COUNTER-RESPONSE TO CLAIMS ON PROPOSED TORU-BE STATE: RIGHTS OF IJAW COMMUNITIES MUST BE RESPECTED.
By Dr. Odimientimi Agbedeyi
10 December 2025
The recent debates at the House of Representatives concerning the proposed creation of Toru-Be State and the inclusion of riverine communities currently under Edo State have drawn considerable public attention. While the motion presented by Hon. Omosede Igbinedion seeks to resist the ceding of certain communities, it is important that her submissions are not accepted as the unquestionable historical truth.
The attempt to frame all riverine territories—from Ughoton to Aghamioba, Udo (Okomu), Ologbo, Siloko, Obazuwa, Ekewan, Ikoro, and other neighbouring settlements—as foundational to the Benin Kingdom ignores the complex ethnic history of the region, especially the presence and political identity of the Ijaws, who have existed in the Niger Delta long before the modern administrative structures of Edo State were created.
HISTORY CANNOT BE SELECTIVE;
Scholars of pre-colonial African history agree that the Niger Delta was a multi-kingdom environment, where Ijaw clans such as Arogbo, Gbaramatu, Egbema, Olodiama, and others maintained autonomous political systems, economic networks, and diplomatic relations.
These communities existed independently of the Benin monarchical system, even where there were periods of trade, tribute, or conflict.
To therefore portray all communities in the Ovia and Ikpoba-Okha axis as inseparable from the Benin Kingdom oversimplifies a much deeper and more diverse historical truth.
Benin Kingdom is undeniably a great civilisation—one of Africa’s most advanced pre-colonial states. But greatness does not grant the right to erase the identities of other peoples who shared borders, traded goods, and interacted diplomatically.
History must reflect all voices, not only the strongest one.
COMMUNITIES HAVE FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS:
The principle behind the creation of new states is not merely historical pride—it is self-determination, equity in development, and the ability of minority groups to express their identity within a structure that understands their needs.
The affected communities, especially the Ijaw riverine populations, have endured decades of political marginalisation under structures dominated by a land-based majority. In many instances, development priorities have ignored riverine needs, affecting infrastructure, access to education, environmental justice, and economic participation.
It is their constitutional right, under Chapter IV of the 1999 Constitution, to express political aspiration and demand administrative boundaries that serve their interests. Minority ethnic groups should not be compelled to remain in a state structure where they feel culturally suffocated or politically sidelined.
Democracy must respect consent, not conquest.
BENIN HISTORY IS NOT A POLITICAL WEAPON:
While Hon. Igbinedion referenced Benin’s 1,200-year civilisation and the global fame of bronze art, none of these historical facts negate the right of Ijaw or other riverine communities to choose their political destiny.
Civilisations are respected for their contributions, not for using history as a tool to silence minority aspirations.
TO QUOTE NOTABLE AFRICAN HISTORIANS:
“The greatness of one kingdom does not invalidate the existence of its neighbours.”
The Ijaw people are not strangers in these lands. Their presence is supported by oral traditions, archaeological findings, and colonial administrative records, alongside cultural continuity in language, spirituality, festivals, fishing traditions, and maritime orientation.
STATE CREATION SHOULD NOT BE CONTESTED THROUGH FEAR:
Fears that the proposed Toru-Be State will “take away” Benin land ignore the fact that:
1. State creation follows constitutional procedure
2. Communities must be consulted.
3. Referendums and boundaries rely on federal mechanisms.
4. No state can be created through private caucuses.
If the House of Representatives believes in due process, then the concerns should not be framed as a territorial loss, but rather as an opportunity for dialogue, where each community speaks for itself.
OPPRESSION CANNOT BE THE FOUNDATION OF UNITY:
For decades, riverine communities have experienced:
1. Political under-representation.
2. Land disputes.
3. Inadequate recognition of traditional institutions.
4. Environmental neglect despite oil production.
5. Cultural suppression in school textbooks and public narratives.
These realities cannot be dismissed with a sentence. Unity must be built on mutual respect, not historical dominance.
If democratically expressed, the desire of these communities to join a proposed Toru-Be State reflects:
1. Cultural identity.
2. Shared geography.
3. Administrative convenience.
4. Ethnic cohesion.
5. No hostility toward Edo people.
LET THE PEOPLE SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES:
No leader—traditional, political, or academic - should claim ownership of a community without consulting the people. If the voices of riverine communities are indeed loyal to the Benin Kingdom, they will express it willingly.
But if they desire a political structure where their rights are better protected, no one should silence them in the name of history.
THE PATH FORWARD IS CLEAR:
1. Conduct a transparent referendum
2. Consult every affected community
3. Document historical claims from all sides
4.Allow constitutional processes to run.
That is democracy.
CONCLUSION
The creation of Toru-Be State is not a war against the Benin Kingdom. It is a quest for inclusion by communities who have lived too long on the edge of administrative structures that do not reflect their identity.
Benin’s civilisation deserves respect.Ijaw identity deserves recognition. Nigeria’s unity must be anchored in justice, not selective history.
By DR. ODIMIENTIMI AGBEDEYI
© Global Egberi Media International
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