Land Grabbing: Oba Of Benin Suspends Chief

The Oba of Benin, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare II, has suspended one of his chiefs, Roland Ekhoe Ogbebor.

Ogbebor was the Odionwere Omuada of Benin Kingdom.

Ogbebor is being investigated by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC, and policemen over alleged land-grabbing and other unnamed criminal offences.

Suspending Ogbebor, according to the Oba, is to allow EFCC operatives and policemen carry out their investigations without obstruction.

The petitions to the EFCC and the police against the suspended chief were mostly from some aggrieved people in the Diaspora.

Secretary to the Benin Traditional Council (BTC), Frank Irabor, on Thursday in an online statement, announced the suspension of Ogbebor.

According to Irabor, “This is to inform the general public that recently, the EFCC and the police opened investigations on petitions written against Roland Ekhoe Ogbebor, former Odionwere Omuada, who was discharged in November, 2018.

“In order to allow unhindered investigations by the EFCC and the police, His Royal Majesty, Omo N’Oba N’Edo, Uku Akpolokpolo, Ewuare Il, Oba of Benin has directed the immediate suspension of Roland Ekhoe Ogbebor from the palace.”

Meanwhile, a German researcher, Mr Yan LeGall of the Institute of Art History Technical , University of Berlin, has said that Museum directors in Germany were committed to repatriating looted Benin Bronze to Nigeria in 2022.

The researcher stated this at the sixth webinar session of the Africa workshop organised by Taz Foundation Berlin on Wednesday , on the topic titled ‘ Looted cultural assets ‘.

He said that some Directors of Museums in Germany such as Harmburg, amongst others , were set to facilitate the restitution of the Benin artefacts .

In his presentation entitled:  ‘Players and stakeholders’, LeGall said there were international partnerships between the African continent and Europe, such as the Benin Dialogue group, who are advocating the restitution of looted African objects.

Send Us A Press Statement Advertise With Us Contact Us

 And For More Nigerian News Visit GWG.NG