Itsekiri Are Yoruba, Says Alaafin Of Oyo As Warri Chiefs Visit Ancient Kingdom
Owoade made this declaration during a courtesy visit by a high-powered delegation of royal Warri Chiefs and prominent Itsekiri leaders to the ancient palace of the Alaafin in Oyo town, the cradle of Yoruba civilisation, considered to date back to the 12th century.
The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade I, has declared that the Itsekiri people of Delta State are of Yoruba origin, being direct descendants of Oduduwa, the revered progenitor of the Yoruba race.
Owoade made this declaration during a courtesy visit by a high-powered delegation of royal Warri Chiefs and prominent Itsekiri leaders to the ancient palace of the Alaafin in Oyo town, the cradle of Yoruba civilisation, considered to date back to the 12th century.
Speaking during the event, the Alaafin said: “We are bound by blood. What affects you affects the entire Yoruba people. We have the same history, shared fears and aspirations. We need to work together as one people driven by the same history and destiny.”
He further recalled his connection to Warri, having served in the city during his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) year.
The Alaafin said the Yoruba and Itsekiri need to work together, adding that what affects Itsekiri also affects the entire Yoruba people.
“We have the same ancestry, history, shared fears and aspirations. We need to work together as one people driven by the same origin and destiny,” Owoade told the Warri Chiefs.
The visiting delegation was introduced by veteran journalist and historian Adewale Adeoye, with the Iyasere of Warri Kingdom, Chief Johnson Amatsereuleghe, leading the group.
Other dignitaries included Chief Barr. Robinson Ariyo (Egogo Iwere of Warri), Chief Roland Oritsejafor (Ogwa of Warri), Chief Omotolubi Newuwumi (Omotamudieyi of Warri), and Prince Benson Onuwaje, CEO of Emirate Logistics — recently awarded Best Security Company in Nigeria by the Nigerian Human Rights Community (NHRC), a coalition of 130 civil society groups.
In his remarks, Chief Amatsereuleghe delivered warm greetings from the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III, describing the visit as symbolic and strategic.
He described the visit as historic and a purposeful effort to strengthen the bond of collaboration and solidarity between the Itsekiri and Yoruba people, who share a common ancestry.
He commended the Alaafin for exhibiting exceptional leadership within a short period since ascending the throne.
The Iyasere congratulated the Alaafin on his emergence as the new custodian of Yoruba tradition and expressed confidence in his ability to unite the Yoruba nation.
He noted that the Alaafin’s rise to the throne came at a crucial moment in history, expressing hope that he would help heal the wounds of the past by uniting all descendants of Oduduwa in the pursuit of peace and prosperity.
He further highlighted the longstanding political and economic marginalisation of the Itsekiri people in Delta State, stressing that they have endured decades of repression and exclusion that must now be addressed.
“There is no ambiguity about our Yoruba origin. This is a fact we know. It is evident in our location in Delta, in our language, our culture and the folklore handed over by our forefathers,” he said.
Other members of the delegation included Warri South Local Government Secretary Emmanuel Nunu; Chairman of Warri Indigenous Peoples Movement Hon. Kingsley Tenumah Afere; its Secretary Monoyo Edon; former Director of Protocol to the Delta State Government Hon. Godwin Abigor; former Warri North Councillor Hon. Appearance Afejuku; and community leader Hon. Dere Jarekpe.
