Mosogar Development Union (MDU) has said there are no Itsekiri communities within Ethiope West Local Government Area of Delta State, and warned “enemy of peace” to desist from making statement capable of causing ethnic tension in the state.
The Union categorically stated that Ethiope West LGA homogenously belong to Urhobo kingdoms of Oghara, Idjerhe and Mosogar, and therefore faulted the Itsekiri Historical Front Issue (IHFI) of laying claims to Mosogar communities.
In a statement signed by the President-General of Mosogar Development Union (MDU), Chief (Col) Surv. OC Akporoka (rtd), the people of Mosogar Kingdom called on Governor Sheriff Oborevwori to urgently step in to forestall another looming ethnic tension in the state.
Col Akporoka explained that the village(s) which Itsekiri Historical Front Issue (IHFI) was laying claims to belong to Mosogar Kingdom and there are no Itsekiri communities within the kingdom.
According to him, Ethiope West L.G.A consists of Oghara Kingdom, Mosogar Kingdom and Idjerhe Kingdom only, adding that “every community or settlement within the geographical spread of Ethiope West L.G.A, must fall within any of the said three Kingdoms.
“It is inconceivable and unacceptable that a community or settlement in Ethiope West L.G.A is independent or autonomous of any of the three kingdoms of Oghara, Mosogar or Jesse and/or that such community or settlement is under Warri Kingdom.”
Read full Statement Below:
1st April,2024.
MOSOGAR DEVELOPMENT UNION
RE: (1) ITSEKIRI HISTORICAL FRONT ISSUE WARNING TO OGHARA AND MOSOGAR KINGDOMS
(2) PRESS STATEMENT BY IFOLE DEVELPOMENT MOVEMENT RESPONSE TO OGHARA AND MOSOGAR TRADITIONAL RULERS PUBLICATIONS
1.The attention of His Royal Majesty, Uduaka 1, the Ovie of Mosogar Kingdom and that of the entire good people of Mosogar Kingdom has been drawn to the following recent online publications.
- Press Statement by Ifole Development Movement Response to Oghara and Mosogar Traditional Rulers publication.
- Itsekiri Historical Front issues warning to Oghara and Mosogar Kingdoms.
- It is to be stated at the onset that what is being tagged as Publication in 1(a) above is a private letter written by His Royal Majesty, the King of Mosogar, declining an invitation by His Royal Majesty, The Olu of Warri, to the Ninth Edition of Ghigho Aghofen/Change of Palace Watch. The invitation was contained in a private letter of The Olu of Warri, addressed to the Ovie of Mosogar Kingdom.
- The author of the two publications listed above, whose real/genuine existence and/or identities cannot be ascertained, deliberately decided to throw caution to the wind, thereby resorting to the use of uncouth, baseless and foul language in addressing the highly reverend Monarchs of Mosogar and Oghara Kingdoms. Such an uncivilized conduct/practice is not only unacceptable to us but the same is also condemnable. We hereby condemn same.
- In the aforementioned online publications, strange statements and references were made about the founding and ownership of Ekwobodo (Ekuobodo) Community land, Efo Community land and Ifole land. The authors of the publications, after making strenuous but failed attempts to distort, falsify and/or re-write well-known and settled history, came to the false and baseless conclusions that Ekwobodo land, Efo land, Aja-Titon land and Ifole land were founded and owned by Itsekiri people. These conclusions and the premises on which they are founded are completely wrong, and the same are thus unaccepted to the good people of Mosogar Kingdom,
- We are of the opinion that the matters of the founding and ownership of Ekwobodo land are now subjudice, as such matters are the subject matter of a pending suit (MCM/2/2021: Between Rev. Dr. Daniel Ofuya & Ors. V Mr. Collins Omarekpughe & Ors. Therefore, in obedience to the tenets of rule of law, we wish to refrain from discussing the same matters here. Nonetheless, for the sake of the uninformed and also to set the records straight, we hereby state that the founding and ownership of Ekwobodo land have been impeccably settled by the Supreme Court in its subsisting judgement in consolidated Suit Nos. W/9/1944 and W/24/1944, between Itsekiri People of Ekwobodo and the people of Mosogar community in the then Jesse clan. The judgment of the Supreme Court was delivered on the 28th day of December, 1946.
- In 1965, Palmer Ayomere & 2 Ors, acting for themselves and on behalf of Itsekiris of Ekwobodo, instituted Suit No. S/15/1965 against Tobi Ogbakpah & 2 ors, who are Urhobos from Mosogar. The Defendants relied on the aforementioned Supreme Court judgement in the consolidated Suit Nos. W/9/1944 and W/24/1944 and raised a plea of estoppel per rem Judicatam. Both the trial High Court and the Supreme Court (in Appeal No. 5/15/65) sustained the plea and thereupon dismissed the case of the Itsekiris.
- Ifole land is also the subject matter of pending Suits and Appeal. It is also thus subjudice. However, it suffices to set out the following incontrovertible facts about the Ifloe land, with a view to setting the records straight.
- a) That there is no judgment of any court of law anywhere, including Suit No. 23/66 and Appeal No. S/66/69, which has ever declared or awarded title to Ifole land to Mene-Okotie Family or any other Itsekiri family.
- b) It was in view of what is stated in 7(a) above that in suit No. HCH/26/2015, Between Mr. Ohwobeno Erakpotobor & Ors. V. A.S Mene Okotie & Anor, the Okotie family pleaded and raised the judgement in S/66/69 as estoppel per rem judicata – to challenge the jurisdiction of the court. The court overruled them and dismissed the plea.
- c) In the judgement delivered on 1/12/2021 by the High Court sitting at Oghara in suit No. HCH/R/12/2021: Chief Jacob Ojarikre & Ors. V. The Nigerian Police Force & Ors., the court enjoined Mr. Amorighoye Sunny Mene to apply for writ of possession in execution of the Supreme Court judgement, if he feels the same ensure in his favour. The same advice was issued by the office of Commissioner of Police, Delta State in a Legal Advice dated the 25th day of April, 2023. Understandably, the Menes have continued to fail to take step to levy the execution because they know that the judgement does not decree or award title to the land in their favour.
- d) On the purported Memorandum of Understanding allegedly made between our past Ovie of Mosogar relating to the Ifole land, which is being paraded by Mr. A. S Mene, we hereby state without equivocation that the same was a forged document. The forgery of the said document has been confirmed by a forensic signature comparison analysis ordered and conducted by the police. In fact, the office of the then Assistant Inspector General of Police had issued a fiat for the prosecution of A. S Mene and his cohorts in that regard. We are aware that instructions have been given to our firms of solicitors to initiate necessary actions in court to compel the police to commence the prosecution of those found to be behind the forgery of the purported Memorandum of Understanding.
- Symptomatic of resort to crude and self-help method, the Menes have elected to engage men of the Nigeria Police, particularly from Zone 5 Police Headquarters, to harass and intimidate the King and other good people of Mosogar Kingdom, in preference to the aforementioned advice that they (Menes) should take steps to levy execution of the judgement allegedly delivered in their favour in respect of the Ifole land. The incessant Police harassment and intimidation constitute the cause of action in Suit No. HCH/79/2023: Between HRM Sunday Odogun Okpurhe & Ors. V. IGP & Ors., pending at the High Court.
- It is to be stated unequivocally that the land on which Efo Community and Aja-Titon Community are situate belong to the people of Mosogar Kingdom. The stories relating to the founding and ownership of Efo and Aja-Titon land as contained in the aforementioned publications are concocted, incorrect and misleading. We reject those false stories and hereby reaffirm that the ownership of Efo and Aja-Titon land is vested in people of Mosogar Kingdom.
- Finally, we wish to hereby reiterate that Ethiope West L.G.A consists of Oghara Kingdom, Mosogar Kingdom and Idjerhe Kingdom only. Accordingly, every community or settlement within the geographical spread of Ethiope West L.G.A, must fall within any of the said three Kingdoms. It is inconceivable and unacceptable that a community or settlement in Ethiope West L.G.A is independent or autonomous of any of the three kingdoms of Oghara, Mosogar or Jesse and/or that such community or settlement is under Warri Kingdom.
We wish to advise the Executive Governor of Delta state to caution the Olu of Warri and his Itsekiri people to stop actions capable of igniting ethnic/communal conflicts in view of the recent happenings in Okuama and Okoloba communities in Ughelli South Local Government and Bomadi Local Government respectively. A stitch in time they say save nine.
SIGNED:
Chief (Col) Surv. OC Akporoka
President General MDU,
For and On behalf of Mosogar Kingdom.
