RE: FOUNDATION LAYING CEREMONY OF THE SUB-PALACE IN SAPELE TOWN BY THE ORODJE OF OKPE KINGDOM ON THE 24TH OF JANUARY, 2026;

                         CAVEAT EMPTOR

I, Chief Emmanuel Oritsejolomi Uduaghan, the Alema of Warri Kingdom and the administrator of Ugbekoko, Utonyatsere, Ajimale, Aji-Dore, Irakpa and other notable Itsekiri communities within Sapele under the over lordship of the Olu of Warri, ATUWATSE 111, had my attention drawn to the publication made by the Orodje of Okpe vide his Facebook page on the 22nd of January, 2026 inviting the public to the foundation-laying ceremony of his Kingdom’s Sub-Palace in Sapele. I hereby state as follows;

1. That Sapele is not the exclusive town of the Okpe people.
2. That Sapele from time immemorial belong to the Itsekiri people/ nation.
3. That the issue of the ownership of Sapele by the Itsekiri nation has been corroborated by the Intelligence Report of the Colonial Authority as far back as 1930 on the Okpe-Sobo clan wherein they listed all Okpe villages, sub-clans and communities. The Intelligence Report by L. E. A.
   FELLOWS listed the notable Okpe villages to be Amukpe, Elume, Orerokpe and Gbukurusu.
4. That the judgment in Chief Ayomano v. Ginuwa II, JELR 81222 (W.AC.A) that the Okpe often rely on to claim the ownership of Sapele does not confer ownership of Sapele on the Okpes.
5. That the judgment in Chief Ayomano v. Ginuwa II, JELR 81222 (WACA) did not grant the ownership of Sapele to the Okpes; rather it granted 510 acres of land to the Okpes. The area of land granted is well known.
6. That the Orodje of Okpe should restrict his authority and confine his activities to the said 510 acres granted in the Judgment in Chief Ayomano v. Ginuwa II, JELR 81222 (WACA).
7. That I sincerely hope that the said proposed foundation-laying ceremony of the Sub-Palace by the Orodje of Okpe is within the said 510 acres granted to the Okpes in the Judgment of Chief Ayomano v.
   Ginuwa II, JELR 81222 (WACA), as anything outside this will be far-reaching and would be an invitation to communal crisis by the Orodje of Оkpe Kingdom and this will be resisted by every legal means possible.

The above is for the information of the general public

CHIEF EMMANUEL ORITSEJOLOMI UDUAGHAN
(ALEMA OF WARRI KINGDOM)