The Center for Peace and Environmental Justice (CEPEJ) has taken a bold step towards restoring harmony in Warri and its environs with the inauguration of the Warri Indigene and Residents Peacebuilding Committee. The initiative aims to strengthen unity among the Ijaw, Itsekiri, and Urhobo ethnic nationalities of Delta State.
The committee, comprising seven members, was inaugurated on Thursday, March 26, 2026, with Mr. Chuks Awogu as Chairman. CEPEJ National Coordinator, Chief Sheriff Mulade, stressed that lasting peace in Warri is achievable through deliberate efforts to de-escalate tensions, promote neutrality, and strengthen information-sharing channels.
“Lasting peace in Warri is achievable through deliberate efforts to de-escalate tensions, promote neutrality, and strengthen information-sharing channels,” Mulade said. He urged stakeholders to embrace advocacy-driven solutions that foster coexistence, rather than division.
The committee’s inauguration is part of CEPEJ’s broader peace agenda, which includes stakeholder training, community engagements, advocacy campaigns, and inter-ethnic familiarization visits. “It is becoming imperative to strongly advise and appeal to crises and ethnic conflict sponsors and beneficiaries to desist, but rather should invest in ventures that would create employment opportunities for our teeming youths,” Mulade added.
Governor of Delta State, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, has emphasized the importance of sustained peace for attracting investment and driving economic growth in the state. Abbey Kalio, Coordinator of SID Warri, urged the committee to remain dedicated to its core mandate and avoid distractions.
The initiative is seen as a timely and practical move to douse tensions and lay the groundwork for lasting peace in Warri. As Mulade declared, “No amount of crisis can displace the Ijaw, Itsekiri, and Urhobo from Warri. Conflict only leads to needless loss of lives, while peace creates opportunities for all.”
