Biafra: Remove Itsekiri land from map to avoid civil war – Itsekiri Youths warn IPOB, MASSOB
The Itsekiri National Youth Congress, INYC, has called on the agitators for a sovereign state of Biafra to remove Itsekiri land from the map of the Biafra.
This was contained in a communiqué issued in Warri, Delta State by the President of the INYC, Esimaje Awani yesterday.
He stated that Itsekiri were an indigenous ethnic group of Nigeria’s Niger Delta region of Delta State presently resident in Warri South, Warri North and Warri South West Local Government Areas bordering the Atlantic Coast of Nigeria as their homeland with their only neighbours being the Bini to the North, the Ijaw to the South, the Urhobo to the East and the Yoruba of Ondo State to the Northwest.
According to Awani, from about 1490 – 1884, the Itsekiri had an independent political kingdom known as Warri Kingdom that was not subordinate to any of the World Powers in Europe or any African Kingdom.
He added that it was in 1894 when the Niger Coast Protectorate was established that it came under the protection of Her Britannic Majesty vide the Treaty of 1884.
Awani pointed out that by the map of the Republic of Biafra of May 1967, Edo and Delta states of Nigeria was never envisioned as a part of Biafra by the legendary Chukwuemeka Dim Ojukwu, saying that the current inclusion of present Delta State, including the Itsekiri National territories of Warri Kingdom without due consultation is preposterous, totally unacceptable and ultimately invalid.
His words,“IPOB and Biafra have their rights of agitation for freedom of self determination as enshrined in the
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