Court Sacks Delta Monarch, Restrains Govt From Recognising Him

The traditional ruler of Ibrede clan, Ndokwa-East Local Government Area of Delta State, Augustine Ene Oghenejabor has been sacked.

Delta State governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, represented by his deputy, Kingsley Otuaro, had on November 25, 2021 presented a staff of office to Oghenejabor as the Odiologbo of Ibrede clan.

However, Delta State High Court sitting in Asaba, the state capital, on Monday made the declaration, stripping the monarch of his royal title.

The Delta State Government was restrained from recognising and treating the sacked monarch as head of Ibrede clan by the court presided over by Justice Godwin Briki-Okolosi.

In a suit marked A/159/2021, Peterclaver Oke and Maxwell Etoroma dragged Oghenejabor, Gabriel Oku, Odio Hitler Oboyano, Attorney-General, Delta State House of Assembly and six others as (defendants) to court over the unlawful selection of Oghenejabor as head of Ibrede clan.

In a writ of summons, counsel to the claimants, Anthony Ejumejowo, had prayed the court for: “An order nullifing the purported installation of Augustine Ene Oghenejabor as the Odiologbo of Ibrede clan by the deputy governor of Delta State during the pendency of hearing of this suit and final determination of the suit.

“An order of this honourable court restraining Augustine Ene Oghenejabor from parading himself as the Odiologbo of Ibrede clan pending the hearing and final determination of this suit.

“An order of this honourable court restraining the Delta State Government from recognising Augustine Ene Oghenejabor as the Odiologbo of Ibrede clan and according him the privileges of the office pending the hearing and determination of this matter.”

Justice Briki-Okolosi, in his ruling on Monday, granted all the interlocutory prayers of the claimants.

The people of Ibrede Community in Ndokwa East Local Government Area, Delta State had in May 2021 raised alarm over the State Government’s purported plan to impose and install Chief Augustine Oghenejabor as the Odio-Ologbo of the kingdom.

The people in a well-attended meeting of stakeholders, President Generals of the eight communities that made up the kingdom, held at Ibrede, vowed to resist any attempt to displace the present Odio-Ologbo by installing a new one in his place.

The people in a resolution signed by those in attendance said: “That the most elderly man as stated by the gazette in Odiologbo of Ibrede Clan remains and Odio Ipoli Couple as elected stands.

“That the clan President Generals and Edios, Chiefs, Youths and other organs of clans community leadership vehemently reject the imposition of Chief Augustine Oghenejabor as the Odio-Ologbo of the clan, as no single man can change the collective decision of the people.

“We, therefore, appeal to the government and other relevant agencies to look into this resolution and act appropriately”.