By Gloria Ikibah
The House of Representatives has called for urgent measures to end rising tension in parts of the Ilaje/Ese-Odo Federal Constituency of Ondo State following reported attacks, arson and injuries in Odun-Ebighan, Eke and neighbouring communities.
This resolution was sequel to the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance moved by Rep. Donald Ojogo, member representing Ilaje/Ese-Odo Federal Constituency, on Tuesday, at the resumed plenary of the House.
Ojogo alleged that armed youths from the Itsekiri community in Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State had attacked residents of the affected Ondo communities.
He told lawmakers that the communities had experienced a series of attacks over the past four weeks, resulting in houses being burnt and residents sustaining injuries.
According to him, the development threatened the longstanding relationship between the Ilaje and Itsekiri peoples, who share a boundary and have maintained historical ties despite living in a challenging riverine environment.
“It is most regrettable that aggression has been visited upon the peace-loving people of Ilaje by gun-wielding Itsekiri youths from Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State,” Ojogo said.
He urged the House to intervene quickly to prevent the situation from escalating into a wider communal conflict.
Ojogo said the dispute was largely linked to competing claims over territory believed to contain oil and gas resources, making an early and impartial resolution essential.
He said the Ilaje and Itsekiri had coexisted for centuries and stressed the need to protect their relationship for future generations.
“The two groups have maintained peaceful relations for centuries, and it is imperative that we protect this relationship from being destroyed by avoidable disputes,” he said.
The House unanimously adopted the motion through a voice vote and mandated its Committee on Special Duties to work with the National Boundary Commission to urgently determine the ownership and status of the disputed areas along the Ondo-Delta boundary.
The exercise is expected to provide an institutional basis for resolving the territorial disagreement and clarifying the jurisdiction of the affected communities.
The House also called for the deployment of security personnel, including the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, to the affected areas to restore law and order and prevent further attacks.
It further directed the Committees on Emergency and Disaster Management and the Niger Delta Development Commission to provide immediate assistance to residents displaced by the reported violence.
The intervention comes amid recurring boundary and communal disputes in parts of Nigeria’s oil-producing Niger Delta, where disagreements over territorial jurisdiction, access to land and natural resources have contributed to tensions among neighbouring communities.
The Ondo-Delta boundary is particularly sensitive because of overlapping interests among communities located in the riverine areas of both states.
The proposed boundary determination is intended to address the underlying territorial dispute through an established government process and reduce the risk of further confrontation.
For residents of the affected communities, the immediate concerns remain the restoration of security, protection of lives and property, and assistance for those displaced by the reported attacks.
