The Gbaramatu Youth Security Council (GYSC) has defended what it described as its lawful and recognised authority to discipline erring youths within communities in the ancient Gbaramatu Kingdom, insisting that its internal disciplinary mechanisms have contributed significantly to the prevailing peace across the kingdom and the Escravos waterways.

The position was contained in a memorandum presented at the Council's Emergency Meeting held on Saturday, August 1, 2026, at Zou Ala Iba (Zaghala) Community in Gbaramatu Kingdom, Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State.

Addressing journalists, community leaders and stakeholders, the Council maintained that Gbaramatu Kingdom possesses established traditional institutions and community-based disciplinary structures for addressing misconduct and preserving law and order.

According to the Council, it recently intervened after receiving intelligence that Mr. Alex Eyengho allegedly brought some loyalists from Ugborodo Community with the intention of installing them as youth executives in Zou Ala Iba (Zaghala) Community, an action it described as "provocative and capable of creating tension within the kingdom."

The Council stated that its members mobilised, apprehended the individuals involved and subjected the matter to the community's internal disciplinary process, stressing that such actions were carried out within the framework of the kingdom's recognised customs and community leadership structures.

The GYSC emphasized that High Chief Government Oweizide Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, should not be drawn into what it described as internal community matters, maintaining that the youths of Gbaramatu are capable of handling issues affecting their communities through lawful and established traditional mechanisms.

The youth body explained that the peace currently enjoyed in Gbaramatu Kingdom and across the Escravos axis was largely due to the effectiveness of its internal disciplinary system, which it said discourages lawlessness and protects the kingdom's territorial integrity.

While reaffirming that the people of Gbaramatu are peace-loving, the Council declared that it would not hesitate to invoke all lawful and appropriate measures within its authority against any individual or group attempting to impose leadership whose loyalty lies outside Gbaramatu Kingdom.

Supporting the position of the GYSC, the Youth President of Zou Ala Iba (Zaghala/Ijaghala) Community, Comrade Wilson Abeson, while shedding more light on the incident that transpired in the community that led to disciplinary action being meted out by the GYSC on some youths of the community, debunked allegations of kidnap being paraded on social media, insisting that the erring youths in the community where only subjected to disciplinary actions during a meeting aimed at resolving leadership issue.

Giving insights on what transpired, he traced the genesis of the internal issue to a post made in the community WhatsApp group that announced the inauguration of a new set of youth executives without the knowledge of major stakeholders in the community.

According to him, in order to resolve the leadership issue, being under the Gbaramatu Kingdom they took the matter to Oporoza, the traditional headquarters of the kingdom, for an amicable resolution to avoid the situation degenerating into a conflict.

However, during the proceedings in the meeting, Comrade Abeson disclosed that the imposed youth leadership (whose identities were withheld) insisted they were the authentic youth exco having been inaugurated by one Mr. Alex Eyengho, and bragged that nothing can be done to them as they were legitimate sons of the community.

Comrade Abeson further revealed that the unruly behaviour of the imposed youths was what led to disciplinary actions being taken on them by the Gbaramatu youth body, as their actions posed a threat to the existing peace in the community, warning that "Nobody should mention anybody that is not in it"  referring to allegations that Tompolo was involved in the action.

Meanwhile , the GYSC has called on members of the public to disregard narratives capable of distorting history or creating unnecessary conflict, reiterating its commitment to protecting the peace, security, unity and territorial integrity of Gbaramatu Kingdom while promoting peaceful coexistence with neighbouring communities.

View photos from town hall meeting in Ijaghala: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/14iqWs82kJX/