
Government and the location of its headquarters at Ogidigben.