AIG Zone 5 meets stakeholders over Warri crisis, as DEFENDER selects him, two Delta kings for maiden Honour
*As police warns Delta ethnic groups against referring to one another as customary tenants
By ABIRHIRE THOMAS, Asaba
In apparent approval of their commitment to peace of the nation, Nigeria, at the own respective levels, AIG Zone 5 Benin, Salman Garba Dogo, psc, and two traditional rulers in Delta State have been meritoriously selected for award honour by Nigeria-based Pan-Africanist global online newspaper, The DEFENDER.
The versatile police officer, alongside His Royal Majesty Kingsley Emakpo Orereh, Igbi II, Ovie of Agbarha-Warri, and His Royal Majesty Dr Prof Wilson Ojakovo Oharisi III JP+, The Ovie of Great Ughelli Kingdom, have been meticulously studied, considered and approved by the AIG Mu’azu Idris Hadejia (Rtd)-led Board of The DEFENDER Newspaper to be worthy of honour as a morale booster to encourage them do more for human society.
The three award recipients, to be tagged as GREAT NIGERIANS as first recipients of “COMMANDER OF THE DEFENDERS OF TRUTH AND NATIONAL INTEGRITY”, will be presented their merited awards soon in Benin City, Edo State.
In the meantime, the selfless Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 5 Headquarters, Benin City, AIG Salman-Dogo Garba, psc, has convened a security meeting with stakeholders from Warri and environs as part of efforts to prevent any breakdown of law and order as a result of the ward delineation exercise by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), held in Warri.
Held in the office of the AIG in Benin on Thursday June 19, 2025, the meeting was said to have also been convened based on the need to enhance peace, safety and security in Warri, Delta State.
According to a press release by Zonal Command Public Relations Officer, SP Tijani A. Momoh, anipr, sent The DEFENDER on Friday, the meeting had in attendance the Delta State Commissioner of Police, CP Olufemi Abaniwonda, the Area Commander Warri, the Local Government Chairmen, Warri South West, Warri North and Warri South, the spokesperson and representative of Gbaramatu Kingdom.
Others in attendance included representative from the palace of the Olu of Warri, representatives of Isaba kingdom, representatives of Itsekiri, representatives of Okere-Urhobo Kingdom, representatives of the Pere of Ogbe-Ijoh kingdom, representatives of Agbarha-Warri Kingdom, amongst other highly placed figures.
The CP Delta State, Olufemi Abaniwonda, started by saying that following the delineation exercise carried out by INEC in Warri, there had been problems among the three ethnic groups in the area and he had therefore sought the help of the AIG Zone 5 Benin to step in to avoid further escalation and break down of law and other.
Informing the stakeholders that he had convened the meeting at the instance of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, the AIG Garba made it clear to them why there should be no segregation among the Delta peoples, noting that, “there is no difference between the Ijaws, Itsekiris and the Urhobos” and warned them all to avoid any issues capable of causing a repeat of the 2003/2004 crisis in the part of the state.
“The AIG, further, appealed to the stakeholders on the need for them to control their youths, and refrain them from making inciting and inflammatory statements, especially on the social media. He reiterated that when a life is lost, nobody can bring it back.
“Amongst the speakers were the representative of the Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom, the Rep of Okere Urhobo Kingdom, the rep of Isaba Kingdom, the rep of Agbarha Warri Kingdom, the rep of Gbaramatu kingdom, the three local government chairmen and all speakers all sued for peace and noted that they do not want a crisis in Warri.
“They also noted that the delineation exercise carried out by INEC has not been finalised and that INEC has asked all aggrieved parties to study the draft and bring up their complaints, observations and contributions.
“The AIG, in conclusion, warned that any further breakdown of law and order will not be tolerated, and the trend of name-calling and social media protest will not be tolerated henceforth, stressing that anyone caught will be arrested and prosecuted accordingly.
“He also warned that no ethnic group should refer to another ethnic group as CUSTOMARY TENANTS.
“In conclusion, all parties agreed to work towards the peace and security of Warri kingdom, they pledged to call their youths to order and work towards maintaining the existing peace in order to bring back economic prosperity in Warri, Delta State,” the Zonal Command said in the SP Momoh’s statement.
