After the burial of the 17 soldiers killed in Okuama, Delta State, President Bola Tinubu urged Okuama stakeholders to provide information to apprehend the perpetrators. Subsequently, the Defence Headquarters issued a wanted list of eight suspects, seeking public assistance.
Listed among the suspects is the traditional ruler of Ewu an-Urhobo Kingdom, HRM Clement Oghenerhukewe Ikolo, after the list was released reporters contacted the monarch who stated that he had just seen the list on TV.
The release of this list on national television without prior information to the monarch and the enlisting of public assistance to apprehend the suspect can be considered to be very demeaning for the status of a monarch.
The monarch however turned himself in, after releasing a statement and a video claiming his innocence.
In the video he released before surrendering, the traditional ruler had said, “I am very surprised that my name as the monarch of the kingdom will appear in the list of wanted persons. I have no hand in the killings, I have no hand in encouraging anybody to kill anybody, it is against my philosophy as a human being and my faith as a Catholic. It is a serious crime against humanity and they need to look at the appropriate places and do thorough investigation to know all those who have committed this and bring them to book and let justice prevail.
“I am not a party to this and like I have said earlier, the state government is aware of the turbulence I have been going through and as I speak, an arrangement was made by the government to invite the opponents recently just before this happenings.
“I am making an arrangement to invite those who are fighting me in the kingdom to reconcile the differences and allow me to go into the kingdom and start to rule as the monarch of the place. I have not being able to set up anything, I have not been able to set up my traditional council, I have done nothing in the kingdom. So I barely know anything right now, I have no information, I know nothing. I am only just in the process of set up a structure to enable me rule in the kingdom.”
The appropriateness of this situation is another matter for deliberation considering the prestige and status associated with the monarch of different cultures.
While acknowledging the gravity of the soldier killings, it’s essential to uphold the dignity of native monarchs and cultural heritage. Although no one is exempted from questioning if suspected of a crime, it’s crucial to ensure due process and preserve cultural integrity amidst investigations.
