Gelegele Land Dispute: Exposing Edo Elites’ Grab for Ijaw Ancestral Rights

I’ve dug into the Gelegele controversy with its deep historical context. Long before modern states existed, Ijaw communities settled these riverine areas. They built fishing posts, trading hubs, and coastal outposts centuries ago. Yet Edo elites now claim overlordship. They lean on a disputed 1983 ruling to label Ijaw indigenes as tenants. Political power and court tactics fuel forced homage, eviction threats, and Bini title pushes. This greed targets Gelegele’s strategic coast, timber, minerals, and the proposed seaport. Meanwhile, Ijaw residents face denied appointments, neglected infrastructure, and exclusion from development benefits. Ibrahim Asari Dokubo and Ijaw youth call this the next battleground for justice. True equity means respecting Ijaw ancestral rights in Gelegele — not annexation that mirrors the very oppression they decry.

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