For generations, the people of Obitugbo, a quiet Itsekiri community in Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State have farmed, built homes, and raised families on land their ancestors settled centuries ago.

The community is known for its peaceful coexistence with neighbours and hopes for a brighter future, including a proposed university that could transform local lives. But today, that future feels fragile.

Leaders of Obitugbo community at a media chat noted that a storm of inflammatory statements and online rhetoric from certain individuals in the neighbouring Oghara community is threatening to tear apart the harmony they have carefully nurtured for decades.

What began as claims over land has now escalated into fears of unrest between Itsekiri and Urhobo residents – two groups that have long coexisted without serious conflict.

“We are not looking for a fight,” Mr. Joseph Taye Akuyoma, chairman of the Obitugbo Community Management Committee, said, his voice heavy with concern. “We are peace-loving people. But we cannot stand by while calls are made for outsiders to mobilise against us. Our children are afraid. Our elders are troubled.”

The community’s plea is simple and urgent, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, they said, must step in now, before words turn into weapons.

Obitugbo’s leaders pointed out that they are not strangers to dialogue. Over the years, they have resolved differences with neighbouring settlements through official channels, always choosing calm over confrontation,

Dr. Chris Eburajolo, chairman of the Koko Community Management Authority, backed them up, affirming that Obitugbo’s boundaries are well established. Comrade Akra Utien Daniel of Ajagbodudu also echoed the same plea, respect history, respect borders, and protect coexistence.

But what keeps Obitugbo awake at night is not just the past; it is the promise of tomorrow. The community has been identified as a site for development projects, including the proposed University of Warri. For many residents, that university represents hope: jobs, education for their children, and a future beyond subsistence.

“Stability is everything,” Mr. Dandy Adagba, secretary of the committee said. “If tension explodes into conflict, investors will flee. The school won’t come. Our young people will suffer. That cannot happen,” he added.

The committee’s member, Pa Broderick Utienyin, an elder who has seen decades of change along the creeks and farmland of Warri North, puts it most simply: “This land is our identity. We will protect it, but we want to protect it in peace. All we ask is that the government sends security agencies to watch over us and call everyone to a table for dialogue.”

As of now, no violence has been reported. But in Obitugbo, the air is thick with anxiety. Leaders are urging all parties to put down rhetoric, pick up reason, and remember that neighbours are not enemies. (Vanguard)

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