Prominent Itsekiri leader and All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Chief Ayirimi Emami, has accused former Delta State Deputy Governor, Kingsley Otuaru, of manipulating boundary processes and excluding Itsekiri communities from benefits guaranteed by the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
He also called on the Inspector-General of Police to arrest Otuaru over what he described as “fraudulent acts” and “manipulation of community listings.”
In an interview with ARISE News on Monday , Chief Emami responded to ongoing disputes over the ownership and delineation of land in Warri South, Warri South-West, and Warri North, following claims by some groups that the land belongs exclusively to them.
“The question is, who owns the land? I don’t own it,” Emami said, reacting to ongoing claims by some Ijaw groups that they own parts of Warri South-West, Warri South, and Warri North. “Let’s put the records straight.”
Chief Emami directly accused Otuaru of deceiving the public about the composition of the Warri federal constituency, and misusing his office to influence boundary decisions related to the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
“Kingsley Otuaru, who was the former Deputy Governor, came on air last week, Friday, to tell some lies about the denomination of Uwuri federal constituency. But I am here to put the record straight to everybody—and that is me,” Emami said.
He continued, “I don’t take nonsense. I go straight to the truth, and I stand by the truth. Kingsley Otuaru swore an oath of office not to let personal interest override public interest.”
According to Emami, Otuaru, during his tenure, deliberately guided the National Boundary Commission away from Itsekiri communities when boundary verifications for oil-producing zones were being carried out.
“Do you know what Kingsley did? When the Boundary Commission came to carry out the operation, Kingsley guided them not to see the Itsekiri people. He listed only Ijaw communities. That’s not what the law says.”
Emami claimed that the PIA explicitly recognises communities within a 500-metre radius of the oil-producing buffer zones as primary beneficiaries—a category he insists includes several Itsekiri communities.
“The act says communities that are 500 metres from the buffer zone qualify. Those are our communities—Ugborodo, Foukour, Ogoye, Orere, and the rest. But Kingsley excluded them and connived with the Boundary Commission to gazette only communities that don’t fall within that radius,” he alleged.
Emami also criticised the Delta State Government’s silence over the matter, particularly in light of growing tensions and insecurity.
“Since this crisis started, the Delta State Government has said nothing. They’re watching, waiting to see how bad it will get,” he said. “His Commissioner for Information came on air and said things that were not right. That shows the government’s body language—they’re complicit.”
The Itsekiri leader further pointed to what he described as fraudulent attempts to legitimize Otuaru’s actions by seeking court validation of the controversial gazette.
“They instituted a case in Warri, not Lagos where the supposed plaintiffs are from, to get a judgment just like they did during delineation. We are now joining that case in court,” Emami stated.
In response to a request for evidence, Emami held up documents during the interview, claiming they were authentic gazettes signed off by Otuaru, which he said formed the basis of the manipulated boundary decisions.
“If you look at my left hand, you will see the gazetted document that was authenticated by Kingsley Otuaru. This is the boundary adjustment we wrote against,” he said.
He concluded by reiterating his call to law enforcement: “I have called the Inspector General of Police to ensure Kingsley Otuaru is arrested. The reasons are clear. This is about justice for our people, and everything I’ve said is documented.”
Boluwatife Enome
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