{
  "id": 10219990,
  "title": "Ijaws in Edo Demand Autonomy, Allege Marginalisation By Govt, Oba’s Palace",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/27/ijaws-in-edo-demand-autonomy-allege-marginalisation-by-govt-obas",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-27T13:33:43.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "This Day",
    "slug": "this-day",
    "url": "https://www.thisdaylive.com/2026/09/27/ijaws-in-edo-demand-autonomy-allege-marginalisation-by-govt-obas-palace/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Five Ijaw kingdoms in Edo State – Egbema, Olodiama, Okomu, Gbaran and Furupagha – have accused the Edo State Government and the palace of Oba of Benin of persistent marginalization, balkanization and threats to peaceful coexistence. The leaders of the kingdoms allege decades-long treatment of Ijaws as second-class citizens in their ancestral lands and demand autonomy. Chief Robinson Ogunkoruwei, president of Ijaws in Edo State, read a statement at a press conference in Gelegeles community, claiming the Ijaw population, spread across over 500 communities, has been deliberately split to deny them collective political voice. They also assert their aboriginality to their territories, pre-dating the Benin Kingdom, citing historical accounts and colonial-era institutions. The Ijaws recall an attempt by Oba Erediauwa in 1988 to appoint his brother as Enogie in riverine Ijaw communities, which was met with resistance. The kingdoms also reference a 1982 Supreme Court judgment in Suit No. SC 131/1982, asserting it concerned individuals, not communal ownership. They highlight recent inflammatory publications and motions in the State and National Assembly as attempts to undermine Ijaw agitation. The kingdoms present three demands to the Edo State Government: creation of three local government centers for Ijaw indigenes, recognition of traditional rulers and presentation of Staff of Office or integration with their kin in Delta and Ondo States. They cite the 1988-1989 Constituent Assembly Report and provisions of the 1999 Constitution on federal character and self-determination. Failure to address these issues could lead to inter-ethnic tension, the kingdoms warn. The Edo State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Prince Kassim Afegbua, responded that Gelegele is part of Edo State and that the government is promoting unity and integration. He advised the Ijaws to calm down and engage constructively with the government.",
  "summary": "Felix Omoh-Asun in Benin City The five Ijaw kingdoms in Edo State — Egbema, Olodiama, Okomu, Gbaran and Furupagha — have accused the Edo State Government and the palace of",
  "key_points": [
    "Five Ijaw kingdoms in Edo State demand autonomy against marginalization.",
    "Ijaws claim pre-Benin Kingdom aboriginality to ancestral lands.",
    "Edo State government insists Gelegele is part of Edo, urges unity."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}