By Ozioruva Aliu

BENIN CITY – BARELY 24 hours to the coronation ceremony of a new Okuokpellagbe of Okpella in Etsako East local government area of Edo State, Concerned Citizens of Ukhomunyio community have protested the alleged continued detention of their wards for protesting the process that led to the emergence of Mike Sado as their new king.

The people called on Governor Monday Okpebholo to wade into the crisis as according to them, many of those being harassed because they faulted the selection process were among those who worked for his election victory and have been preaching his development agenda to the people. .

A statement signed by High Chief Julius Ederefo on behalf of the Ukhomunyion people alleged that Mr Sado had been desperate to be their king, and accused him of allegedly crowning himself in the past before he was declared wanted by security agencies.

The statement while expressing optimism that Governor Okpebholo would again triumph at the Supreme Court on his election victory urged the people not to go violent but insisted that they would embark on a clapping protest from 4 pm today till all those arrested are released unconditionally.

Part of the statement read “The continued detention of our innocent sons for engaging in a peaceful protest at the Government House, Benin City remains illegal. The same Ukhomunyio sons that were among the many that moved from house to house to preach the message of ‘a New Edo is risen’ are those currently in police custody for exercising their constitutional rights. Their only offence for their continued detention was standing for our tradition and engaging in a peaceful protest at the government house to defend the selection process to the vacant stool of Okuokpellagbe. Our history will remember these detainees – Mr. Ederefo Timothy, and Mr. Okhale Moses as heroes of our tradition, and their tormentors as enemies of our land.

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‎”His Excellency may not be aware that the arrest is clearly an attempt to mislead all sons and daughters of Okpella and the general public that the Governor is an enemy to our tradition, culture and values that unite us as a community. We kindly plead for His Excellency’s quick intervention to ensure their unconditional release from police custody.

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‎”It is not an offence for anyone to advocate for justice and fairness, rooted in their commitment to preserving a community’s cultural heritage and the State Governor’s quest for due process. We argue that the imposition of a king who hasn’t followed the traditional selection process would be a betrayal of the community’s values and customs. This should and cannot be allowed to stand so as not to distort the well documented processes, tradition and customs of our people on the selection of an Okuokpellagbe.

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‎”Ukhomuyio will continue to remain united in their effort to support the Governor and his administration except we believe beyond reasonable doubt that he is also an enemy of our tradition. It is no longer news that the state apparatus were deployed to impose a desperate candidate for the revered throne. This same desperado had crowned himself in the past and was later declared wanted by the police and DSS. His inordinate ambition continues to push him to recklessly distort the process to clinch the stool but our gods and ancestors are wiser.

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‎”Since any gathering in Okpella is now forbidden by the same authority that is supposed to uphold the laws of the state, the Ukhomuyio Concerned Citizens has agreed that all sons and daughters of Ukhomunyio should engage in a clapping protest in honour of our innocent heroes in police custody. The clapping exercise will begin from 7pm on Friday the 4th of July, 2025 and continue intermittently until their release from police custody.”

The people said even if the coronation goes ahead as planned, it could still be revoked and advised the people of Okpella ‘to remain peaceful and calm in our demands.”

However, Sado had a few days ago in a telephone interview denied orchestrating the arrest and detention of anybody and said he had set up a reconciliation committee to reconcile the people.