Edo suspends monarch for alleged assault, misconduct

Alexander Okere

The Edo State Government has suspended the Ojuromi of Uromi in Esan North-East Local Government Area of the state, His Royal Highness, Zaiki Edenojie

II, for a year for failing to apologise “within the stipulated period” to one Ms. Betty Okoebor, whom he allegedly assaulted.

It also stripped him of “all the privileges and rights of the Ojuromi of Uromi” in line with Section 28(1) of the Traditional Rulers and Chiefs Law (1979).

 

The government added that the monarch’s remuneration from the five per cent monthly allocation to the local government “shall be appropriated and donated to orphanages” during the period.

According to a statement made available to journalists on Friday night by Peter Okhiria, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Adams Oshiomhole, the monarch’s suspension, which takes effect from Monday, was contained in a letter dated November 4, 2016, and signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere.

The monarch was earlier suspended for seven days by the government, through the state executive council, for alleged assault, failure to respond to a query and travelling outside the country without permission.

He had also been directed to apologise to the state government and the woman within the seven-day period or risk being dethroned.

He, however, declined comment on the matter when contacted by SUNDAY PUNCH on Saturday.

In a recent letter, the state government accused him of leaving his palace during the last governorship election, moving from one polling booth to another, campaigning and trying to coerce voters to vote for his preferred party and candidate.

It alleged that the traditional ruler assaulted the woman when she refused to yield to his threats and it was reported to the police.

According to the government, it subsequently issued him a query to reply to within 72 hours.

The state government alleged that Edenojie II trivialised the gravity of his misconduct in his apology letter dated October 28 by describing the September 28 incident as an ‘altercation’ and a ‘family affair,’ adding that he also organised a “forgiveness session” for the victim of the said assault to ‘ridicule’ the government.

The government’s letter read in part, “You had the embarrassing session videoed and aired repeatedly on television, subjecting Ms. Okoebor to double jeopardy and double disgrace by expanding the frontiers of her embarrassment to a global level, through the electronic and social media. This represents nothing short of a deliberate effort to further aggravate the pain and humiliation of your victim.’’