His Royal Highness, Festus Osagiede Ayeki, the Enogie of Iguogie Dukedom in Edo State, in company with elders and stakeholders from Iguogie, called at the office of the Nigerian Observer in Benin City on Monday.
It was not entirely a courtesy call. Enogie Osagiede Ayeki used the opportunity to disclose that the Palace of the Oba of Benin has affirmed his rulership over Evboro Community.
Enogie Osagiede Ayeki presented certified documents from the Palace of Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Ewuare II, the Oba of Benin, to buttress his assertion that Evboro Community is part of his dukedom, and that has been the tradition from time immemorial.
Enogie Ayeki and his community are disturbed by the activities of some groups whom he refers to as vagrants and pretenders, who are violating the authority and stamp of office of the Oba of Benin which confers rulership of the Dukedom on him as the Enogie.
These individuals, backed by their armed hoodlums, he says, claim that Evboro is an autonomous community, with no association with any dukedom, contrary to what is contained in a signed document from the palace of the Oba of Benin.
The said individuals, have according to him, been taking the law into their own hands, through intimidation and with the force of arms, without authorisation and with criminal intent. They have further been executing projects that affect the community, also without authorisation, while boasting that they have the connections to violate norms, rules and the law, with impunity.
The leader of the band of law breakers, he says, is now falsely claiming to be the acting Odionwere, while there is an actual and legitimate Odinware in waiting, in accordance with the tradition of the land, which stipulates a waiting period of three years, to show respect for the soul of the departed Odionware.
The letter from the Palace of the Oba of Benin, which was seen by the Nigerian Observer, was written far back in 2012 by Oronsanye Guobadia, Secretary to the Oba of Benin and addressed to E. Ogbahenhen Esq., Solicitor, Henry Idahagbou & Co., of the Trinity Chambers, Benin City, indicating all the communities under the Dukedom of the Enogie HRH Festus Ayeki, among which are Iguotor, Iguogie, Evboro and Okhonmwenre.
The Nigerian Observer gathered that according to the customary procedures of Benin City, usually there will be no installation of a new Odionwere in the village until three years after the death of the previous Odionwere. In this case, the earliest time for the installation of Odionwere is July 2023.
The letter puts to rest any speculation surrounding the status of Evboro 1 and 2 communities in Ovia North-East Local Government Area of Edo State, as it affirms that the said communities fall under the Dukedom of His Royal Highness, Osagiede Ayeki Festus, the Enogie of Iguogie.
“For clarity, the demarcation among the communities is stated below: Iguogie, Iguotor, Evboro 1, Evboro II; Iguedobor, and Okhonmwenre are under the Enogie of Iguogie,” Oransaye Guobadia, Secretary to the Oba of Benin, stated in the letter.
On the entourage of HRH Osagiede Ayeki Festus, the Enogie of Iguogie, during the courtesy visit, were Enogieru Osadebamwen, Osazee Edende, Iseleromon Osayemwenre, Christopher Osayi and Omoregie Nosayaba.
“I became the Enogie of the community in 2012. There is a judgement from the palace of the Oba of Benin affirming that I am the Enogie of the Evboro Community. I want to tell the general public at this moment, that should anybody do anything with individuals other than the Enogie of Iguogie monetarily or otherwise, such a person or group is doing so at their own risk because I am the Enogie of the Evboro community,” HRH Enogie Festus Ayeki reiterated.
It would be recalled that recently, a very large piece of land was sold to the cooperative society of a professional body, by unauthorised persons who claimed they had the sole right to sell plots of lands in Evboro and environs.
Enogie Festus said no member of the public should do any business with any individual or group of individuals parading themselves as representatives of the villages under his Dukedom and that doing so would amount to nullity.
“When we got to know about the illegal sale of land, I took them to the Edo Property and Protection Agency at Edo State Government House.
“At the Government House, I submitted the judgement from the palace, the unauthorised elder in question stood up saying I was not the Enogie of the community, and that the document I presented was not authentic.
“However, the judge decided to write to the palace in a bid to confirm the authenticity of the certificate. The Oba’s Palace did re-affirm that I am the Enogie of the Evboro community, this was done twice,” Enogie Festus Ayeki said.
HRH added: “There is no acting Odionwere in Evboro community now. There is nothing like that. The second in command was publicised after the demise of the former Odionwere. This person just came up, and started saying he is the acting Odionwere. They took over the community by selling people’s land anyhow,” a member of Enogie’s entourage said.
“To this end, the Palace of the Oba of Benin has responded that once the three-year period for the mourning of the late Odionwere is completed, HRH Enogie Festus and his cabinet of elders should bring the approved Odionwere to the palace of the Oba of Benin for confirmation,” another member said.
HRH Enogie Festus further explained, “I went to a TV station here in Benin to make an announcement, stating that the Evboro community is under my jurisdiction.
“A week after, a barrister from a law firm, went on air stating that the previous statement I made should be disregarded, indicating that there is no Enogie in Evboro and that the people developing their structures should continue, which sounds like a blow to me.
“So, I went back to the TV station and I asked the management, you asked me to provide a document that states that I am the Enogie, which I did, now which document did this man submit to you proving I am not the Enogie?
“The management of the TV station replied that there is a seal in a document provided by the barrister.
“To confirm my claim, the MD of the TV station called the Palace of the Oba of Benin again and the Edo State Private Property Protection Law, and both confirmed that the certificate presented by me is authentic.
“I then made another recording which was broadcast on the TV station, reaffirming that the Evboro Community is under my jurisdiction. For his part, Iseleromon Osayemwenre, from Evboro Community stated that Evboro community is under Iguogie.
Iseleromon narrated that, “The Odionwere of Evboro died about three years ago but there is one man who is claiming to be the acting Odionwere. There is nothing like that in our tradition.
“He has been claiming lands of the people of the community illegally and selling them. We have about four cases in court because the unauthorised individual in question took us to court saying that we did not allow them to perform his functions in the village,” he added.
The resurgence of land grabbing incidents in Edo State will further test the will of the Edo State’s anti-land grabbing law that was passed in 2017.
The law states that, “No person shall sell or cause to be sold any family land, property or any part of it without the consent or authority of the members of the family, and a person who without lawful authority, uses or threatens for the purpose of security entry into any landed property for himself or for any other person commits an offence.”
