The late Sunday night invasion of Iyara Community in the heart of Warri South Local Government Area, Delta State, by unidentified armed youths, has left a building razed and several individuals sustaining injuries in the attack.
Sources from the community revealed that the assailants, armed with guns, cutlasses, and other dangerous weapons, stormed the area around 10:47 p.m. on Sunday. They shot sporadically into the air to scare residents and, in the process, inflicted severe injuries on a few individuals.
Residents, particularly women and children, were said to have fled in all directions for safety as the attackers brandished their weapons, causing widespread panic. Commercial tricycles used by local residents were left riddled with bullets, and walls in the area were marked with bullet holes.
While the motive behind the attack remains unclear, many speculate that it may be linked to the recent wards delineation exercise announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), particularly in the Warri South area.
According to a reliable source, the assailants had earlier carried out attacks in some areas within the local government to voice their dissatisfaction with the wards delineation announced by INEC following the Supreme Court judgment on the matter.
When contacted, the Chairman of Warri South Local Government Area, Comrade Isaac Agbateyinro, stated that the perpetrators of the attack are yet unknown. However, he assured that upon receiving information about the incident, he quickly mobilized security forces to the area.
“As I speak with you, adequate security agencies have been deployed to the area, and they are maintaining law and order. I can tell you that peace has since returned to the area,” he said.
Meanwhile, Chief Onoriode Okoh, a former youth leader and stakeholder in Iyara Community, expressed shock over the attack, questioning what could have caused such violence that led to a building being set ablaze and tricycles riddled with bullets.
Okoh urged the people to avoid attaching tribal sentiments to the attack and called for peaceful coexistence among the various ethnic groups in the area. He also cautioned the youths not to take the law into their hands by destroying property or injuring anyone while the investigation is ongoing.
“We don’t want anybody to attach tribal sentiments to the attack. The Urhobos, Itsekiris, and Ijaws have intermarried and lived together peacefully for years. We don’t want ethnic colorations to this attack,” he said.
“If there are grievances about the wards delineation in Warri South, people should channel their concerns to INEC rather than cause disunity among those who have lived peacefully together for decades.”
Okoh also expressed gratitude to the security agencies for their prompt intervention in quelling the violence and restoring calm to the community. He remains hopeful that the matter will be thoroughly investigated, and the perpetrators will be brought to justice.
Responding to the issue of the wards delineation in Warri South, legal practitioner Chief Robinson Ariyo criticized the process and execution of the exercise by all stakeholders involved. He argued that the proposal, which took place on April 4, 2025, was flawed and invalid due to violations of the Nigerian Constitution, INEC guidelines, and contempt of court.
“I have watched with keen interest the events leading to the INEC proposal for Warri Federal Constituency on April 4, 2025. As admirers of Karl Marx, we believe that ‘To leave an error unrefuted is to encourage intellectual immorality,'” Ariyo said.
He further stated that INEC was aware of a pending appeal on the subject matter of the exercise, and a Motion on Notice had been filed before the court, seeking to stay actions regarding the event. Ariyo urged INEC to take note of the court processes already served to it as of April 2, 2025.
