Udu kingdom in Udu local government area of Delta state is about to be thrown into another round of crisis following alleged declaration by the king of Udu kingdom, HRM EBO Delekpe Owhoru 1 that Oghior community people are total strangers and are not entitled to any legitimate ownership of landed property in the area.
Report says the Oghior community has existed as a part of Udu kingdom for years before the great great grandfather of the king was born. So, indigenes of the community are calling for apology from Udu monarch and withdraw his statement.
A foremost human rights activist and president of Committee for the Defense of Human Rights (CDHR), Prince Kehinde Taiga, said the declaration of the king is capable of throwing the kingdom into another battle ground, hence he is demanding that the king should withdraw his statement and make a public apology to the Oghior people.
Taiga said: ‘I’m giving him 21 days to apologise to Oghior community and entire Udu kingdom. Failure to do within the period stipulated, I will petition him to Inspector General of Police, Directorate of State Security for him to be investigated.
“The king said Oghior community is a total stranger and does not have right to own landed properties in Udu kingdom. Oghior and one community are having land dispute that has lingered over the years.
“The president general of Udu community is a member of the kingdom cabinet. That has given him room to make such inciting statement which is capable of causing breach of peace in Udu kingdom.
“Such is unacceptable to us. We believe a king is supposed to be a father to all indigenes of the kingdom. Oghior community is older than his great great grandfather. I’m giving him 21 days to apologise and withdraw the inciting statement.”
Prince Taiga described the action of the king as a violation of the human human rights of the Oghior people, adding that there is no law that empowers the king to declare indigenes of a community strangers in a kingdom.
Taiga said the people of Udu kingdom are tired of fighting and killing each other saying all the kingdom needed at this critical time is peace and harmonious co-existence.
He noted that should the king fail to toe the part of peace “I’m calling on the governor of Delta state, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, Oghior is ready to have their own king. We have right to have our own king since the king is removing is from his kingdom.”
