Abavo crisis: Monarch arraigned, remanded

A Chief Magistrate’s Court sitting in Asaba, Delta state, yesterday, arraigned the monarch of Abavo Kingdom in Ika South local government of Delta state, His Royal Highness, Obi Uche Irenuma II, for attempted murder.

He was arraigned on a 15-count charge, including promoting ethnic war, attempted murder, conspiracy and malicious damage of the properties, slammed on him by the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ikechukwu Aduba.

There was, however, a mild drama as the king appeared in court on a stretcher with his doctors from St. Luks’s Hospital, Asaba, saying he was sick.
The monarch was charged alongside four others, including Uwamagbe Onyekew Festus, Irenuma Ogochukwu, Amadi Chison and Prince Chinedu Irenuma, now at large.

He was accused of attempting murder, the Obi was said to mastermind the conspiracy that resulted in the malicious damage of the housed worth millions of naira, which had since thrown one Onyishi Ehator, Prince Innocent Obaseki, Prince Ike Nwajie, Andrew Jegbefume Afagbon Celetine and Emmanuel Euogo into trauma.

The embattled monarch had on several occasions refused the invitation by the state police Command to be interrogated on the alleged murder of one John Ogochukwu Okoh, a 40-year-old man, Godwin Abraham, and kidnapping of a nine year old boy, Winners Igbinowamhia, by his driver.

It would be recalled that the CP described the role he played in the crisis that rocked the community over oil discovery as “dishonoured” in a statement routed through the Command’s PPRO.
The Chief Magistrate, Queen Momoh, who remanded the Obi in prison custody, adjourned the matter till March 13, 2014.