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There was
palpable tension on Sunday January 30, 2011 at Ihogbe community in Agbor
kingdom after the allege attack on two young men, Onyeka Okumabua and Progress
Okomubua by a group of young men suspected to be palace guards at the Dein
palace.
Narrating the
incident to pressmen at the community hall, the president of Agbor Youths
General, Mr. Isioma Okumabua, said that, on the night of Saturday 29th
January, 2011, at about 8pm he got a distress call that some palace guards
(Ibiegwa were beating a young man called Onyeka Okumabua. He said that
immediately he got the news he ran to the scene of the incident only to meet
the young man in the pool of his own
blood, having received several machete cuts on his body. He said that they were
able to douse the building tension that night with the help of other youths and
some elders in the community.
Mr. Okumabua who
decried the incessant attack of innocent people by the palace guards, said that
the community elders were deliberating on the incident the following morning,
which was Sunday January 30, 2011, when they got information that another boy
was being beaten by the same palace
guards.
“On getting there
we discovered that the boy in question, Progress Okomabua had matchet cuts all
over his body. We also discovered that one of the guards was equally seriously
wounded. We had to rush Progress to the Central Hospital, Agbor, where he is
currently receiving treatment from the wounds he sustained in the fracas. Both
him and the injured Ibiegwa are in the hospital,” he explained.
He however
pleaded with the palace guards to stop harassing people indiscriminately.
“Please we are pleading with these boys to stop harassing and intimating
people. They should understand that we are all brothers and that we should be
living in peace. The palace is for all of us. We want the elders to look into
this matter. The elders of Ihogbe have
promised to make an appeal to the Dein to call the boys to older. This is not
the first time we are having problem with them. We have before now made a
formal report to the palace, where we were promised that there will be a
change,” he explained.
Also speaking,
the father of one of the boys, Progress Okumabua, Dr. Emuebie Otukwele said
that “at about 8.30pm on Saturday 29th January, 2011, I was informed
that the Ibiegwa boys were beating my son, Progress. I had to rush down to the scene. When I got there I
discovered it was true. I enquired what the matter was and was told that it was
as a result of an argument between my son and his brother’s wife. Even those
who came to mediate, Ewere and Onyeka were equally beaten. The Ibegwas however
apologized to me saying they did not know the boy was my son.”
Dr. Otuekwele who
informed Ika Weekly that is the
chairman of committee of Ihogbe community said they later headed to the
palace,” But at the junction we met Teyo who immediately waded into the matter.
It took sometime for the boys who were going to the palace with me to be
placated,” he stated.
On his part,
Engineer J.E. Okoh, an indigene of the community corroborated the story,
condemning what he termed “the excesses
of the palace guards,” adding that there was the need to urgently call them to
order before they create irreparable havoc in the community, whose people are
well known for their peaceful disposition.
He noted that in
days gone bye, the palace guards were
hardly seen outside the palace, but
regretted that these days they seem to
have been let loose to intimidate people.
When contacted,
the Chief Security Officer to the Dein, Mr. Fabian Egwu said that the boys that
attacked the two youngmen were not palace guards. He however told Ika Weekly that efforts were being made
to bring the situation under control.
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