HRH Odjevworo Akpomeyoma Majoroh, Ojeta 11, Ovie of Oruarivie-Abraka, was regal in a red frock with a matching beaded red crown as he sat on a luxurious couch, to receive the leadership of the apex Urhobo socio-cultural organisation, Urhobo Progressive Union (UPU). They came after an attack on his palace by irate youths.
But beneath this façade, the king is sad and visibly worried by the events of the past few weeks in his kingdom. He is at a loss why his subjects will turn against him unleashing violence of the most unimaginable proportion against the exalted throne of his ancestors.
All is not well with Abraka community, Ethiope East Local Government Area, host to the Delta State University. It is embroiled in crisis following the beheading of an indigene allegedly by Fulani herdsmen.
The occasion was a fact-finding visit, earlier this week, by the Urhobo Progressive Union (UPU) led by Chief Osiobe Okotie, its first vice-president.
The royal father described kings in Urhobo land as “an endangered species”, adding not everyone is happy in a system where monarchy is rotational.
His words: “Kings in Urhobo Land are an endangered species. People are extremely jealous of their status, especially in areas where kingship is rotated, everybody is not happy. This was an excuse for them to do what they wanted to do.”
He said he felt pained by allegations that he had not done enough for his people, adding: “It is unfortunate that my own people will say I am not doing enough. I know what I have done. I know my contributions to the community.”
He said the most disturbing aspect of the whole episode was the deliberate attempt to desecrate the throne by bringing a corpse to the palace, as it is a taboo for a king to see a dead person.
His words: “The youths knew that traditionally it is taboo for a king to see dead bodies and that dead body is forbidden in a palace.”
He said following the desecration of the palace grounds by the actions of the youths , he had to stay indoors for the whole day until the palace was ritually cleansed
According to him, trouble started in the morning hour of the fateful day after he was briefed by the President-General of the community of a murder of his subject allegedly by Fulani herdsmen.
He said: “What happened was on that day which was a Tuesday at about 10.30a.m the president-general briefed me of yet another incident at our farmland Ovre that Fulani herdsmen killed someone. I directed that he got the President of that community and incident the case at the Police Station. I did not get the details that day as I was heading to our ancestral shrine as it is our traditional market day. Upon my return I was briefed on the matter. I ordered that they should get the police and recover the corpse for safety reasons; before I knew it my personal assistant came in to inform me that the youths from my community were moving en masse to the palace with the corpse of the boy. I called the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) to come with reinforcements. I also put a call to the president-general and the youth leader who informed me that they were outside the palace fence. The vigilante group was also on ground outside the palace. After a while I heard protests outside and the protesters started hitting the gate .I was calm and thinking of the next course of action when I heard the protesters breaking windows panes in the palace. My entire living room was filled with splinters of glasses and guns were booming outside.”
The monarch said the protesters destroyed vehicles parked in the palace grounds, and were in the process of setting the palace, including him and his guests on fire, when the military intervened.
He said after the youths fled they split into two groups, adding that one group headed towards the Hausa quarters and attacked its residents.
He said a major grouse of the youths was that he has refused to supply them with ammunitions to fight the herdsmen ,adding “ Some persons want me to provide ammunitions for them, but I ask am I involve myself in illegality to solve this problem”.
The royal father accused security agencies of being aware of the activities of the herdsmen, but did nothing to check their activities.
He said he was awaiting government action following the intervention of the state government, adding that he hoped that meetings between the Hausa/Fulani leadership and his community and government would provide a workable solution to the problem.
President-General, Abraka community, Dr. Tedwins Emudainowho described the Ovre-Oruarivie forest as “Sambissa Forest”, claiming that with over 2000 herdsmen committing various atrocities ranging from kidnapping, armed robbery and other crimes the situation was a keg of gunpowder waiting to explode.
He said the immediate cause of the crisis was the beheading of Solomon Ejoor who along with three persons attempted to rescue their mother trapped by Fulani herdsmen in her farm, adding that since 2012 no fewer than 18 persons have been killed in the community.
Chief Osiobe Okotie thanked God for sparing the life of the monarch, adding that the UPU was in the process of convening a forum to sensitise youths to respect constituted authority.
He urged the Federal and State governments to “do something urgently about the Abraka situation before it gets out of hand.”
His words: “We want to use this opportunity to send a message across to the federal/state government to do something urgently about the Abraka situation before it gets out of hand. We cannot sit and watch our people being slaughtered .The UPU is using this medium to send a message to President Muhammadu Buhari to take appropriate action because information getting to us is that the area where this dastardly act occur there are over 2000 herdsmen fully armed raping our women, our daughters. They have taken over our lands .We do not know their mission. It is the responsibility of the government whether federal or state to ensure that the lives of its citizens are protected .The government should as a matter of urgency step into this matter so that people will not be forced to either protect themselves or do anything otherwise, so we want to avoid that .UPU is watching, our eyes are on Abraka.”
