Comrade Alero Naomi Tenumah, former President of the National Association of Itsekiri Graduates (NAIG), has strongly condemned the alleged arrest of Itsekiri youths by the military during their peaceful protest at the Nigerian Gas Company Limited in Ubeji on Tuesday. Tenumah expressed outrage over the use of tear gas and ammunition on protesters, emphasizing that the action was unjustified and added to the growing concerns over the lack of protection for the Itsekiri people since the Warri crisis.
Speaking with Fresh Angle International, Tenumah criticized the proposal released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the unit and ward delineation in Warri Federal Constituency, calling it an attempt to erase the Itsekiri Nation politically and geographically. She voiced her concerns about the pipeline surveillance contract awarded to Tantita Security Services Limited, which she claims is being exploited to intimidate Itsekiris and drive them out of their ancestral lands.
Tenumah warned the federal government against allowing individuals such as High Chief Government Ekpemupolo and his allies in Agbassa, Warri, to succeed in their alleged plan to undermine the Itsekiri people. She further accused certain INEC officials and the Nigerian military of colluding with ethnic groups in the area to execute a plot to disenfranchise the Itsekiris, who she believes are the rightful and historical owners of Warri Federal Constituency, parts of Delta Central, and land in Edo State.
Tenumah’s statements have ignited further discussions on the protection of the Itsekiri people’s rights and the safety of peaceful protesters in the region.
