By Emma Amaize,  Regional Editor, South-South

THERE is conspicuous anger in Gbaramatu kingdom, Warri South-West Local Government Area, Delta State, over the missing golden sword (ark) of the Egbesu goddess, allegedly looted by soldiers, who invaded Oporoza, the traditional headquarters of the kingdom, May 28, in search of ex-militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, and members of the Niger Delta Avengers, NDA. Before the most recent infringement, soldiers in May 2009 supposedly made away with the golden crown of the monarch and the people, who cherish the gods of the land and their tradition, notwithstanding the sway of Christian religion and modernity, are exasperated.

Tompolo and Buhari

Gbaramatu kingdom, made of 19   Ijaw-speaking autonomous communities, namely Tebujor, Opodobubo, Opuede, Okpelama, Epopo, Sagara, Azama, Ibefan, Inikorohgha, Ugoba, Kunukunama, Okerenkoko and Kurutie , Kokodiagbene, Ebama, Benikrukru, Abiteye, Kenyagbe and Oporoza,   has the Pere   of Gbaramagu   as its supreme ruler and the people venerate the Egbesu goddess. The new monarch of Gbaramatu kingdom, His Majesty, Pere Naira Williams Ogoba, is just few months old on the throne. He is awaiting the handover of his staff of office, a golden sword kept in custody of the chief priest of the Egbesu Shrine, to him by the state government at any moment.

Many people mistake Egbesu to be Ijaw deity of war, but it is more than that. Egbesu is a goddess of protection and unity. The people believe it is a very powerful god and that is why there is Egbesu in all the 64 Ijaw-speaking communities and clans in Arogbo- Appoit in Ondo state to the territories and boundaries of the Ijaws in Eastern Ibeno in Akwa-Ibom state and in the core south of Federal Republic of Nigeria. Some said Egbesu is the spiritual foundation for combating evil and the main spiritual tool (weapon) for overcoming evil. “It is used to put into effect the celestial order in the natural sphere so that all things coming into being can take place in their own space and time without violating other structures. It ensures that all things function in one piece in the face of their outward differences,” a devotee disclosed.

Tompolo first rang alarm bell

However, the chief priest of Egbesu in the kingdom and ex-militant leader, High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, and other leaders alleged that soldiers, who invaded Oporoza, May 28, made away with the symbol of authority. When Tompolo, the Ibe-ebidouwei of Ijaw nation, first raised eyebrows, June 11 that the emblem of office was missing from the Shrine; few persons took him seriously or comprehended his worries.

The former militant leader in a statement appealing to the Niger Delta Avengers, NDA, to cease bombing of oil facilities, had said: “Presently all communities in Gbaramatu kingdom have been deserted by residents for fear of a repeat of the 2009 military invasion, which still leave the communities in shambles. Even until now, the military has not returned the symbol of authority they took away from the Egbesu Shrine and other valuables in Oporoza community during the May 28, 2016 invasion.”

…Renewed alarm 17 days after

Seventeen days after he pointed accusing fingers at the military, Tompolo, wrote an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari, apologizing for his choice of words, but restating that the military had not returned the ensign of authority. His words: “Today is exactly 31 days after the invasion of the traditional headquarters of Gbaramatu Kingdom, Oporoza town by your military, led by Brig. General Faruk Yahaya of the 4th Brigade, Benin City in search of me.   They came on the allegation that I am the one behind the bombing and destruction of crude oil facilities in the Niger Delta region, and the incident happened in my absence.”

“But, I was informed that the army was on the loose and committed so much abomination in the community. Imagine, the traditional ruler of the kingdom was literally placed on house arrest for one week. “As I said in my previous publications, the military made away with the symbol of authority of the Gbaramatu people from the Egbesu Shrine, which I am the Chief Priest. They also made away with other valuables worth several millions of naira from the community,” he disclosed.

King’s golden crown earlier stolen in 2009

He recalled that in May 2009 when the military similarly invaded Gbaramatu kingdom: “Traditional worship centres were desecrated, property were looted and above all, the multi-billion naira ultra-modern magnificent palace of the Pere of Gbaramatu kingdom was burned down, and his golden crown was stolen by the military.”

Appeal to Buhari

Tompolo begged Buhari: “Mr President Sir, please kindly direct your army to return the looted items, including the symbol of authority…”

It‘s a taboo- Gbenekama

The Ibibenimowei (Chief Mobilization Officer) Chief Godspower Gbenekama, who shed light on the matter, told Saturday Vanguard: “Gbaramatu kingdom is a secular society; we have Christians, our traditional institution and traditional stool. The Egbesu is the symbol of power and is believed to be the symbol of protection and unity.” “Anybody who desecrates it is dealing a serious blow on our traditional institution and the kingdom and no Gbaramatu son will allow that. When you say Tompolo is asking for the return of the symbol, it is not only him, the entire Gbaramatu people are asking for the return.

“You asked why despite his travails, he is asking for a missing symbol of Egbesu, that will tell you his love for Gbaramatu kingdom, he loves his people and he knows what it means for the symbol of authority of Egbesu to be taken away. It is an abomination in the first instance,” he said. Chief Gbenekama revealed: “It is not only the symbol of authority of Egbesu that is missing; the king’s staff is also missing. He is supposed to receive his insignia of office used by the previous king from the governor, but in the meantime, the community keeps the insignia in the custody of the chief priest. Now they looted it with other items from the shrine.”

“Besides, they also took away two Passport 19 speedboats, belonging to the Gbaramatu Traditional Council, GTC, one specifically for the Pere of Gbaramatu kingdom. They knew clearly that the two speedboats were for the monarchy because of the inscription on them, yet they took it away,” he bemoaned.

Military can still return looted items- Azaiye

Another Gbaramatu leader, Arc Piniki Azaiye, said: “The military joint task force carted away some valuable items, including the symbol of authority of the Egbesu Shrine so magnificently built and which serves as a tourist attraction in the kingdom and by extension, Niger Delta,” “The action of the military is vexatious, offensive… it was said that after some days of the invasion, the military brought some of the said items to Oporoza but still withheld the golden symbol of authority of the kingdom.

“I am an indigene of the kingdom; I want to join voices with Tompolo and the good people of Gbaramatu in appealing to the military to return the said item. In normal thinking, searching for Niger Delta Avengers has nothing to do with the military going into a shrine to cart away items. “Has a shrine and its housing become so personified as a human being to be so hunted, the act is unimaginable and uncalled for. The monument is a property, which the government owed a duty to protect. I have not seen where government run contrary to its citizens,” he said.

Azaiye noted: “This said symbol of authority could be returned by the military in so many ways without the knowing of the public or best still, through the palace chiefs living in Warri. I still pray President Buhari to prevail on the military to return all items taken away from the Egbesu shrine because the implications are terrible to the high priest, some members of the kingdom and again to those that carted these items because they have committed sacrilege.”  “The sanctions of the gods are sometimes slow but wipe out generations, God forbid, it is not going to be anyone’s portion, let us act wisely, “he added.

Egbesu gold sword cannot occupy strange land – Ozobo

National President of Ijaw People Development Initiative, IPDI, told Saturday Vanguard in a fit of anger: “What the soldiers did is sacrilegious; it is an abomination for the Egbesu gold sword to be taken to strange land. The ancestral golden sword is the mouthpiece of Egbesu goddess and apart from that, it represents pride, symbol of honour and dignity. It symbolizes strength; it is like the ark of God.” “It is a heritage of the Ijaw and Gbaramatu kingdom, which was instructed to preserve from generation to generation. Ijaw cannot do without it, the absence of the ancestral sword in Ijaw land is like a man without one eye, the Ijaw and Gbaramatu kingdom cannot do without it.

“The golden sword cannot dwell in a strange land;  neither should defiled strange hands handle it because it is an integral part of  Egbesu goddess. You know what happened to the enemies of Isreal when the enemies seized the Ark of God of Israel, the golden sword in Egbesu Shrine also pose such grave dangers to her enemies,” Ozobo said.

Looming catastrophe over missing symbol

His words: “Except it is returned, a time will come   when the symbol of authority wants to return home, it will compel the Ijaw nation to go into serious war with her enemies to return home the symbol of authority.   Equally, the camp of the enemies will not be at peace; there will be tribulation and grave destruction in the land of the enemy.” Ozobo explained: “Another implication is that if Tompolo fails to fight for its return, the gods may decide to kill Tompolo and raise another warrior to fight for her enemy to return the stolen staff of authority back to base.”

“Despite the facat that Tompolo is on the run, he knows the implication and that is why he is telling Buhari to compel the military men, who stole the sword to return it. “He is trying to avoid a situation where he will be either killed or forced by the gods to lead another war against the government or Ijaw nation being compelled to go into a serious war with the government one day to return the Egbesu staff of authority,” he asserted.

Curse on the enemy

Ozobo added: “The gods of the land are angry at the unlawful invasion of their privacy. Cursed are the hands that took away the insignia and they are doomed already. The only thing that will annul the curse is for them to return the symbol and present themselves for purification. This is why Tompolo is worried being the current chief priest.” A villager, who could not close his eyes to the infringement, said: “Every community has its tradition. Take the Bini people, they have their tradition and cherish them, so it is for the people of Kano and other places. Gbaramatu people are not different, I hope you know what it means for people to come from outside and steal or remove your cherished traditional items.”