…Whereabout unknown, As family members cry out
BENIN CITY – The continuous superiority cold war between Obazagbon and Obah Communities have continued unabated for a decade now. The crisis that have since failed all necessary interventions have claimed so many lives and wanton destruction of properties from both sides.
Our correspondent gathered that Obazagbon and Obah community both of Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area of Edo State have been living happily together as peaceful and loving neigbours until the advent of the present “Enogie” of Obazagbon, HRH Victor Ekighawogho’s, clandestine motive of adopting Obah as part of Obazagbon and as such, subservient to this dukedom and pay homage to him as the overall traditional head.
According to a very anonymous reliable source from Obah, who wouldn’t want his identity revealed for fear of victimization that narrated the whole story to our correspondent said it all started sometime in 2006, when the Enogie of Obazagbon muted an idea of supremacy between Obazagbon and Obah Villages.
The Enogie, HRH Ekighawogho gave an express order to the people of Oba that he s the supreme Enogie and that the Odionwere of Obah and his entire subjects are under him. He added that whoever fail to pay homage to him or obey his directives will face the traditional wrath of the gods.
The people of Obah however did not take that order lightly and decided to resist it saying, Obazagbon and Obah are two separate entities that have been living together as neigbours, because of the closeness of their boundaries. Seeing the resistance from Obah then Obazagbon decided to the enforce it by all means, through intimidation, oppression, violence and even fetishly.
But when the harassment became too unbearable by the people of Obah community, the youths decided to take their destiny in their heads and fight back as they cannot continue to live as slaves and in perpetual fear in their own home of origin. Then the youth leader of Obah village in Ikponmwosa Osasere Confidence in his mid-thirties quickly rallied round, mobilized the entire youths of Oba to resist the oppression order from Obazagbon and defend their birthright before they are consumed.
When the ensuing melee that claimed lives and burning of homes was almost going out of hand, the police and authorities of Ikpoba/Okha Local Government area quickly intervened and quell the crisis to an extent.
But when the intervention of the Police and the Local Government did not totally quench the fire, the matter was now taking to the highest traditional authority of the Oba’s Palace in Benin City. After much investigation and traditional adjuctication, the Oba of Benin, His Royal Majesty, Oba Erediauwa ruled in favour of Obah community, saying Obah Village is a community of it’s own as Obazgbom is equally a community of its own. The ruling added that there is no way Obah will ever be under Obazagbon, nor the Enogie HRH Victor Ekighawogho overseeing head and advised that both villages would be on their own as separate autonomous communities.
The source further added that the palace judgment did not still go down completely well with the people of Obazagbon, which makes the matter still linger on, though not as serious as before the palace in Benin intervened. But surprisingly on one fateful day in Late January, 2016, the youths of Obazagbon again mobilized, dangerously armed in a reprisal attack, swooped on the unsuspecting people of Obah village, unleashed mayshen on them. So many dead bodies were recovered and many others injured afterall, while the targeted youth leader Mr. Ikponmwosa Osasere Confidence and seventeen others were kidnapped to an unknown destination that cannot be located till date.
When contacted, the Police divisional head quarter at Ugbekun, a Police Assistant Superintendent, (ASP) name not mentioned said though he was not competent to speak on the matter. He however said the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) was out on official engagement, but confirmed the incident, saying the investigation is on-going.
The family of Ikponmwonsa from Obah have however appealed to all godly spirited persons and law enforcement agencies to please help in the search and protection of their son Ikponmwosa Osasere Confidence, who they said is an armless and lawless freedom fighter who believes in the protection of his fatherland and hate oppressions.
Ever since, nothing have been heard about the kidnapped youth leader and others, nor sighted by anybody anywhere whether the enemy camp from Obazagbon have succeeded in eliminating them, nobody can really tell.
