EKIUGBO, UHUNMWONDE- Family of Alari of Uhunmwonde Local Government Area of Edo State, has regretted what is regarded as blunt display of hatred on their son Alari Fred, by the supporters of the Chief Priest who had an unending leadership crisis with the odionwere, just as they have appealed to the relevant government authorities to as a matter of urgent importance, intervene in protecting the life of the 34-yr-old son, Alari Fred, who narrow escaped being killed over an alleged criminal case he knew nothing about.
The family said that their son was a friend to the embattled chairman of the village, whose the odionwere father had a protracted leadership tussle with the chief priest over who was the traditional and administrative head of the village, recalling that the village was engrossed in a leadership battle after the odionwere said that he was the head , a development which never went down well with the chief priest and his supporters hence they vowed to resist any attempt by the odionwere to arrogate the headship to himself , without recourse to the approval of the Benin Monarch, who is the Chief Custodian of the rich culture and tradition of the Benin Kingdom, particularly against the backdrop of the facts that it has not completed mandatory three years of the demise of the former odionwere of the village.
A source who spoke on the condition of anonymity said that the lingering crisis took different dimension recently when the chief priest and his supporters alleged that the chairman, Engr. Justin had master-minded the abrupt killing of one of their relatives and as such, they burnt down the house of the father of the chairman in a reprisal attack, a case which was reported in the media including this newspaper about few weeks ago..
The source added that as if the burning down of the odionwere’s house was not enough, the supporters of the chief priest also launched attack to the house of Engr Justin, that fateful day where the said Alari Fred narrowly escaped assassins’ bullets since he was with the chairman when they invaded his house in the morning.
The chief Priest supporters who knew Alari Fred to be the friend of Engr. Justin, started trailing him (Alari Fred) to kill alleging that he might have known much about the where about of his friend, saying as they planned to attack the house of Alari Fred where he escaped and that after he escaped the chairman, Engr. Justin who was arrested said that his friend Alari Fred did not know anything about the crisis in the village let alone being involved and the police should not look for him to arrest.
Based on that, according to the source, the police had arrested the chairman awaiting to be charged to court if his friend who does not involved be apprehended, because the chief priest had a very influential people in politics to frame him (Alari Fred) up in an alleged case he is not connected just because he is friend.
The family however, appealed for his continued protection wherever he is especially in view of the facts that the supporters of the chief priest became a wounded lions after the Benin Monarch had appointed a neutral person to be the traditional and administrative head of the village, a position they wanted their chief priest to assume to enable them actualize their corrupt-minded intentions of selling the village lands for money-making purposes, reiterating that their son have nothing to do with another village in this regard.
