The kingmakers and people of Uneme-Uzanu in Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State, on Saturday, May 17, 2025, converged on the village square in Uzanu to reinforce their position on the removal of Chief Benjamin Ikani as the Oliola of Uzanu,
Their decision did not align with the advice given to Chief Ikani and the Kingmakers by the Commissioner of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Lucky Eseigbe, through the Chairman of Etsaki East Local Government Area, Hon Solomon Oghuma, to meet and chart a reconciliatory path.
Reports from Uzanu said that both parties could not reach a consensus on venue of the reconciliation meeting.
It was learnt that Chief Ikani initially wanted the meeting to hold in his house, a suggestion that the kingmakers rejected for security concerns.
Chief Ikani thereafter broached the idea that the meeting should hold in the house of the eldest man in the town, an idea that the other party also rejected on the grounds that the neutrality of the eldest man could not be guaranteed.
The kingmakers and the elders of Uzanu suggested that the meeting should hold at the village Square, which they considered a neutral venue.
Chief Ikani reportedly opposed the choice of the Village Square and instead headed for the residence of the eldest man in the town for a supposed reconciliation meeting while the people he was to reconcile with converged on the village Square to hold their factional meeting where they reinforced their earlier decision on the removal of Chief Ikani as the Oliola.
Although Chief Ikani has been pronounced removed from office by the Kingmakers and the people, he still holds the “staff of office” through the tacit support of the former Edo State Government.
Regardless of external interferences in the kingship matter in Uzanu, the kingmakers and people of the community reached a number of resolutions which were contained in a communique read by Chief Emmanuel Ikeme (Onotu of Uzanu), at the end of their meeting.
The meeting declared in the communique thus: “We hereby state categorically that the removal of Benjamin Ikani as the Oliola of Uzanu by the Kingmakers followed due process according to our customs and traditions as those who voted for his removal, except one, are more in numbers just like when he was appointed.”
Signed by Chief Emmanuel Ikeme (Onotu of Uzanu), Chief Ibrahim Omokpua (Ogieaga of Uzanu), Chief Peter Ajegba (Anogie of Uzanu), Chief Kassim Kadiri (Osese of Uzanu), Chief Abubakar Sula (Ozemoya of Uzanu), Chief Jimoh Shaibu (Ogiewokha of Uzanu), Chief Damodu Baja (Ezeomo of Uzanu), Chief James Alugbei (Onogiese of Uzanu), Chief Ephraim Abu (Egiegba of Uzanu), Benjamin Momoh (Secretary, Oliola-in-Council) and Joseph Momoh (Uzanu Youth Chairman), the communique documented the various acts of lawless and abominable acts perpetrated by Ikani that led to his removal as Oliola of Uzanu.
These, according to the communique, included meting out inhumane treatment to a woman, whom she allegedly used his vigilance group boys to force to eat her excreta, subjecting three community elders to torture by allegedly having them tied to the stakes overnight and whipped on trump-up charge of witchcraft, and disregard to the advice of the Oliola-in-Council to stop collecting money and cows from herdsmen in Edo North consequent upon the kidnapping and killing of Uzanu people, among others.
Repeated calls via Benjamin Ikani’s telephone number-08065304546 – to get his reactions to the development fell through as his telephone was switched off.
