Tension in Warri: Odion Community Attacked Amidst Gunfire, Buildings Burnt in Escalating Ethnic Dispute
Crisis Brews in Warri as Odion Community Comes Under Fire, Residents Blame Council Chairman
A fresh wave of violence has erupted in the oil-rich city of Warri, Delta State, following a brazen attack on the Odion community, allegedly carried out by suspected “Itsekiri boys.” The incident, which occurred on Sunday, has deepened fears of an impending crisis in the already volatile region.
Eyewitnesses confirmed that a building was set ablaze during the attack, with sporadic gunfire forcing residents to flee for safety. Several individuals sustained gunshot wounds, including a tricycle operator who is now receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital. His bullet-riddled tricycle and nearby building walls still bear the marks of the violent assault.
The Odion community, which has reportedly faced repeated attacks over the last two years, is now accusing the Chairman of Warri South Local Government Council, Comrade Weyinmi Agbateyiniro, of turning a blind eye—or worse, enabling the unrest.
According to the community secretary and other residents, tensions escalated when a coronation banner for their monarch, the Ovie of Agbarha-Warri Kingdom, was destroyed. The situation was further worsened by the controversial renaming of certain areas and the formation of a parallel executive body, moves that the Odion community strongly resisted.
Those whose homes were destroyed in the blaze expressed heartbreak and frustration. “We couldn’t salvage anything. The fire started so suddenly, we just ran for our lives,” one affected resident said.
Community members are now calling on the Delta State Government to act immediately before the situation spirals out of control.
In response to the allegations, Chairman Agbateyiniro dismissed them as “baseless falsehoods,” affirming that his administration is focused on unity, peace, and development in the area.
“We do not, by the special grace of God, operate from the lower cerebral realms as the authors of these lies would have people believe,” he said. “We spend significant resources supporting security agencies—how could we then sabotage those same efforts? It simply makes no sense.”
He added that the level of peace and unity currently experienced in the LGA is “unprecedented” and suggested that the accusations were part of a smear campaign aimed at destabilizing his administration.
Meanwhile, local observers believe the attack may be linked to the recent ward delimitation exercise conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Warri Federal Constituency. The controversial report, presented last Friday in Asaba, has sparked outrage among the Itsekiri ethnic group, who have openly rejected the outcome.
As of press time, efforts to reach the Itsekiri youth leadership for comment were unsuccessful.
With rising ethnic tensions and unhealed historical wounds, Warri may be inching dangerously close to a full-blown communal crisis if urgent steps are not taken.
