An Oredo Magistrate’s Court sitting in Benin City on Wednesday remanded Richard Arisco Osemwengie in prison custody for coronating himself as the Ogiamien of Utantan Benin.
Also remanded alongside Osemwengie is Patrick Osabuohien, who joined others to install Arisco as a traditional ruler without approval of the Executive Council. Osemwengie was arraigned on a four-count charge. Osabuohien was arraigned on a two- count charge.
After over 900 years when their forefathers were defeated in a battle by forces loyal to the Benin monarchy, a faction of the Ogiamien family dared the Oba of Benin, Oba Erediauwa.
The Ogiamien faction is led by Osemwengie, who was last week installed as the Ogiamien of Benin kingdom. The last occupant of the seat, Chief Ogiamien Osarobo, was last seen in 1998 and he was said to have travelled abroad but no member of the family is sure of his whereabouts.
Ogiamien Osarobo, a Master Degree holder in History, succeeded his father at a tender age. He was 13 when Oba Erediauwa ascended the throne in 1979 and he led the Ogiamen family to perform the Ekiokpagha war-a mock battle that is performed by a new Oba to reenact the defeat of the Ogiamen by Oba Eweka 1.
The palace of Ogiamien on Sokponba Road is the only building that survived the British Invasion of 1897. It is a historical site that attracts thousands of visitors but also abandoned. A section of it is used for selling wood and the entire palace is unkempt.
What is however assuming a frightening dimension is the move by Osemwengie to challenge the Benin monarchy and restore alleged lost glories of the Ogiamien.
To the group supporting Ogiamien Osemwengie, the supposed treaty reached between their forefathers and Oba Eweka has been breached. They want to reclaim control of parts of Benin kingdom under the authority of their forebears. They claimed that they have amassed the resources to fight their course.
In a letter written to the Crown Prince of Benin Kingdom, Prince Eheneden Erediauwa, Arisco is demanding the establishment of a separate traditional council for the Ogiamien kingdom, total refund of money due to the Ogiamiens from three and half local government council areas and the payment of N350m.
Other demand is not to refer to Ogiamien as a Chief under the authority of the Benin monarch.
In another letter to Governor Adams Oshiomhole, Ogiamien Arisco among other things demanded for the payment of royalties due to the Ogiamien to be deducted as source and paid into a First Bank account and the recognition of Ogiamien as a king and not a chief.
Osemwengie said the reigning Ogiamien, Osarobo, abandoned his people since 1998 and has made no contact with any family member.
Osemwengie said his great great grand father, Obanor, was a son to one Ogiamien Ekunwe and that he was appointed by the entire family to be the next Ogiamien.
He said he was appointed by the family because the family wanted to restore the lost glory of the Ogiamiens as well as renegotiate the treaty their forefathers had with Oba Eweka the first.
In what is seemed as a sacrilege and a confrontation of the Benin monarch, Osemwengie named some palace chiefs in his newly created Ogiamien Traditional Council and appointed some Enogies (Dukes).
He said his territory covered three local governments namely part of Oredo, Ikpoba-Okha, Orhionmwon and Uhunmwode.
According to him, “I am a full fledge member of the Ogiamen family. Obanor gave birth to my great-grand father Orumwense. Orumwense gave birth to Osemwengie and Osemwengie gave birth to me.
“Ogiamien is the rightful owner of the land. Ogiamen functions well in the Benin nation. He has his Chiefs. Without an Ogiamien, who will lead the Eki-Okpagha ceremony. We have been cheated for a long time.”
Some members of the Ogiamien family loyal to the missing Osarobo, who claimed to be descendants of Edo Nori Ogiamien, disowned the installation of Arisco as the Ogiamien.
Sister of the ‘missing’ Ogiamien, Ehimwenma and seven others, who spoke in a press statement said Arisco was not a member of the Ogiamien family.
They said Chief Osarobo remained the recognised Ogiamien as there was no evidence that he was dead and burial rites performed.
The Edo Nori Ogiamien descendants said they have maintained friendly relationship with the Benin monarch for over nine centuries since the Eki-Okpagha treaty was sealed.
According to the statement, “The Palace of the Oba of Benin and Ogiamiens have had years of cordial relationship.
“Mr. Osemwengie has no locus standing to speak or act on behalf of the Ogiamien family whether directly or indirectly.”
They said the treaty being referred to by Arisco was a guarded secret between the Oba and the Ogiamien.
Reacting to the installation of Arisco, the Ayobahan of Benin kingdom, Chief John Osamede Adun, described the action of the Arisco-led Ogiamiens as a taboo and an abomination, as according to him, nobody has the right and powers to challenge the authority of the Oba of the kingdom.
Chief Adun stated that the Ogiamiens have no blue blood (Princely lineage) and therefore “its palace … could be described as a mere ‘cave’.
Adun warned the Ogiamien family not to drag the kingdom into a bloody war saying that the Oba conquered their forefathers several centuries ago.
According to Chief Adun, “Ogiamien family was perished by our forefather many years ago. He is not a chief; he is a (alleged) slave. He is not a prince, people who can bear prince in Benin are the children of Oba of Benin. It is an abomination, and it is a taboo to the Benin people for anybody to challenge the authority of the Oba.
“He is challenging the authority of the Benin. Our Oba is not for sale and Oba is an authority. After God, it is the Oba. If you go down the history of Benin kingdom there is only one Oba, nobody has the right to challenge the Oba. The Ogiamien’s family wants to cause war in the kingdom.
“Nobody in the whole world can challenge the Oba of Benin, he is an authority himself. Anybody who aligns himself or herself with the Ogiamien’s family is an enemy of Benin kingdom.”
Edo State government threatened to invoke the relevant laws against anyone who proclaims himself a chief or traditional ruler in the state, saying anyone who does so will face criminal charges.
In a statement signed by the Secretary to State Government, Prof Julius Ihonvbere, reads: “Government condemns in totality the abusive language used in the publication. The family says it has forwarded a petition on their grievances to the State Government. The family is therefore advised to await Government response to the petition.
“Government condemns in strong terms, the disrespect the Ogiamien family has shown to HRM Omo N’ Oba N’Edo, Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba of Benin. The publishers are therefore admonished to desist forthwith, from showing such rudeness to a personage, the whole nation holds in very high esteem, our most revered monarch.
“Government will invoke the relevant sections of the Traditional Rulers and Chieftaincy Law, 1979 which prohibit any person or group to proclaim self as a Chief or Traditional Ruler, a breach of which is a criminal offence.
“Government will not tolerate any act calculated to disturb the peace of the State or any part thereof.”
