Hundreds of Ijaw Youths Protest in Court Over Resource Control in Bayelsa LGA

By Samuel Oyadongha & Emem Idio, Yenagoa

On Monday, hundreds of Ijaw youths gathered outside the Federal High Court in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, to show support for a lawsuit that seeks greater resource control and the creation of additional local government areas in the state.

The protesters, wearing white clothing and chanting solidarity songs, assembled at the courthouse as the hearing began in the suits filed by the Supreme Egbesu Assembly (SEA), an Ijaw rights organization. Court officials moved the demonstrators to a building outside the courtroom to preserve order and prevent disruption of the proceedings.

The suits, numbered FHC/YNG/CS/63/2026 and FHC/YNG/CS/64/2026, request the establishment of 25 new local government areas for Bayelsa State and increased control over natural resources by oil-producing states.

The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and the National Assembly are named as defendants in the case.

During Monday’s session, Justice Ayo Emmanuel adjourned the case to July 1 2026 to allow hearing of applications filed by the defendants, who were not represented in court.

After the sitting, counsel for the Supreme Egbesu Assembly, E.K. Okorodas, told journalists that the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation had filed a counter‑affidavit challenging the resource‑control claim but had not appeared in court.

“Today was supposed to be for hearing, and the office of the Attorney General of the Federation has filed a counter challenging the issue of resource control. Incidentally, they are not in court today,” he said.

Okorodas explained that the plaintiffs had submitted a further and more detailed affidavit, as well as a reply on points of law, in response to the issues raised by the AGF.

He added that the defendants had not yet filed any process in the suit seeking additional local government areas for Bayelsa State, despite the deadline having passed.

“The defendants, which are the National Assembly and the office of the Attorney General of the Federation, have not filed any processes. But in the interest of justice and fair hearing, the court has further adjourned to July 1 to hear the application,” he said.

The Supreme Egbesu Assembly initiated the legal action after years of agitation over what it described as inequities affecting the Ijaw people.

Also speaking, Secretary‑General of the Assembly and pioneer President of the Ijaw Youth Council Worldwide, Dr. Felix Tuodolo, said the group had turned to legal means after several protests failed to elicit the desired government response.

“We are here today again because we have not been listened to over the years on two major issues — resource control and additional local government areas,” Tuodolo said.

“We are veterans of the Ijaw struggle. We have marched on the streets of Yenagoa, Port Harcourt and Warri demanding these things. Some of our youths have been killed in the past, and because we are growing old, we have decided to take the legal way of pursuing these things.”

He urged the government to address the grievances raised in the suits, warning that continued inaction could fuel frustration among younger activists.

The Ijaw group is also pursuing a separate case before the ECOWAS Court of Justice, challenging Nigeria’s participation in the Morocco‑Nigeria Gas Pipeline project.

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