UYLA Warns Against Proposed Installation of Itsekiri Olare-Aja/Okpako Orere in Sapele

The Urhobo Youth Leaders’ Association (UYLA) has issued a strong caution to the Itsekiri settlers in Sapele over the reported plan to install an Olaraja/Okpako Orere/Oka Orho in Sapele. The Association described the move as “an unacceptable breach of historical, cultural, and traditional boundaries” and warned that such an action could trigger unnecessary tension in Sapele and its environs.

In a statement on Sunday, December 7, 2025, UYLA’s National President, Olorogun (Amb.) Samuel Onoriode Oghotomo (JP), and National Secretary, Olorogun Dr. Augustine Ogheneovo Atiti, emphasised that Sapele is traditionally an Okpe territory of the Urhobo Nation, and therefore no non-indigenous group has the authority to create or install any traditional title or leadership structure within the town.

According to the statement, the Okpe people of Urhobo have maintained peaceful coexistence with various ethnic groups residing in Sapele, but the attempt by Itsekiri settlers in Sapele to install an Olaraja/Okpako Orere/Oka Orho is viewed as a deliberate provocation and an encroachment on the cultural sovereignty of the indigenous Okpe Kingdom of the Urhobo Nation.

UYLA urged the Itsekiri leadership in Sapele to immediately halt any plans that may undermine the long-standing peace and mutual respect among ethnic nationalities in Sapele. The Association also called on security agencies, the Delta State Government, and relevant traditional institutions to intervene promptly to prevent a breakdown of law and order.

The Urhobo youth leaders reaffirmed their commitment to peaceful coexistence but stressed that they will firmly resist any attempt to distort the traditional identity of Sapele.

“Peace is only possible when every Ethnic Nationality respects the territorial and cultural rights of the other,” the statement added.