Kantu community leaders settled their land dispute and declared themselves part of Gbaramatu kingdom. The Delta State community announced their decision at a press meeting held at their ancestral hall. Leaders said they belong to the Ijaw people and support King Oboro Gbaruan II. Community chairman Windfree Atemubaghan read the official statement to reporters. Elder Edwin Atikan Atemubagha and other officials stood beside him during the announcement.
The community traced their roots back to the 11th century when Gbaramatu kingdom started. Their founder Oweizibiri came from an Ijaw fishing village called Oporoza. He married a trader named Erebo from the old Western Region. The couple had seven children who started the Kantu settlement. Some descendants married Itsekiri women and learned their language over time.
Many Kantu people speak Itsekiri because of these marriages between families. This language connection made others think Kantu belonged to the Itsekiri group. Community leaders reject this idea and say they remain Ijaw people. They promise loyalty to the Gbaramatu king and kingdom. The statement warns that some descendants still try to claim Itsekiri identity instead of their true Ijaw heritage.
The community traced their roots back to the 11th century when Gbaramatu kingdom started. Their founder Oweizibiri came from an Ijaw fishing village called Oporoza. He married a trader named Erebo from the old Western Region. The couple had seven children who started the Kantu settlement. Some descendants married Itsekiri women and learned their language over time.
Many Kantu people speak Itsekiri because of these marriages between families. This language connection made others think Kantu belonged to the Itsekiri group. Community leaders reject this idea and say they remain Ijaw people. They promise loyalty to the Gbaramatu king and kingdom. The statement warns that some descendants still try to claim Itsekiri identity instead of their true Ijaw heritage.
