The Edo State Commissioner for Arts, Culture, Tourism and Diaspora Affairs, Uyi Oduwa-Malaka, has been stripped of the honourary chieftaincy conferred on her by HRH, Nathaniel Igelugbo Omogbai, The Okpamen the IX, the Onotare of Ozalla Kingdom in Owan West local government area of the state.

The commissioner, who was conferred the chieftaincy, the Uzoyare of Ozalla kingdom, was stripped of the title, alleged misconduct.

She was accused of misconduct and disrespect to the king by asking him to meet her in the car when she drove into the palace on the 12th of April, 2024.

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A press statement signed by the Palace Spokesman, Dr. Osumah Obaze, and made available to journalists in Benin City, said the Onotare ordered the immediate revocation of her title so as to serve as a deterrent to others with the intentions of desecrating the respected throne.

The statement also said that another title Ozemevboya of Ozalla Kingdom given to George Ohioma is also revoked and now an exclusive preserve of “Ozalla freeborns”.

The statement reads: “Her legion of offences among others, includes openly insulting the Onotare and for not paying obeisance to the Onotare of Ozalla on the 13th of April, 2024, during Ivbamen festival in the present of the Speaker, Edo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Blessing Agbebaku and Chairman, Owan West Local Government, Mr. Dickson Ahonsi and for openly boasting to remove the traditional ruler from office.

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“In the same vein, the Onotare of Ozalla, His Royal Highest Nathaniel Igelugbo Omogbai also revoked the honorary chieftaincy title, Ozemevboya of Ozalla Kingdom conferred on Barr. George Ohioma aka Armani for openly insulting and physically assaulting the Onotare of Ozalla and Secretary to the Onotare, Mr. Ehichioya Ujuanbi in the presence of the Speaker to Edo State House of Assembly, Hon. Blessing Agbebaku and the Chairman of Owan West Local Government Council, Mr. Dickson Ahonsi at the Onotare’s Palace.

“The title Ozemevboya of Ozalla Kingdom is now the exclusive reserve of the freeborn of Ozalla Kingdom, not strangers like Barr George Ohioma. The Onotare of Ozalla, His Royal Highest Nathaniel Igelugbo Omogbai has banned/ostracized Mrs. Uyi Oduwa-Malaka and Barr. George Ohioma from the palace with immediate effect. This is for the information of the general public.”

Oduwa-Malaka could not be reached on phone and she did not respond to inquiries about the development including when the press statement was sent to her WhatsApp number for response.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Thursday, told the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja that it would leave no stone unturned in its effort to arrest and prosecute the former Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello over his alleged complicity in money laundering.

The anti-graft agency said it would execute the arrest warrant that was issued against the erstwhile governor, even if it would entail the involvement of the military.

Addressing the court through its team of lawyers led by Mr. Kemi Pinhero, SAN, the EFCC decried that the ex-governor failed to make himself available for his scheduled arraignment.

It told the court that spirited efforts by its operatives to arrest the defendant on Wednesday with the aim of producing him to enter his plea to the charge against him, “was frustrated by a person with immunity.”

“My lord, what happened yesterday was that a person with immunity came to whisk the defendant away. But what they forgot was that immunity does not attach to a building, but an individual.

“However, we know what to do. If it will take inviting the military to bring him here, we will do that because section 287 of the Constitution cannot be ridiculed.

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“If he wants to play games, we will show him that the constitution is above every individual and you cannot fight the constitution.

“A former president of the United States was charged to court and he has been appearing for his trial. He did not file all sorts of things to frustrate the case.

“If the defendant believes that he is innocent, he should come and defend it here instead of filing frivolous applications to delay his trial,” EFCC’s lawyer added.

Meanwhile, though ex-governor Bello was absent, however, he briefed his lawyers led by Mr. Abdulwahab Mohammed, SAN, to approach the court to vacate a warrant of arrest he said was dubiously obtained against him.

Trial Justice Emeka Nwite had after the case was called up, queried the lawyer about the whereabouts of his client.

Responding, Mohammed, SAN, told the court that the ex-governor had February 9, secured an order from a High Court in Kogi State, which he said restrained the EFCC from inviting, arresting or prosecuting him over the subject matter of the instant charge against him.

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He told the court that though an appeal the EFCC lodged against the ruling was still pending, it went ahead to file a charge against the defendant, “in defiance of that subsisting court order.”

Mohammed told the court that his client has already filed a preliminary objection to challenge the legal propriety of his planned arraignment and trial.

“What they are trying to do is to bring this court in collision with the Court of Appeal by rushing to this court to obtain an ex-parte warrant of arrest for someone that is already a defendant.

“Our position is that this court has no jurisdiction to do any other thing than to take our motion challenging its jurisdiction to entertain this charge.

“What happened at Zone 4 Abuja yesterday, where they laid seige to the house of the former governor while he was in Lokoja waiting for judgement in his fundamental right enforcement suit, was unfortunate.

“A bloodbath was avoided. You don’t issue a warrant against a defendant who is already before the court and who has also briefed lawyers to defend him.

“They wanted the Court of Appeal to vacate the restraining order but the Appeal Court refused.

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“Let them deny that they did not speak against the restraining order, then, we will cite them for professional misconduct.

“That a court gave an order in the morning and another court of the same coordinate jurisdiction issues a contrary order in the evening, is an invitation to anarchy.

“Our contention is that the defendant is not a fugitive and your lordship needs to be circumspect.

“We don’t need the arraignment to take place when we aee saying that the court cannot even snif the charge. Your lordship has to determine the issue of jurisdiction first because it is a threshold issue.

“They came behind doors to get an ex-parte warrant of arrest, when we had already joined issues with them before another court.

“When the defendant was a governor, he only travelled out of the country twice and he was recently in Lagos. This is not a man that you can chase away.

“Moreover, we are yet to be served with any process by the prosecution,” Bello’s lawyer added.

Meanwhile, he rejected attempt by the EFCC to serve him with a copy of the charge in the courtroom, insisting that he was bereft of the authority to accept the process.

Mohammed, SAN, argued that the prosecution has not made any effort to effect personal service of the charge on the defendant.

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, has asked the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, to surrender himself to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

The AGF, in a statement he made available to newsmen on Thursday, warned that the anti-graft agency should not be obstructed from performing its lawful duty.

He said: “The bizarre drama confronting the EFCC in the course of its efforts to perform its statutory duty,” with respect to the charge it filed against the erstwhile governor, has come to his notice, describing it as “a matter of very grave concern.”

“It is now beyond doubt that the EFCC is given power by the law to invite any person of interest to interact with them in the course of their investigation into any matter regardless of status.

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“Therefore, the least that we can all do when invited, is not to put any obstruction in the way of EFCC but to honourably answer their invitation.

“A situation where public officials who are themselves subject of protection by law enforcement agents will set up a stratagem of obstruction to the civil and commendable efforts of the EFCC to perform its duty is to say the least, insufferably disquieting.

“A flight from the law does not resolve issues at stake but only exacerbates it.

“I state unequivocally that I stand for the rule of law and will promptly call EFCC and indeed any other agency to order when there is indication of any transgression of the fundamental rights of any Nigerian by any of the agencies but I also tenaciously hold the view that institutions of State should be allowed to function effectively and efficiently.

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“Nigeria has a vibrant judicial system that is capable of protecting everyone who follows the rule of law in seeking protection.

“I therefore encourage anyone who has been invited by the EFCC or any other agency to immediately toe the path of decency and civility by honouring such invitation instead of embarking on a temporising self-help and escapism that can only put our country in bad light before the rest of the world,” the AGF added.

The EFCC had in a 19-count charge it filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja, accused the ex-governor of complicity in money laundering, breach of trust, and misappropriation of funds to the tune of about N84 billion.

Attempt by the commission to arrest him at his Abuja residence on Wednesday was allegedly thwarted by the incumbent governor of Kogi State, Ahmed Ododo, who was said to have whisked him away in his official car.