By Abiola Olawale
The Nigerian Army has finally released the traditional ruler of Ewu Kingdom in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State, His Majesty, King Clement Ikolo, Urhukpe 1, Ovie of Ewu-Urhobo Kingdom.
The monarch was released to the Senator representing Delta Central Senstorial zone (Urhobo nation) Senator Ede Dafinone, who reportedly stood as a surety for King Ikolo. Also present at the ceremony was the King’s wife.
Checks by The New Diplomat showed that King Ikolo was released during a Friday briefing at the Army Headquarters in Abuja, addressed by the Director of Army Public Relations, Major-General Onyema Nwachukwu.
The New Diplomat reports that the release is a follow-up to an earlier high-level fruitful engagement between Senator Dafinone and the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa.
Senator Dafinone who was accompanied to the deliberations by Senator Ned Nwoko (Delta North) and Senator Joel Onowakpo-Thomas (Delta South), was said to have had a far-reaching positive meeting with the Chief of Defence Staff on Wednesday on the need to release of His Majesty, King Clement Ikolo.
The New Diplomat reports that at the Defence Headquarters, Abuja, Senator Dafinone had engaged fruitfully with the CDS, underlying the need on the part of the military authorities to release His Majesty, King Clement Ikolo, while investigations are ongoing in line with global best practices/ treaties entered into in many international jurisdictions which Nigeria is a subsisting signatory.
It would be recalled that Senator Dafinone, a distinguished professional and certified international chartered Accountant of Guinness World Record had used the meeting with the CDS earlier in the week to underline the need for a swift and thorough investigation to ensure that innocent individuals were not unduly inconvenienced, or traumatized while recognizing the fact that the mere presence at a crime scene does not equate to criminal responsibility.
Indeed, Dafinone, who was accompanied by Senator Ned Nwoko, had also leveraged the opportunity of his visit to the Nigerian Army Intelligence Corps where he was granted the opportunity of having an audience with His Majesty, King Clement Ikolo on Wednesday to request for the release of the King. According to the Senator, he was relieved to see that the King is in good health.
It would be recalled that the monarch had been in the detention facility of the Nigerian Army since turning himself in after being declared wanted over an alleged connection to the gruesome murder of 17 soldiers in his kingdom in Delta State on March 14, 2024.
