Delta community sacks monarch, installs a new one

The traditional rulership tussle in Agbarho Kingdom, Ughelli North council area of Delta state escalated further on Monday as youths of the kingdom reportedly installed Chief Williams Onokpite as new Osuvie (monarch) of the kingdom.

Before the reported installation of Chief Onokpite as new king, the youths had reportedly banished the embatled Osuvie, HRM, Chief Samson Oghughunwa, who had fled the kingdom for fears for his life.

A source, who spoke under conditions of anonymity, told the Nation that the new king was the chief kingmaker and next in line to Chief Oghughunwa.

Meanwhile, addressing journalists in his place of refuge in Uvwie council area, the embatled and deposed Osuvie of Agbarho Kingdom, Chief Oghughunwa, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari and the Delta state governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, to come to his aid.

He also raised the alarm that Agbarho Kingdom is currently in the grip of criminals and ritualists, adding that his ordeal had been engineered by those who see him as opposed to illegalities being perpetrated in the kingdom.

The embatled monarch said he managed to escape assassination when suspected hired killers invaded his palace on Sunday, adding that those who had been sponsoring his ordeal were both after his life and the destruction of the kingdom.

“I learnt that some armed youths were coming to the palace, barely 30 minutes when I got the information, they were already at the palace, but I had to vanish. My two wives were held at gun point and traditional beads worth several millions of naira were stolen during the invasion.

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“My security details were beaten up, my children laptops were carted away. Properties worth over N30 million were collected from the palace during yesterday’s attack. The matter is now with UPU and the Delta State Governor, Dr. Okowa.

“I’m calling on President Buhari, Governor Okowa and all the security chiefs to come save my life and the kingdom from the activities of criminals and ritualists who want to kill me. Soldiers and policemen came and they saw these youths were arms and ammunitions but did nothing. No arrest was made because they got a directive from a retired military general who is against me.

“So, I am crying to the FG, heads of army, navy, police, DSS and the state government to come and save Agbarho from a hand of a retired General. Once the matter is settled, it is what the retired General says that this group of people who do not want peace will do”, he said.