By our correspondent
Following the alleged invasion and attack on the elders and people of Obagie N' Akenkporo village in Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area of Edo State by the youth chairman, Mr Friday Ehioze, the elders and indigenes of the community have called on the State Government, Benin monarch and other relevant authorities to come to their rescue.
According to information emanating from the community, elders and the people of Obagie have been chased out of their houses, property worth millions of naira including cars have been destroyed while many women were assaulted during the attack by the heavily armed thugs and militant sponsored by the youth chairman Friday Ehioze.
Sources also disclosed that crisis started when His Royal Majesty Oba Ewuare ll, made a pronouncement on the disbandment of Community Development Association (CDA) in every community with the Benin kingdom in the state which didn't go down well with Mr Friday Okhioze who said the directive can only work in the palace of the Oba not in his community Obagie N' Akenkporo and vowed to continue with his role as CDA chairman in the community.
It was gather that when the elders and the people of the community saw the deviant of Mr Ehioze to the directive of the Benin palace they decided to part ways with him in order to avoid the curse of the Oba.
One of the indigene of the community, Mr. Uyi Osaghae, narrated that trouble started when the Oba of Benin made a pronouncement, disbanding community development association (CDA) in all communities, but to their greatest surprise the chairman refused to comply with the directive adding that such directive is not biding on him.
'Right from that moment till date, he has been selling lands in the name of CDA, as I speak with you, because we have consistently refused to join him, he has been harassing everyone, destroying our houses, cars and arresting elders of the community with police even when a letter was earlier issued to the community from the palace of Oba of Benin through the Secretary, Benin Traditional Council, Frank Erabor asking the community to remain calm.
"He said no one has the power or right to challenge or arrest him and all our effort to reach His Royal Majesty has been blocked by some palace chiefs, Chief Obodo Ekpeti, Chief Uwadia and Chief Ebonoto who also insisted that over their dead body, the people of Obagie community cannot see the Oba saying that nothing will happen as they claimed that the CDA chairman remains their friend'.
Reacting to the alleged allegations, Mr Friday Ehioze, said he is not aware of anything like that, he debunked every rumour licking him with armed men or thugs activities in the community.
'I did not arrest anyone, I never brought any thugs to the community, it is Destiny and Odiowere children that are harassing people with thugs and armed men'
Chief Uwadia who responded on behalf of other alleged chiefs, said they were in the community as messengers with directive from the palace to make peace only for them to be chased away by some persons from the community and they know nothing about the allegations levied against them.
However, the secretary to the Benin Traditional Council, BTC Mr Frank Erabor, said the letter issued to the community from palace signed by his humble self was directed to the acting Odiowere Pa Omoregie Okhiaro to allow peace to reign in the community that anything contrary to the letter should be reported to palace by the people of Obagie N' Akenkporo.
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