Metro
Benin Artifacts: Igun Bronze Casters Guild Dissociates Self From Newspapers’ Publication, Pledges Allegiance To Benin Monarch

The controversy as to who take custody of looted Benin artefacts took a new dimension Monday as Igun Bronze Casters Guild, Benin City, protested an advertorial sponsored by some persons (claimed to be from same Igun) wherein they claimed that the soon-to-be-returned Benin artifacts belong to them (Igbesamwan-Owina Descendants Cultural Movement of Europe and America) and should be given to them and not the Benin palace or Edo State Government.
There have been controversy between the Edo State Government and the Benin Palace as of who should take custody of the artifacts when they are returned from Europe before the Federal Government eventually declared that it will take custody of the looted artifacts for the main time last week.
In the said advertorial claiming ownership of the artifacts, the protesters said the claim by the ‘self-aclaimed Igbesamwan-Owina Descendants Cultural Movement of Europe and America’ that “all the artifacts looted from the palace under the reign of Oba Ovoramwen were gifted to preceding Obas of Benin before Oba Ovoramwen” were all false.
READ ALSO: Looted Benin Artifacts: Review Your Approach Of Private Custodian, Oba Of Benin Advises Obaseki
The protesters, comprising of chiefs, who carried placards to the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Edo State secretariat with inscriptions as: ‘We dissociate ourselves from America & Europe fake descendants. We belong to Omo N’Oba’; ‘Igun comminity will always be loyal to the Omo N’Oba’; ‘We are saying that we are with His Royal Majesty, Oba of Benin’, said those behind the said advert were commissioned to make mischief.
Speaking on behalf of the protesters (Igun Bronze Casters Guild), Chief Kingsley Inneh, the Ine of Igun and President, Igun Bronze Casters Guild, who was flanked by three other chiefs from Igun, said the Bronze assembly is solely attached to the Benin palace with total obedience to the wish of the Oba, stressing that they can never be at war with His Royal Majesty.
“All the Bronze work in the palace are ordered for by His Royal Majesty in line with the dictates of the time. So, saying the Oba was gifted the art works is not only far from the truth but is being peddled cheaply by those who desire to profit illegally from what they have no authority upon. (sic).
“We, the Bronze casters of Igun, are never and will never be at war with our father, His Royal Majesty, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare II, N’Ogidigan. We operate directly under his instructions and guidance and we are of the sound view that he is the right authority to be handed over the soon-to-be returned stolen Benin artifacts and whatever that those doing the return deem necessary to be added as some form of restoration of a wrong conceived against the Benin kingdom,” he said.(sic).
READ ALSO: FG To Take Custody Of Looted Benin Artifacts Until…
While calling on security agencies especially Interpol operatives to identify and arrest sponsors of the said advert they regarded as impersonators, they further pledged their unalloyed loyalty to the Benin Monarch.
Chief Inneh said, “And to sum up our submiss, we wish to call on the security agencies, especially Interpol operatives, to spread their dragnet to get the real identities of the writers and sponsors of the letter who hide under what we equate to be false identity to perpetrate falsehood and chrarcter assassination their stock-in-trade.”
Metro
JUST IN: One Dead As Ngige Escapes Assassination
Gunmen who dressed in police and army camouflage on Thursday attacked the convoy of the former governor of Anambra State, Dr. Chris Ngige, leaving one dead.
A lady who was caught videoing the gunmen reportedly came out of her hairdressing salon.
She was shot and died on the spot after she was spotted capturing the incident with her phone yesterday.
Ngige, who last served as the Labour Minister, reportedly escaped death following an attack on his convoy as he was not in the vehicle at the time of the incident.
READ ALSO:Anambra: Police Recover Three-year-old Girl Sold In Calabar
It was learnt that the gunmen ran into the former governor’s convoy along Nkpor–Nnobi Road in Idemili North Local Government Area of the State and opened fire, prompting return fire from security operatives in the convoy.
According to a source, a police officer and a civilian who owned a shop were also injured during the gunmen’s attack.
A statement issued by Ngige’s media aide, Fred Chukwuelobe, confirmed that the former governor was not in the convoy when the assailants struck.
The statement noted that the attackers, reportedly dressed in police and army uniforms, opened fire on the pilot vehicle, injuring the lead escort.
READ ALSO:Police Rescue Stolen Boy, Arrest Six Over Child Trafficking In Anambra
The statement stressed that the policeman in the pilot car sustained gunshot wounds, while the attackers made away with his gun and uniform.
The pilot vehicle, it was gathered, was riddled with bullets during the assault.
Ngige, who spoke by phone through Chukwuelobe, said: “I just got off the phone with His Excellency, and he confirmed the development, promising to do all he can to ensure that those injured receive adequate treatment.”
READ ALSO:Police Rescue Stolen Boy, Arrest Six Over Child Trafficking In Anambra
He also commiserated with the family of the unfortunate lady who was killed while videoing the scene,” Chukwuelobe said.
“A shop owner who ran out to see what was happening was also shot. He reportedly lost a significant amount of blood and is scheduled for surgery to remove bullets, but doctors expect him to make a full recovery.
The injured escort leader has also undergone surgery and is responding well,” he added.
Ngige’s side dismissed insinuations that a police officer was killed in the attack.
Contacted, the State Command confirmed the attack on the former governor Ngige’s convoy, clarifying that the police had recovered the vehicle, which was riddled with bullets by the gunmen.
Metro
Man Flees After Lady Dies In Ondo Hotel
The Ondo Police Command has launched a manhunt for a man identified as Sodiq Ganiyu over the demise of a young lady in a hotel in Ore, Odigbo Local Council Area of the state.
Ganiyu had lodged at the popular hotel on the busy Ore–Okitipupa Road, along with the yet-to-be-identified lady, who was found dead after the suspect left the hotel room.
The lifeless body of the deceased was discovered after hotel staff entered the room with a spare key when repeated knocks went unanswered.
READ ALSO:Hoodlums Stab Police Officer To Death In Ondo
Following the incident, the hotel, a regular stop and social hub for travellers and residents of the area, was besieged by onlookers who trooped to witness it.
According to sources, the lady was lying motionless on the bed when the door was opened, with no visible signs of violence or marks on her body.
One of the sources stated that “The girl checked into the hotel with a man, Sodiq Ganiyu, to spend the night. The two were seen together earlier in the day, but when staff gained access to the room, the lady was found lifeless.”
READ ALSO:Amotekun Arrests 16 Illegal Immigrants, 22 Others In Ondo
Another source stressed that the suspect allegedly fled the scene, leaving his whereabouts unknown, a development that prompted hotel management to promptly report the incident to the police.
A security source, who confirmed the development, said the lady’s body has been deposited at a mortuary in Ore.
Preliminary examinations revealed no external injuries, but a full autopsy has been scheduled to determine the cause of death.
While confirming the incident, Police Public Relations Officer Olayinka Ayanlade stated that efforts were ongoing to apprehend the fleeing suspect.
Metro
Police Crack Down On Criminal Network In Delta Community, Recover AK-47
The Delta State Police Command has recorded another breakthrough in its ongoing offensive against armed criminal networks in Oghara, Ethiope West Local Government Area, raising further alarm over the deepening sophistication of local cult and robbery syndicates.
In a statement on Thursday, the Command’s spokesperson, Bright Edafe, said the latest operation was carried out by the CP–Special Assignment Team (CP-SAT) led by ASP Julius Robinson, whose sustained raids continue to expose the scale of organised criminal activity festering in and around the community.
Edafe recalled that the development follows the 24 November arrest of confessed cultists and the recovery of a pump-action gun and other incriminating exhibits.
Building on intelligence gathered from that initial bust, CP-SAT operatives intensified surveillance and launched coordinated follow-up raids across strategic hotspots in Oghara on November 25, 2025.
READ ALSO:Delta Police Arrest Suspected Serial Killer
The sweep led to the arrest of two additional suspects identified as Justice Ikutu, 38, and Peter Okomeje, 55 — both allegedly linked to a widening criminal syndicate believed to be responsible for recent spikes in cult violence and armed robbery in the area.
According to him, a search conducted at the residence of another suspected gang member, identified as Peter Kome, led to the recovery of a loaded AK-47 rifle fitted with a double magazine and other exhibits investigators say point to a more entrenched and organised network than previously assumed.
“All suspects are currently in custody,” the Command said, adding that operatives are pursuing leads to identify and arrest other members of the syndicate.
Meanwhile, Commissioner of Police, CP Olufemi Abaniwonda, praised the rapid response and tactical precision of the CP-SAT team but stressed that policing alone cannot dismantle the criminal ecosystem thriving in the region. He appealed to residents to remain vigilant and cooperate with security agencies by providing actionable information.
READ ALSO:Why Niger Delta Suffers Most — Jonathan
He said the latest arrests come amid rising public anxiety over recurrent cult clashes, armed robbery, and gang-related killings across several Delta communities. Even as investigations deepen, the Command says it remains resolute in restoring order in Oghara and preventing the town from becoming a haven for weapon-bearing criminal networks.
In other news, the Owelle of Onicha-Olona, Chief Jerry Nkeweshe, has demanded the withdrawal of a police statement linking him to the killing of three youths in the Okwe community near Asaba, Delta State.
The Delta State Police Command had announced a manhunt for Nkeweshe and others alleged to have led an armed group that attacked the community on November 24, resulting in the deaths of the youths.
READ ALSO:Delta: Father In Police Net After Sleeping With Daughters For Seven Years
The command’s spokesperson, Bright Edafe, confirmed the killings and said the suspects were being sought in connection with the attack.
But reacting through his lawyer, Kelechi Nnadi, on Wednesday, Nkeweshe denied any involvement and described the police statement as false and damaging.
Nnadi said his client was not in Okwe or anywhere within Asaba on the day of the incident, explaining that Nkeweshe had left the city earlier that morning for medical attention in Umunede, where he stayed throughout the day.
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