Chief Osawaru, who stormed the secretariat of Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, in Benin, said he decided to cry out when fear gripped him after seeing posters announcing his demise, in which the perpetrators used the name of his eldest daughter as signatory.
Osawaru lamented that he was being persecuted by some youths of the community who were involved in illegal sales of land, after he got a restraining order from court.
He disclosed that leaders of the community, led by the Odionwere, Chief Igbinoghodua Odigie, had obtained a perpetual injunction which restrained the youths from their illegal activities and the attempt by another elder, backed by the youths, to install himself as the new Odionwere of the area.
He said this was contrary to the position of the Oba of Benin, Omo N’Oba NedO Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Erediauwa, who declared that the palace had no business wading into a matter before the police and the court.
Burial arrangement
He said: “Those after my life printed the posters, saying my body would leave the Central Hospital, Benin, on August 14 to my village for funeral rites, internment and social dance.
“I was born and brought up at Okhunmwun village in Ovia North-East, Benin. I am a director of a hotel. I have been running my hotel for about 34 years now. I was surprised when I woke up last week and saw these posters pasted all over my village, stating that I was dead.
“The poster said my body will be leaving Central Hospital to my village. The surprising thing is that they said I have two wives. Even my daughter signed the burial poster.
“She left the country immediately she finished at Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, about 12 years ago and I only saw this girl about five years ago.
“Last year, the Oba of Benin sent a message to us that he wanted to see our Odionwere. When we got to the palace, the issue was not resolved but we were asked to come back the next day.
“Our lawyer, Mr. Obaze, now wrote the palace that the matter was already in court and not only in court but that there was a judgment against the second-in-command in our community.
“The court gave a perpetual injunction restraining from parading himself as the Odionwere. A photocopy of that judgment was taken to the palace for them to know that this case had been judged in the court and our lawyer prepared forms 48 and 49 against the man who wants to be the Odionwere of our village.”
He was told that the palace does not intervene in any case that is in court or police station.
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