A heated land ownership dispute has emerged in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State, with the Pessu Family filing a formal petition to stop what they describe as an attempt by the Ijaw community to rename their ancestral ward.
The controversy centers on a request by the Ereku/Ogisi Family of Odion Town to rename Pessu Ward to “Ereku Ward 1,” a move the Pessu Family strongly opposes as an illegal land grab attempt.
In their July 31, 2025 petition to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the Pessu Family, represented by solicitors A.J. Oshiokpelua & Co., rejected the claims made in an April 22, 2025 letter from Ikhide Ehighelua & Co. on behalf of the Ereku/Ogisi Family.
Historical Claims and Ownership Rights
The Pessu Family maintains they have exclusive ownership of all areas within Pessu Ward, including Pessu Town, Pessu Waterside, Pessu Market, Pessu Lane, Pessu Road, Pessu Layout (Ikpara), and Pessu Garage. They trace their ownership back to their ancestor, Chief Pessu Ebiowa, who they say founded the settlement centuries before British colonial rule.
Supporting their historical claims, the family referenced the 1891 visit of British Consul General Sir Macdonald to Warri, during which Chief Pessu Ebiowa was among the prominent Itsekiri leaders the colonial administrator met.
“There is no treaty between the Ereku/Ogisi Family and the British Colonial Government giving them any parcel of Pessu land,” the petition stated, emphasizing that any Ijaw presence in the area, including that of the late Chief Eselemo, was based on lease arrangements with the Pessu Family.
Security Concerns Raised
The family warned that attempts to rename the ward or create new electoral boundaries could destabilize the region. They cautioned INEC that such actions might trigger “heavy unrest, anarchy and commotion” in the area.
The petitioners alleged that some individuals are secretly lobbying INEC to carve out new wards from Pessu lands, describing this as an unjustified seizure of their ancestral territory.
Geographic Distinctions
To clarify the boundaries, the Pessu Family emphasized that the Odion area, where the Ereku/Ogisi Family lives, is geographically separate and distant from Pessu Town. They argued that neither the Ereku/Ogisi Family nor other Ijaw groups have legitimate ownership claims in the disputed territory.
Appeal to Electoral Commission
The family urged INEC to maintain existing ward boundaries, dismiss the April 22 letter requesting the name change, and avoid being misled into facilitating unsubstantiated land claims.
Copies of their petition were also forwarded to National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu and INEC’s Warri Office, highlighting the potential security implications of the dispute.
The controversy reflects broader tensions over land ownership and political representation in Nigeria’s oil-rich Niger Delta region, where ethnic communities often compete for control over territories and resources.
INEC has yet to respond publicly to either petition as the dispute continues to unfold.
