Jesse fire tragedy: This disaster must bear our name — Mosogar insists
For 28 years, the world has known it as the Jesse Fire Disaster — the horrific petrol explosion of October 17, 1998, in Delta State, which claimed over 1,000 lives and left an indelible scar on the nation’s history. But now, a neighbouring community, Mosogar in Ethiope West Local Government Area is challenging that identity, insisting that the tragedy has been wrongly named all along. It is demanding a historic correction: that the disaster be renamed the Mosogar Fire Disaster, not Jesse Fire Disaster.
Why is Mosogar demanding a change to a name the world has come to recognise? And what are the historical arguments behind its claim? Our correspondent examines the controversy below.
By Paul Olayemi
Mosogar Kingdom, Ethiope West Local Government Area of Delta State has rejected the designation of the site of the Jesse fire disaster which happened 28 years ago at Atiwor in Idjerhe Kingdom, insisting that the location belongs to Mosogar and warning that the naming could fuel a territorial dispute between the neighbouring kingdoms.
The kingdom also called on the Delta State Government to urgently intervene in the controversy, demanding an impartial investigation and clarification of the historical boundaries between Mosogar and Idjerhe.
The position was made known on Friday, October 30, 2026, during a press conference addressed by the kingdom over the identification of the location as Atiwor during a memorial activity organised by the Ovie of Idjerhe and some indigenes of the kingdom on October 17.
Mosogar expressed concern that the designation could create the impression that the disaster site falls within Idjerhe territory, arguing that the commemoration of the tragedy should not be used to advance or reinforce unresolved territorial claims.
“The central issue is whether a memorial activity should be used, intentionally or unintentionally, to establish or reinforce a geographical designation that may contradict the historical ownership and territorial identity of the land,” the kingdom stated.
It maintained that the right to commemorate the victims of the disaster was separate from the question of determining the territorial identity of the location, insisting that both matters should not be confused.
According to the kingdom, the land where the disaster occurred belongs to the Origheyegha-Omene family of Orokpokpor, Akpobome Community, in Mosogar Kingdom.
It argued that the historical administrative relationship between Mosogar and the then Idjerhe Clan, did not automatically establish Idjerhe’s ownership of every parcel of land within the former arrangement.
The statement explained that Mosogar, Jesse Central, Onyobru and Boboroku were subclans of the then Idjerhe Clan when the fire disaster occurred approximately 28 years ago.
However, it insisted that traditional affiliations, administrative arrangements, customary boundaries and ancestral landownership were separate issues that required independent historical examination.
“The fact that Mosogar was a subclan of the then Idjerhe Clan at the time of the disaster cannot by itself be treated as sufficient legal or historical justification for transferring the ownership or territorial identity of a particular piece of land from Mosogar to Idjerhe,” it said.
The kingdom further claimed that Mosogar landowners had historically sold several parcels of land in the affected areas to individuals from Idjerhe, including portions extending from the expressway towards the vicinity of the present palace of the Idjerhe monarch.
It maintained that the acquisition of land by individuals from another community did not automatically transfer the territorial identity or traditional jurisdiction of the area to their community.
“A purchaser may acquire valid rights over a particular parcel of land without acquiring the authority to redefine the historical boundaries of the kingdom within which that land is located,” the statement added.
Mosogar also disputed the geographical extent being attributed to Atiwor, particularly its alleged extension to the pipeline corridor where the disaster occurred.
It warned that allowing the designation to circulate without clarification could generate competing historical narratives and create future disagreements over the territorial boundaries of the two kingdoms.
The kingdom further alleged that the identification of the location as Atiwor could amount to an attempt to transfer the disputed portion of land to Idjerhe through public recognition rather than an evidence-based process.
“We presume that the intention of those who organised the memorial and used the name Atiwor as the designated location of the disaster was not just making a public statement but making an attempt to cede that portion of land to Idjerhe Kingdom,” it stated.
However, Mosogar said it did not wish to attribute improper motives to any individual, insisting that any geographical designation with territorial implications must be supported by credible historical evidence.
It called on the Delta State Government to engage the traditional institutions of both kingdoms and facilitate a transparent process for resolving the disputed designation and any associated boundary questions.
The kingdom also warned against actions capable of undermining its territorial interests, saying it would pursue available legal and customary remedies where necessary.
“Our position is that any attempt to encroach upon land lawfully belonging to Mosogar or to undermine its legitimate territorial interests will be firmly challenged through peaceful, lawful and appropriate means,” it said.
Despite its objections, Mosogar stressed that it was not opposed to commemorating the victims of the disaster, acknowledging that the tragedy affected people from both kingdoms and their families.
It urged organisers of future memorial activities to consult relevant stakeholders and adopt a language that would honour the departed without creating unnecessary controversy over the identity of the location.
“The pain of the tragedy should unite our communities rather than become a source of division,” the kingdom stated.
The statement was signed by the Otota of Mosogar Kingdom, Chief (Bar) Napoleon Emefe, and the Secretary of the Ovie-in-Council, Chief Silver Anuwa.
The kingdom maintained that the disputed disaster site is in Orhokpokpor-Akpobome Community, Mosogar Kingdom, and insisted that its historical identity and territorial interests must be respected.
It would be recalled that last month, the people of Jesse Kingdom had gathered at the memorial grave of the victims of the disaster at Atiwor community where they among others offered prayers and also called on the government to set up a national monument in honour of the deceased.
The Ovie of Idjerhe (Jesse) Kingdom, His Majesty King Monday Obukohwo Whiskey Ph.D., Udurhie 1, who led the session also appealed for greater support from stakeholders across the Niger-Delta to get justice for the people of Jesse. The mourners lit candles on the mass grave.
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