Unless the Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa-led administration moves swiftly into the looming crisis raging in Abavo kingdom, there might be a breakdown of law and order in Obi-Anyima Community, Ika south local government area of Delta State.
The traditional ruler of the kingdom His Royal Majesty (HRM), Uche Irenuma II, has allegedly stripped one of his Chiefs with the Eleme title and head of Obi-Anyima Community, Freedom Oseke Udoka, for toeing the path of honesty, justice and uprightness in dealing with Community issues which his father, the late Eleme, Vincent Chiyem, was known for.
The king was also accused of factionalizing the Eleme Stool and bequeathing same to an allege murderer, Joseph Chiyem, the factional Eleme, also known as “Face of Indian”, who is loyal to the Abavo throne.
The late Eleme, Vincent, who was returning from a peace meeting allegedly summoned by the Obi of Abavo, was ambushed at the railway line and murdered by assailants allegedly led by Joseph, due to his uprightness, honesty and zero tolerance for injustice.
Sources in the community who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of been victimized said: “The Obi of Abavo, called a meeting inviting the late Eleme and others. He invited them to the Palace at Abavo for settlement. On his way back home to Obi-Anyima, he was ambushed and shot at the railway”.
It was gathered that on the death of the Eleme who was gruesomely murdered on 15th May
2011, his eldest son, Freedom Oseke Udoka, takes over from his late father as the head of the Community, as the Eleme Stool is hereditary, as custom demands, our sources disclosed.
Investigation revealed that the late Eleme was murdered due to jealous and power drunk elements who believed that the Eleme would not allow them to connive with the oil company to shortchange the Community following the discovery of oil in Obi-Anyima.
It was also gathered that a land reserve in the community owned by the late Eleme, Vincent, allegedly attracted litigation between him and the Abavo monarch but victory was secured at the Court for the Eleme before he was waylaid and murdered, was another factor for the alleged stripping of his son of his functions as the Eleme of the community.
“Before the father died, there was this land reserve in Obi-Anyima, that the Obi contended for with the late Eleme, they went to Court and the late Eleme won him”, a source alleged..
One of the Community sources while giving explanations said, “Obi-Anyima, is a community under Abavo kingdom, the Obi of Abavo supercedes Obi-Anyima.
“The head of Obi-Anyima community, is called Eleme, which is the traditional position. So this Eleme, is subject to the Obi of Abavo. The present Eleme just inherited that position from the father because the position is hereditary.
“The father was shot dead before the new Eleme assumed the position. The boys that killed the former Eleme, were apprehended”, the source said.
Our checks revealed that on the death of the Eleme, some boys in the community who protested his murder, allegedly destroyed houses and burnt down the house belonging to the alleged prime suspect, Joseph, the factional Eleme, aka Face of Indian, were arrested by the police, prosecuted and sent to jail.
It was reliably learnt that one of the boys used by Joseph, to carry out the dastardly act, is cooling off at the police custody.
It was learnt that the suspects made valuable confession on who they worked for.
According to one of the sources, “As I speak to you now, one of the boys that shot him dead is still with the police. So, they made confession. When they made the confession, they fingered the half brother of the late Eleme as one of the people that sent them to kill the Eleme.
“And from all indications, they killed him because of the oil discovered in Obi-Anyima. The late Eleme was a very honest man who never believe in injustice and partiality.
“So, they believe that if he is allowed to be alive, he will not give them the chance to manipulate the Pan Ocean Oil Company in their favour. So, they now connive and they shot him dead after several attempts of trying to kill him”, the source alleged.
Another source, disclosed that the body of the late Eleme, Vincent, was in the mortuary for more than eight years before he was finally buried.
“The body language of the Obi shows that he collaborated with the half brother and the father of the third member, Delta State House of Assembly Commission, was among the people they called to go and kill the Eleme just because of the oil.
Alleging further, the source said: “And they work in collaboration with the Obi of Abavo. Now that the son has assumed the position, the Obi of Abavo started fighting him, giving him series of problems”, stressing that the only way to deal with him was to purportedly strip him of his powers, “So, he opted for suspending him as a Chief, imagine suspending the inherited position? They further alleged.
It was discovered that two cases have been instituted in the Court, which includes the arrest of the youths who allegedly burnt down the houses and a murder case against Joseph, Face of Indian, who allegedly murdered his brother, Vincent, the late Eleme of Obi-Anyima community.
According to one of our sources, it took the timely intervention of the state government for the Obi, to formally crown the Eleme, after several appeals, “he was not ready to vest powers on the Eleme. The Obi, had wanted Joseph, as the Eleme, against the wish of the people.
“But because government stepped in and the people wanted the son of the late Eleme, the Obi could not go against the tradition of the land”.
It was gathered that the Obi of Abavo, had dangled two options before the oppressed Eleme, to allegedly withdraw the murder charge against Joseph, from the Court and relinquish the reserved land back to him before been allowed to function as the recognized Eleme.
The source said: “Presently, the half brother who killed the Eleme, the Obi of Abavo is now recognizing him as the factional Eleme of Obi-Anyima. That is the serious problem we have now.
“They have the money and the connection. The information reaching me now is that the Obi of Abavo in collaboration with his cohorts have sold part of the land belonging to Obi-Anyima secondary school”, the source alleged.
Investigation has also revealed that the Delta State Oil Producing Area Development Commission (DESOPADEC), pays the sum of N1 million to the Community monthly for development but is allegedly diverted into private pockets by the Obi and the faction loyal to the throne.
Further checks revealed that the children and family members of Joseph, have allegedly overrun the Community as no one dares to cough whenever any of his children talks in the community.
The Story, investigation revealed that the youths leader of the Community is allegedly headed by his cousin, Odimegwu Chiyem Endurance, popularly called Molar, while his daughter, Odimegwu Chiyem Dorathy, is the Councilor representing the Community in the local government area.
The daughter, Dorathy, is also the head, Community Relations Committee (CRC), which duty is to intermediate between the Oil company and the community.
It was also gathered that, one Chukwueku Ekwu, the vigilante Chairman of the community, is allegedly his family relation.
In a swift reaction, the ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, said it has directed the people and the company to vacate the area as only the ministry has the right to aportion land and not any singular individual.
At press time, painstaking efforts made by The Story, to get the reactions of the Obi, met brick wall, as his promise for his staff, one Bar Soji, to call The Story Publisher/ Editor-In-Chief, for his response after one month was not fulfilled.
Read the Monarch’s various text messages between November 13th and 9th December 2020: “I will tell my staff to call you later his name is bar Soji”.
“Let me remind him again. I guess he was a little bit busy. He has been at Abuja but will be back to delta before weekend. He will surely get to you. God bless you.
“I will call you later”.
All efforts to also get across to Joseph Chiyem, failed.
Contacted, the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Mohammed Hafiz Inuwa, through a text message said: My brother, you are talking of what happened 9 Yrs ago. I don’t know about the matter for now. Cos I wasn’t the CP then”.
