A leading human rights and advocacy organisation in the Niger Delta, the Center for Peace and Environmental Justice (CEPEJ), convened a high-level multi-stakeholder roundtable aimed at de-escalating recurring tensions among the Ijaw, Itsekiri and Urhobo ethnic nationalities in Delta State.
The peacebuilding dialogue, held at King George Hall on Tuesday February 25, 2026, in Warri South Local Government Area, drew a broad spectrum of stakeholders, including community leaders, security agencies, market associations, civil society organisations and representatives of ethnic groups across Warri Federal Constituency.
Communities represented included Okere Urhobo Kingdom, Itsekiri communities, Agbarha-Warri Kingdom and Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Kingdom, among others.
Representatives of non-indigene populations, Igbo, Hausa-Fulani, Yoruba, Kogi-Igala and Isoko residents, were also in attendance.
The session, themed “Restoring the Glory of Warri: Rebuilding Trust, Promoting Unity and Preventing Conflict Through Sustained Engagement,” featured notable security and civil society figures, including SP Musa Yau-Kangiwa, DPO ‘A’ Division, Warri; ASP Hezekiah Okpabi (representing ‘B’ Division, Warri); Prof. Andrew Agboro, Chairman of Delta State Civil Society Organisations; Sylvester Okoh, Chairman, Board of Trustees, Warri Peace Community Support Initiative; and ASP Obehi Idiake, Station Officer, ‘A’ Division, Warri.
Addressing participants, CEPEJ National Coordinator and Ibe-Sorimowei of the ancient oil-rich Gbaramatu Kingdom, Sheriff Mulade, PhD, said the initiative aligns with the organisation’s sustained advocacy for durable peace and stability in Warri and neighbouring communities.
Mulade observed that contemporary conflicts are often fuelled by “conflict investors and conflict beneficiaries,” noting that while completely eliminating disputes may be difficult, stakeholders must work collectively to de-escalate tensions and make violence unattractive.
He emphasised the need to consolidate the existing harmony within Warri Federal Constituency and commended market women and representatives of non-indigene communities for their strong participation.
“Warri Ijaw, Itsekiri and Urhobo are one. We have lived in peace even before now. Warri is our own, and the essence of this engagement is to consolidate and strengthen that peace,” Mulade stated.
The event featured a keynote address by Austin Onuoha, PhD, Adjunct Faculty at the National Peace Academy, Abuja, who urged all ethnic nationalities to embrace unity and collective responsibility as the foundation for lasting peace in Warri.
A major highlight was a unity drama presentation underscoring the importance of coexistence, alongside the inauguration of a 20-member Warri Indigenes and Residents Peacebuilding Committee (WIRPC).
The committee, comprising representatives of the various ethnic nationalities and non-indigene residents, is mandated to deepen stakeholder engagement, de-escalate tensions, sustain dialogue and reinforce peaceful practices across communities.
Mulade expressed optimism that the committee, which has a one-year mandate, will record measurable progress in strengthening peace and social cohesion across Warri Federal Constituency.
