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Vehicular Movement Grounded In Benin As Youths Protest Law Proscribing Okaighele’s Activities

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Vehicular movement at King’s Sqaure (Ring Road), Benin City and other link roads were ground for hours, Friday, as Association of Okaighele (youth leaders) in Benin Kingdom protested law recently put in place by Edo State Government proscribing their existence.

Okaigheles in Benin are youth leaders in communities in charge of land – purchase and sales of landed properties in Benin kingdom.

Recall that the Godwin Obaseki-led administration in the state recent signed into law bill repealing the Edo State Private Property Protection Law 2017 and re-enact the Edo State Private Property Protection Law 2021.

READ ALSO: Legal Practitioner, One Other Docked For allegedly Forging Oba of Benin Land Approval

The bill passed into law by the Edo State House of Assembly and signed by the state Governor banned the activities of Okhaighele in the state.

The protesters who carried placards with inscriptions as: ‘Governor Obaseki, you are not our spiritual father; ‘we are Okaighele to the Palace of Oba of Benin, not Government House; ‘we are proud of our King; ‘arrest and persecute any Okaighele that practice illegally’, matched to the Palace of Oba of Benin to air their grievances and later to the secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Edo State council.

Speaking on behalf of the youth leaders, Glory Ikponmwosa, chairman of the association said Okaigheles of Benin kingdom are not political appointees, adding that they are only loyal and subjects to the Benin Royal Stool.

READ ALSO: Benin Artefacts: Obaseki Bows, Promises Cooperation With Benin Palace

“We are not politicians and we should not be treated as one because we are ready to resist any attempt to reduce our rights as traditional citizens of Benin kingdom by anyone or group of persons no matter who or what is involved,” (sic) he declared.

While declaring that they are native of Benin and cannot be intimidated or oppressed under any guise, the Chairman said the title is an age long traditional position under the Benin native laws and customs.

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He posited that Edo State Government does not have business or rights to ban Okaigheles to operate in Benin kingdom under the Benin Traditional Council law of the state.

READ ALSO: Emir Of Kano Visits Oba Of Benin, Says ‘I’m Here For Unity, Peaceful Coexistence’

“Okaighele in the Benin kingdom is an age long traditional position under the Benin Native Laws and Customs which is over 400 years old, it is not a recent creation.

“Under the Benin Traditional Council settings, communities have leadership structures which comprise the Odionwere, the Ohen, the Okaigheles in addition to the Enogies in communities where Enogies exist.

“Edo State Government does not have any business or rights to ban Okaigheles in Benin kingdom under the Benin Traditional Council law of Edo State,” he said.

 

Metro

[JUST IN] PICTURES: Hoodlums Clash In Lagos, Set Market On Fire

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Many people were injured after hoodlums clashed in the Ile-Epo area of Lagos State.

Punch Metro gathered that a fight started in the market situated in the area on Wednesday night and continued till Thursday morning.

Some shops were set on fire while some goods were destroyed in the process.

READ ALSO: Why Abia Policeman Dropped His Rifle, Uniform, Walked Away From His Job – Report

The PUNCH correspondent who visited the scene of the incident gathered that an early intervention by the police was restricted by the hoodlums.

A fire service truck that drove into the market this morning was also forced to reverse after being pelted with stones.

 

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Protest Rocks Edo Community Over Plans To Withdraw Security

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Indigenes of over 22 communities in Inikorogha, Ovia South West Local Government Area of Edo State, on Wednesday, staged a peaceful protest over plans to withdraw the security agencies maintaining peace in the area.

The protesters who came out in large numbers carried different placards with various inscriptions such as, “Come to our aid, Mr Governor”; We need peace to do our business in Inikorogha”; and “Armed robbers come here to rape & rob our wives and women” among others.

Addressing journalists on Wednesday, the Chairman of Inikorogha community, Friday Benson, appealed to Governor Godwin Obaseki to see to the extension and increase of security personnel in the community instead of withdrawing them.

READ ALSO: Mother Of Four Hacked To Death By Neighbour, Son In Edo

He said, “What we are saying in essence is that nobody should truncate the effort of the governor with plans to remove security operatives from our communities. We know some highly placed individuals are behind this move but it won’t work. Security has greatly improved in the last one and a half years.

“In the past, we suffered serious attacks by criminal elements but now, we have a strong presence of security personnel with the deployment of special forces at Mile 3. Their presence has halted the activities of unscrupulous elements in the area.”

The Chairman of the Elders Council, Philip Polo, called for more deployment of security operatives while commending the governor for the road construction in Inikorogha.

READ ALSO: Updated: 14-year-old British-Nigerian Boy Killed By Sword-wielding Man In London

He added, “We want to first of all thank Governor Obaseki; he has performed well in terms of infrastructure but sadly that has given birth to some unscrupulous criminals that have made Inikorogha uninhabitable.

“But when the security personnel came, everybody was relieved. The situation now is that these same people are trying to pull the strings from behind. We have information that they are trying to ensure that the special forces are withdrawn,” he added.

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19-year-old Convicted For Dating, Impregnating 14-year-old Sister

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A 19-year-old man arraigned before Mutawatawa magistrate on charges of having sexual intercourse with his 14-year-old sister in Uzumba, Zimbabwe, has been convicted.

It was gathered that in January 2023, the 19-year-old man decided to take things a notch up bizarrely as he chatted with his sister. He asked his sister to be his girlfriend. Strangely, the 14-year-old admitted to feeling the same way for her brother.

The two decided to hit it off and start dating. They decided to keep their relationship under wraps, knowing how much trouble it would attract if ever known.

READ ALSO: 75-year Old Man Arrested For Defiling 8-year-old Girl In Anambra

During their relationship, the 19-year-old man convinced his sister to have sex with him. She agreed, and the two did the act on different occasions, both at home and in the garden. However, the girl later got pregnant and this was noticed by their grandmother.

Upon being questioned, she revealed her brother was responsible. The grandmother reported the case to the police, leading to the 19-year-old man’s arrest for incest. He appeared in a Mutawatawa Court, where the Magistrate sentenced him to 14 months in jail. Two months were struck off, and he will serve an effective 12 months.

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