The Chairman of the Abigborodo Management Committee, Barrister Hon. Misan Ukubeyinije, Esq., a former Commissioner in Delta State, has raised serious concerns over the planned foundation-laying ceremony of a Sub-Palace in Sapele Town by the Orodje of Okpe Kingdom, scheduled for January 24, 2026.
In a statement made available to newsmen, Barrister Ukubeyinije said the attention of the Itsekiri people was drawn to a public invitation circulated on social media by the Orodje of Okpe, announcing the proposed ceremony.
He stressed that Sapele is not the exclusive town of the Okpe people, noting that the town has a well-documented historical background that predates recent claims of exclusive ownership.
Barrister Ukubeyinije reaffirmed that Sapele historically belongs to the Itsekiri nation, a position he said is supported by documented historical and colonial records, while acknowledging that other ethnic groups have long coexisted peacefully in the town.
He referenced the 1930 Colonial Intelligence Report on the Okpe-Sobo clan, authored by L. E. A. Fellows, which listed recognized Okpe villages as Amukpe, Elume, Orerokpe, and Gbukurusu, with no mention of Sapele as an Okpe settlement.
The former Commissioner further clarified that the judgment in Chief Ayomano v. Ginuwa II (JELR 81222, WACA), often cited by the Okpe Kingdom, did not confer ownership of Sapele on the Okpe people but rather awarded them a clearly defined area of 510 acres of land.
According to him, any attempt to exercise authority or erect traditional structures beyond the legally granted 510 acres would amount to an encroachment and could trigger avoidable communal tension in the area.
Barrister Ukubeyinije emphasized that while the Itsekiri people remain committed to peace and lawful coexistence, any action capable of undermining historical facts and legal boundaries would be resisted through all lawful means, urging restraint in the interest of peace and stability in Sapele.