Okpella Crisis: Ukhomuyio Concerned Citizens Threaten Legal Action Against Traditional Councils Over Sado’s Meeting With Rulers
The Ukhomuyio Concerned Citizens have threatened legal action against the Etsako East Traditional Council and the Edo North Traditional Council over the reported visit of some traditional rulers to the residence of Mr. Mike Sado in Okpella, describing the development as a dangerous escalation in the community’s long-running traditional stool crisis.
The group said it had resolved to challenge the conduct of the traditional councils in court, warning that what it described as an attempt to lend traditional legitimacy to an impersonator could further inflame tensions in Okpella and push the community towards a potentially dangerous confrontation.
In a strongly worded statement, the group condemned the visit “in its entirety,” arguing that the choice of Sado’s residence for such a meeting was inappropriate and provocative, particularly given the controversy surrounding the Okuokpellagbe stool.
The concerned citizens said they deliberately refrained from embarrassing the visiting traditional rulers by sweeping their feet away from the community because they remained “our fathers” and did not want to diminish them over what they described as a one-time mistake.
However, the group warned that respect for traditional authority should not be interpreted as acquiescence to actions it considers capable of undermining peace and established processes in the community.
It described the alleged conduct of the traditional rulers as “contemptuous” and a threat to an already volatile situation, warning that continued actions perceived as interference in the traditional affairs of Okpella could have grave communal consequences.
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The group also restated its position that Mike Sado is not the Okuokpellagbe of Okpella. According to the statement, the process through which Sado was previously brought forward as Okuokpellagbe was contrary to the customs and traditions of Okpella.
The group further claimed that the courts had declared that Sado was never legally the Okuokpellagbe of Okpella.
It therefore rejected any attempt to settle the traditional stool through external intervention or arrangements outside the recognised customary and legal framework.
“If Mike Sado believes that the stool of Okuokpellagbe of Okpella can be decided by strangers and some few greedy elements in the community as opposed to law and our custom, he is wrong,” the group said.
It insisted that the traditional stool can only be determined by the established customs of Okpella and applicable law, rather than by individuals or interests seeking to impose an outcome on the community.
The concerned citizens warned that Okpella could not afford further escalation, stressing that the community was already facing a sensitive and volatile atmosphere. It accused the traditional rulers of failing to appreciate the potential consequences of actions that could be interpreted as taking sides in the traditional leadership dispute.
The group said its decision to pursue legal action was intended not only to challenge what it described as an improper intervention but also to establish clear boundaries against future interference in the traditional affairs of Okpella.
It warned that the patience and restraint being demonstrated by what it described as “reasonable sons and daughters of Okpella” should not be taken for granted.
Meanwhile, the group expressed condolences to the family of late Friday Dirisu, whom it said was allegedly murdered by one Sunday Ababa.
It called on the Nigeria Police Force to ensure that a thorough investigation is conducted and that justice is served.
The group stressed that justice must not only be done but must also be seen to have been done, arguing that accountability was necessary to prevent similar incidents from recurring.
“The right to live is fundamental and no one has the power to take a life he cannot create,” the group stated.
The threatened lawsuit is expected to add a new legal dimension to the increasingly contentious struggle over the Okuokpellagbe stool, while further testing the role and authority of traditional councils in the dispute.
Ukhomuyio Concerned Citizens
