A Civic advocacy group, Aiguobasimwin Movement has accused ‘Igbo leaders of thought’ of complicity over their failure to condemn attempts by some uneducated and ignorant individuals from Igbanke attempting to ride roughshod on sacred ground in Orhionmwon Local Government Area — part of Benin Kingdom.
This followed the senseless and false narrative peddled by Ohanaeze youths and aided by the suspended four Igbanke Enigie and their conspirators who were suspended by the Omo N’Oba N’Edo, Uku Akpolokpolo, Ewuare II, CFR, Oba of Benin for rebellion against the Benin monarchy.
President of Aiguobasimwin Movement, Iyamu Osaro Culture and the Secretary of the group, Osayuki-Osa Benson disclosed this on Saturday in a statement, called on relevant stakeholders to summon a stakeholder meeting, comprising Community heads, youth leaders and property developers to educate them on the danger of selling any land or property to Igbo going forward.
“The measure, according to the pressure group, will checkmate the sinister plans by secessionist agitators
always claiming what doesn’t belong to them”, recommending the need for awareness creation in that regard to indigenes of Edo State.
The group described Ohanaeze Youth Council senseless rants over the suspension of some Enigie, which has been ratified by Edo State government as nothing, but a sheep without shepherd, advised Edo people to be wary of attempts by these informed individuals to turn history on its head.
“Interestingly, history has it that Benin Empire ruled over the tribes of the Niger Delta, including the Igbo Tribes, Ijaw, Itshekiri, Isoko and Urhobo amongst others.
“Benin Empire also held sway over the Yoruba tribes of Ondo, Ekiti, Mahin/Ugbo, Hausa, Fulani, and Ijebu and was ruled by Oba of Benin before invasion 1897 by British Forces.
“It is so shocking to observe how settlers like the Igbo in Igbanke Communities who are miniature will want to dominate the Benin speaking people in Igbanke Communities who are the owners of the land”, according to the statement.
In a previous statement, the Benin Traditional Council, BTC had dismissed the false narrative and claims by the so-called Igbanke dissident group, purporting that their erstwhile traditional heads who migrate from Benin several years ago to Igbanke were identified as Obis and Ezes are non-existent in Edo land whose history predates the defunct Midwest region and Bendel State in the present day Nigeria.
This clarification is contained in a statement endorsed on Wednesday by some High ranking Benin Palace Chiefs, Stanley Osamwonyi (the Esere of Benin), Edionwe Oliha (the Oliha of Benin), Osaro Idah (Obazelu of Benin, George Ogie Ekhator-Obasogie (the Obasogie of Benin)
and others, in response to a false claims by a group of individuals aided by some SUSPENDED Enigie (Dukes) and their cohorts who rebelled against the authority of Omo N’ Oba N’ Edo, Uku Akpolokpolo, Ewuare II, CFR, Oba of Benin.
The Benin Traditional Council described the false narrative by the Igbanke dissident group as strange, stating that “right from time of the Midwest and even before then, up to the enactment of the Bendel State Traditional Rulers and Chiefs Edict of 1979, no Obi or Eze or any such Igbo title existed in Edo land and Igbanke for that matter”.
Part of the statement reads, “The Benin Traditional Council has watched with utter consternation the attempt by some self- style individuals parading themselves as Igbanke elements to turn history on its head with respect to the place of the Igbanke people in Benin history.
“The Igbanke people migrated from Benin City in history to settle in their present location in Benin Kingdom and present Edo State. Records have explicitly shown this for a long and in the Benin Traditional Council.
“The Enigie that have lived in Igbanke have all been loyal and played their traditional Chieftaincy roles in loyalty in history to the Oba of Benin as other Enigie in other parts of the Benin Kingdom.
“The recent acts of rebellion in which they sought to undermine the long standing tradition of Benin Kingdom by the act is sacrilege were actively carried out by the suspended Enigie, including those of Igbanke”, which has ancestral link with Benin, the statement said.
It further queried, “Some pertinent questions to ask are: If the they are not Benin people, under what law are their so-called Obi and/or Eze recognized in old Midwest, Bendel and now Edo State?
“The Benin Traditional Council wishes therefore to inform the general public, particularly the security agencies, to take particular note of acts capable of causing breach of public peace which these persons of Igbanke stock have now embarked upon through illegal and unlawful claims/means”, according to the BTC.
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