Mulade Rallies Ijaw, Itsekiri, Urhobo Leaders For Lasting Peace In Warri
Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue Targets Recurring Tensions
A leading Niger Delta advocacy organisation, the Center for Peace and Environmental Justice (CEPEJ), has launched a peace movement aimed at de-escalating recurring tensions among the Ijaw, Itsekiri and Urhobo ethnic nationalities in Warri Federal Constituency of Delta State.
The high-level roundtable dialogue, held on 24 February 2026, at King George Hall in Warri South Local Government Area, brought together a broad spectrum of stakeholders, including traditional leaders, youth representatives, market associations, security agencies and civil society groups.
Communities represented at the meeting included Okere Urhobo Kingdom, Agbarha-Warri Kingdom, Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Kingdom and Itsekiri communities. Representatives of non-indigene groups — Igbo, Hausa-Fulani, Yoruba, Kogi-Igala and Isoko — also participated, underscoring the diverse demographic composition of Warri.
The theme of the dialogue, “Restoring the Glory of Warri, Rebuilding Trust, Promoting Unity and Preventing Conflict Through Sustained Engagement,” set the tone for frank discussions on historical grievances and future collaboration.
Mulade: Peace Must Be Made Attractive
Addressing participants, CEPEJ National Coordinator, Comrade Sheriff Mulade, said the initiative aligns with the organisation’s longstanding advocacy for durable peace and stability in Warri and surrounding communities.
Mulade, who is also the Ibe-Sorimowei of the ancient oil-rich Gbaramatu Kingdom, noted that modern conflicts are often driven by “conflict investors and conflict beneficiaries” who exploit divisions for personal or political gain.
“In our contemporary society, there are two major triggers of war: conflict investors and conflict beneficiaries,” he said. “Eliminating conflict entirely may be difficult, but we can de-escalate it and make it unattractive.”
He urged stakeholders to consolidate on the relative harmony already existing in Warri, emphasising that the Ijaw, Itsekiri and Urhobo have historically coexisted peacefully.
“Warri Ijaw, Itsekiri and Urhobo are one. We have lived in peace even before now. Warri is our own,” Mulade declared, calling for sustained dialogue and collective responsibility.
Security, Civil Society Back Initiative
Security agencies were represented at the event, including officers from the ‘A’ and ‘B’ Divisions of the Nigeria Police in Warri. Civil society leaders, among them Prof. Andrew Agboro, Chairman of Delta State Civil Society Organisations, and Sylvester Okoh of the Warri Peace Community Support Initiative, also lent their voices to the dialogue.
In a keynote address, Dr. Austin Onuoha, Adjunct Faculty at the National Peace Academy, Abuja, stressed that unity and shared responsibility remain the bedrock of lasting peace.
He urged ethnic leaders and residents to move beyond suspicion and build mechanisms that encourage trust, inclusion and early conflict resolution.
Peace Committee Inaugurated
A major highlight of the event was the inauguration of a 20-member Warri Indigenes and Residents Peacebuilding Committee (WIRPC), comprising representatives from the various ethnic nationalities, including non-indigenes.
According to Mulade, the committee is mandated to deepen stakeholder engagement, de-escalate tensions, sustain dialogue and reinforce peaceful practices across communities. It is expected to operate for one year, within which measurable progress is anticipated.
The event also featured a unity drama performance that reinforced themes of coexistence and collective prosperity.
Observers say the initiative signals renewed commitment from civil society actors to prevent ethnic disagreements from escalating into broader instability in Warri, a historically sensitive but economically strategic hub in the Niger Delta.
