The last may not have been heard of the on-going crisis in Agbor Kingdom. News broke early this morning of fire in the inner house of the Dein of Agbor. The extent of the damage is still unknown as our reporter and the police were not allowed into the inner area to assess the damage. The exact time the fire started or cause of the fire is still undetermined. Well-wishers and people living near the palace were seen gathered outside the palace.
According to our sources, the Dein’s house is in the inner sanctum of the palace to which very few individuals have access. To have access to this area, special rituals would need to be performed granting that person access.
It was also gathered that when the fire started, help was restricted due to the sacred nature of the area. This, according to sources, must have made matters worse since not even fire-fighters would have been allowed in. Although the extent of the damage is not known, only members of the Ibiegwas (king’s servants) fought the fire using whatever they could find.
As at the time of this report, the police at Agbor including the DPO has not been allowed into the area to assess the extent of damage and the cause.
Accusing fingers
Ikaworld.com has gathered that the palace is already quick to point accusing fingers at members of Concerned Agbor People protesting that the Dein of Agbor should return to his kingdom. This protest and the demands were reported by Ikaworld.com. Specifically, a source informed Ikaworld.com that the Dein of Agbor has personally spoken with Hon. Festus Okoh (Chuky Dandy) blaming him, among others like Joe Morgan, for the fire. Ikaworld.com has not been able verify this conversation with Hon. Festus Okoh (Chuky Dandy) as at the time of this report.
Doesn’t make sense…
However, members of the Concerned Agbor People are already angry and suspicious of the fire incident. Some of the members spoken to by Ikaworld.com suspect this to be a setup by the palace itself. It is suspected that this is a ploy and a very good excuse by the Dein not to return to his kingdom as well as cast the Concerned Agbor People in a bad light.
According to some members of the Concerned Agbor People, some of them especially Hon Festus Okoh (Chuky Dandy) donated millions of naira to repair the palace and make it comfortable for the Dein after the protest. This according to them was on the request of the Dein and the Agbor Community Union. They claim the fire in the palace does not make sense especially when they were waiting for the Dein to fulfill his part of the bargain by returning after renovating the palace to assure his comfort.
Most concerning is that the woman used by the Dein to run the palace in his absence, Ms. Theresa Ugbobu, who the Concerned Agbor People consider to be dubious and have insisted should be removed from the palace is still at the palace and possibly there during the fire.
Blame the gods
One of the Agbor chiefs that spoke to Ikaworld.com on the condition of anonymity says that it may be instructive for the palace to look elsewhere for the cause. He says that most of the chiefs he had spoken to this morning believe that the fire may be a strong sign of the gods’ displeasure. He wondered “why just the inner house of the Dein?”
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