The Prince of Etete Dukedom in Ovia South-West local government area of Edo State HRH Aifuwa Ehiozomwangie has been allegedly killed by poison over collection royalty from a disputed part of Ugolo-Etete domain in the state.
The sad incident which occurred a fortnight ago, came barely five years after the Duke, Enogie of Ugolo clan, a neighbouring community HRH Solomon Idubor was assassinated in his residence at Uwelu quarters, Benin City.
Also, a supportive and loyal subject to Ugolo traditional throne one Mr Adebayo Lamidi was gruesomely murdered in the community bringing to three, the number of casualties so far recorded in the last five years of Ugolo-Etete land dispute.
The land dispute between Ugolo and Etete communities was said to have started during the reign of HRH Solomon Idubor of Ugolo and HRH Ehiozomwangie Uwumagbuhun who died in 2009 and 2008, respectively.
Their children late Prince Aifuwa Ehiozomwangie and HRH Kelly Idubor of Ugolo Dukedom allegedly inherited the acrimony from them.
Part of the land was said to have been leased to Yoruba cocoa farmers who pay royalties running into several thousands of Naira to the traditional head.
It was gathered that late Prince Aifuwa Ehiozomwangie, 55 was recently granted bail after spending over four years in prison custody for alleged involvement in the separate killings of the Enogie and his subject.
He allegedly died of the poisonous substance on Thursday, April 14, 2016 when a court hearing his murder case was to deliver judg
ment.
Narrating how Prince Aifuwa Ehiozomwangie was allegedly poisoned by three persons from Ugolo community, now in police custody, a relative of the Prince Mrs Magdalene Osagie stated that on Wednesday, April 6, 2016 they all went to their individual farms in Etete.
Mrs Osagie alleged that about 10am she decided to go and inform her brother Prince Aifuwa that she was going back home to prepare food since the Prince did not take his breakfast before leaving for farm.
She added that as she was about entry the Prince farm she saw one Takaya and Taufiq watching left and right as she was not comfortable with their presence because they are among those fighting the Prince and his family.
She said as she was accusing them of evil intention in the Prince farm, one Oloku emerged from another direction of the farm as he joined the other two while they left as she rained insult on the trio.
Mrs. Osagie further stated that she swiftly informed the Prince of the development as the Prince assured her not to worry as the court judgment would so place his enemies where they belong.
She alleging trio of sneaking into the Prince tent in the farm, opened his gallon of drinking water and laced it with deadly poison while he was working in a portion of the farmland.
She said the unsuspecting Prince drank from the poisoned water when he became thirsty took the gallon of water as he returned home with complaints of sharp abdominal pains.
HRH Ehiosomwangie who she said narrated how after he drank from the water started experiencing the pains was promptly from Etete village in Ovia South-West local government area to Central Hospital in Benin City, where he died five days after.
Attempt to obtain comments from the Enogie of Ugolo HRH Kelly Idubor failed as several calls and a text message sent to a number 08057139***said to be his, were neither answered nor replied.
The Public Relations Officer for Edo State Police Command DSP Osifo Abiodun said investigators at the homicide unit of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Edo State Police Command have commenced investigation.
