Metro

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

Published

3 years ago

July 19, 2021

Editor

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.

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).

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

Court Remands Tenant For Setting Landlord’s House On Fire In Ibadan

Published

13 hours ago

May 2, 2024

Editor

An Iyaganku Chief Magistrates’ Court in Ibadan on Thursday ordered that a 35-year-old man, Dickson Peter, be remanded in a correction facility for allegedly setting his landlord’s house on fire.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the police charged the defendant with two counts of felony and arson.

The Magistrate, Mr M. Mudashiru, who did not take his plea due to lack of jurisdiction, ordered that he be remanded in the Abolongo Correctional Facility, Oyo Town.

Mudashiru said the remand is pending legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP).

He adjourned the matter until July 23, 2024, for reference.

Earlier, the Prosecution Counsel, Insp. Femi Oluwadare told the court that Peter, on April 18, at about 12:30 am, was alleged to have unlawfully set fire to the house of his landlord, Cepas Okeme, and destroyed properties worth N6.5 million.

Oluwadare said that after he set the building on fire, it also spread to the next house property belonging to Bose Ali ‘F’ and destroyed property worth N3.5 million.

He said the offence contravened the provisions of Section 443 of the Criminal Code Laws of Oyo State 2000.

Metro

Officer Who Shot Man Dead During Fuel Queue Tumult Identified — Lagos Police

Published

14 hours ago

May 2, 2024

Editor

The Lagos State Police Command said it has identified the police officer who shot a young man, Toheeb Eniafe, at a petrol station on Wednesday.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin disclosed this on Thursday.

He said, “The person behind the shooting has been identified as a police officer serving at Special Protection Unit (SPU) Base 17, Lion Building, Lagos.

“Investigation is still ongoing and further findings will be made available.

“Meanwhile, the Lagos State Police Command is working with the family of the deceased to ensure that there is no miscarriage of justice.”

Recall that Eniafe was shot on Wednesday at a petrol station belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited at Obalende in the Ikoyi area of Lagos State.

Eniafe was reported to have been shot dead while he and some others were resisting the move by some security agents to buy fuel without joining the queue.

Metro

Woman Kills One Year-old Son In Delta

Published

18 hours ago

May 2, 2024

Editor

The Delta State Police Command on Thursday paraded a 24-year-old woman, Sofia Nkwo, for killing her one-year-old son.

The woman said she killed her son because she couldn’t care for the child again as the father rejected the child.

Also paraded were fake alcoholic producers, murder, kidnapping suspects, and car snatchers among others.

Parading the suspects at the police headquarters in Asaba, the Delta State capital, the Commissioner of Police, Mr Abaniwonda Olufemi, frowned at the evil act perpetuated by the woman.

He said, “On April 28, 2024, a case of infanticide was reported at Oleh Division, that a suspect named Sofia Nkwor 24, from Isoko south LGA, dump her child of one year and four month old in a well along the road in Araya community Isoko south LGA.

“Children who went to play around the tree discovered the abandoned child floating on the well. The mother Sofia Nkwor was immediately arrested and she stated that she dumped the child on 26th April 2024.

Confessing to the crime, Nkwo, said that she killed her son because she couldn’t care for the child again as the father rejected the child.

On the current kidnappings and killings in Ika North-East and Ika South areas of the state where farmers were being kidnapped and killed by gunmen, CP Olufemi said the command had developed personnel for the area.

“We are aware of the security situation in the Ika area of the state, and I have deployed personnel and directed Area Commander to move into the area and curb the bushes.

“The command is also working with Edo state Command because you know the area is the boundary between Delta and Edo,” he added.