•HRM Ogugu I narrates how he escaped assailants who installed parallel king
•Why we deposed him – Villagers
•Status quo stays – Delta govt  

By Emma Amaize, Editor, South-South and Perez Brisibe

THERE has been uneasy calm in Agbarho Kingdom, Delta State since last Sunday after irate youths, with the support of a section of elders and other villagers, laid siege to the palace of their monarch, HRM Samson Ogugu I, Osuivie of Agbarho, who bolted away for his dear life.

•HRM Samson Ogugu I, Osuivie of Agbarho Kingdom

24 hours later, the people installed a parallel king, HRM William Onokpite.

Special Adviser to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa on Peace and Conflict Resolution, Chief Edwin Uzor, has had sleepless nights since then trying to manage what could pass as a traditional coup.

HRM Ogugu I, officially recognized by the state government, is reportedly exploring several options, including dialogue and legal, to regain his throne. The monarch, who fled the palace when he got wind of the invasion, was star-crossed, as the invading youths seized his staff of office.

When one of our reporters visited the community on Monday, stern- looking policemen and soldiers, including the Agbarho vigilante outfit, were sighted at strategic locations at the palace environs and gate, while vehicular movement on the road leading to the palace was grounded.

Soldiers restricted movement at the gate, but some chiefs and youths were seen near the shrine in the palace which was under lock and key.

Protracted feud

Truth, however,  is that HRM Ogugu I has been embroiled in a running battle with his subjects over his leadership style and other allegations since he mounted the throne and all efforts to resolve the dispute proved unsuccessful.

Agbarho kingmakers, otherwise called “Usueches” from the various royal families had, months ago, reportedly served the monarch a letter calling for his dethronement over alleged gross misconduct.

An influential leader of the community, Major General Orho Obada (ret.), who is the arrowhead of the emergence of Ogugu I, has allegedly  turned his back against him, while the Agbarho-Urhobo Improvement Union, AUIU, which is supposed to be working together with the king to develop the community, is also at loggerheads with him.

They want me dead – HRM Ogugu I

But, last Sunday was not the first time the monarch would escape from the Agbarho palace. Armed youths had overrun the palace some months ago.

But the incident of last Sunday took many by surprise as many villagers were still in church for their weekly services when youths, shooting sporadically into the air, marched into the palace.

HRM Ogugu I, who spoke to journalists at a location outside his kingdom on Monday, same day a parallel king was installed, said, “Some persons wanted me dead so that they can install a new king, who will be taking authority from them.  I have not committed any offence against individuals or the kingdom. But a cabal in the community wants me dead at all costs.

“They sent assassins to kill me in broad daylight with guns. They shot sporadically into the air in my palace. But my God saved me from their hands.

“I learnt some armed youths were coming to the palace and, barely 30 minutes after, they were at the palace, but I had to vanish. My two wives were held at gunpoint and my traditional beads, worth millions, were stolen, including my staff of office, given to me by Delta State government.

“My security detail was beaten up, my children’s laptops were stolen and property worth over N30 million were collected from the palace. The matter is before the Urhobo Progress Union, UPU, and Urhobo Traditional Rulers Council under the chairmanship of the Ohworode of Olomu Kingdom”.

‘Security agents took sides’  

The under attack monarch went on, “Soldiers and policemen, who came to my palace to maintain the peace saw these thugs and youths with arms but did nothing.  No arrest was made because they got a directive from a top military officer who is against me. This is illegal and unjust.

“From what my wife told me, the gunmen ransacked and carted away millions of naira. Nobody has the monopoly of violence and if I respond to their rascality in equal measure, the whole Agbarho town will run. And I do not want to do that because I am a man of peace.

“I am calling on Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, the state Commissioner of Police and President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene in the matter and arrest anybody behind the palace coup, attempting to kill and overthrow a government authorized king at gunpoint.

“It is a pity the police in Agbarho have compromised and while my palace was overrun by the gunmen, the police were with them, celebrating my palace invasion with the gunmen and their masterminds”.

A source loyal to the deposed king corroborated his claims, saying, “Agbarho is in the grips of criminals and ritualists. His ordeal is sponsored by those who do not like his opposition to their illegality.”

He added, “The Okparegbe sub-clan condemned the action of the Usueches and pledged their allegiance to the monarch. “At a recent general meeting, 14 communities of Awwredjan and Okpategbe sub clans unanimously passed a vote of confidence on HRM Ogugu 1.”

There has been crisis since Ogugu I ascended the throne – Gbenedio

President General of Agbarho Urhobo Improvement Union, who the monarch fingered as one of the brains behind his ordeal, Chief Ighoteguono Gbenedio, when contacted, narrated the incident.

He said, “I was in church when the Special Adviser to the Governor on Peace and Conflict Resolution, Chief Edwin Uzor, called me to say that there was trouble in the kingdom. I told him I was in church and will find out what was happening.

“I made some calls and l was told that they whole place is scattered. There has been one trouble or the other with the present monarch since he assumed office, but the whole Agbarho said the kingdom will not divide because the other sub-clan had threatened to install their own king.

“So, the youth, who do not want the kingdom to split because of one man, took over the palace. I think that is what happened; the community owns the palace”.

Gbenedio, who said he visited the palace thereafter, said he saw policemen and soldiers at strategic positions within and around the place, and youths, who insisted they would not leave.

Police on ground to restore peace- Commissioner. Former Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Muhammad Mustafa, who spoke to Sunday Vanguard on the invasion, 24 hours before he handed over to his successor, Anthony Michael, said the Area Commander, Ughelli, was on ground with other police officers to restore peace, adding that the monarch was safe and reportedly left the palace before the youths arrived.

Onokpite installed 

While HRM Ogugu is asserting his authority outside the kingdom, stakeholders, maintaining that “there cannot be room for vacancy on the throne” gathered in the palace a day after he was chased out to install a new Ovie.

Between 4.00 pm and 5.30 pm, community leaders involved in the process converged. Quickly, the lock to the shrine was broken to kick start the traditional rite for the dethroning of the beleaguered monarch and subsequent installation of a new Ovie by the Usueche (kingmakers) of the kingdom by 5:52p.m amidst tight security.

Agbarho practices a system of monarchy where the male indigene with the oldest chieftaincy title (not by biological age) is the Osuivie, hence male children, in most cases, become chiefs at a tender age and the next person in line as Osuivie was installed,  leading to the emergence of  Onokpite as the new Osuivie of Agbarho Kingdom.

HRM Onokpite, the newly installed monarch, was the person, who, last year, as the number one Osueche (king maker) of Agbarho, crowned HRM Ogugu I as the 19th Osuivie. And the current Otota of Agbarho, Usueche T. E. Akatugba, who crowned him on Monday was among the kingmakers at the palace, last year, when Ogugu I was also installed.

‘Why we crowned new king’

Feelers in Agbarho point to the fact that there were mixed feelings among the villagers concerning the development. Akatugba said, “We want peace to reign in Agbarho and all issues should be put to rest as from now.”

An Agbarho leader, Chief S. W Anaughe, who was present at the installation, said: “We have just installed a new king to take the place of the one whom we have sacked from the throne. Agbarho is united, whether you belong to any of the groups, we are one and it is the whole of Agbarho that installed this king.”

A legal practitioner in Agbarho echoed the same sentiment. Erhiakpore Ibini said, “We have installed another Osuvie as the king of Agbarho following the revolution of  youths, leading to the  removal  of  Samson Ogugu from the throne”.

Onokpite unknown to govt – Special Adviser 

Special Adviser to the Governor on Peace and Conflict Resolution, Uzor, however, told Sunday Vanguard, Thursday night, “I just came in from Ughelli where we held the last meeting; we have to move venue of the larger meeting to the Area Commander’s Office in Ughelli. The position is that the youths chased away the traditional ruler in a kind of ‘coup’ and took over the palace.

“For now, policemen are there, the king is not there, the other group led by the Usueche, Chief Akatugba, said they had purportedly installed one Onokpite, but that is not known to government because due process must be followed in whatever we are doing”.

Uzor, one-time Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state, said, “I am not against any community taking decision on who rules them or who does not, but what is important is that we must do things as civilized people.

“The level we have reached today (Thursday) is that, jointly, they presented a paper for us to study. The group, led by Akatugba, a lawyer, Erhiakpore Ibini, presented their paper. And over the period, I have met with over 20 stakeholders and groups, including the Forum of Agbarho Lawyers and some serving judicial officers. Also, I have met with Justice Akpiroro (ret.). I met with Major General Obada (ret.) and some groups. I also met with Brigadier General Dominic Oneya (ret.) and the oldest man, who is the Otota, Chief Akatugba, privately.

“Finally today (Thursday), we were able to meet at a larger house where the different persons and groups presented their position papers. I also met with HRM Ogugu I, who was chased away from the palace.

“The position is that we have to study the papers and, as soon as possible, government will be able to come out with its position.

“We also told them that status quo should remain, the only king known to us is the one that they chased away, government does not know any other king. We have told them that status quo should remain and the Area Commander was in attendance and we pleaded with him to keep posting security men to the palace.”

“Though, they said that some of some youths remaining there is to ensure that nobody vandalizes any property in the palace, which to me is not a bad idea in as much as the police are there too. So, I cannot authoritatively tell you anything more than this because it is the government that will make a categorical pronouncement”.

Women protest  

Meanwhile, some women of the kingdom on Wednesday took to the streets to protest the action against King Ogugu I, but a source said some youths were quickly mobilized to disperse them.

Who did this to Agbarho? – Urhobo chief 

Compared to the big names of Urhobo land that Agbarho has produced and the noticeably stalled development in the kingdom, other Urhobo leaders are worried what is wrong with the people of Agbarho.

An Urhobo chief told Sunday Vanguard, “It is a shame what is going on in Agbarho; instead of uniting for peace, they are fighting. Agbarho has produced people of note in Urhobo land that some kingdoms envy them, but where are they in terms of development?

“Notable sons of Urhobo land like the late Justice Ovie Whiskey, Justice Akpovi, Justice Akpiroro, one- time Minister of Works during Olusegun Obasanjo military regime,  retired Major General O.E Obada and former Military Administrator of Kano and Benue states, and also  former NFA Chairman,  Brig-General Dominic Oneya (retd) are from Agbarho. So, what people expect is rapid development, not bickering every time”.