Iyase In Council: Ogwashi-Uku Chiefs Issue Warning To Mike Nwaukoni, Barrister Okolie

Gazetted chiefs in charge of the satellite communities (Okwabanis) of Edo Ogwashi-Uku and Otulu Ogwashi-Uku in Ogwashi-Uku kingdom of Delta State, have issued a direct warning to Barrister F. Okolie and his client, Mike Nwaukoni following a publication in the Vanguard newspaper regarding a purported Iyase in Council set up by Mr Mike Nwaukoni.

At a press briefing held in Asaba, today, 6th of December 2023, the spokesman of the Chiefs, Anthony Enurah briefed journalists of the decisions they have taken in response to the publication which he described as “garbage, illegal, ill thought, vexatious, ill advised and nonsensical.”

According to Chief Anthony Enurah, “we do not recognise any so called Iyase in Council. Our age old tradition which the courts have upheld in several judgements by Hon Justice Diai, Justice Ojisi, Justice Akpovi vests control of all of Ogwashi-Uku land on the Obi of Ogwashi-Uku who uses his chiefs like us to help him with the administration of the said lands. We are also aware that the Delta State government in response to a SUIT NOS. A/49/2019 & A/62/2019 BEFORE THE OGWASHI-UKU HIGH COURT OVER THE VALIDITY OF MIKE NWAUKONI’S CLAIM TO BE A CHIEF(IYASE) OF OGWASHI-UKWU KINGDOM filed by the Obi of Ogwashi-Uku against the Governor and Attorney General have responded to the claim by the Obi and they have admitted that the chieftaincy certificate issued to Mike Nwaukoni was issued in error. It is there in black and white for everyone to see. As such, we will not accord any recognition to a purported Iyase in council. Barrister F.O Okolie, who is the supposed secretary of the iyase in council, is facing a lawsuit for illegal sales of land.”

He went further to state that “Mike Nwaukoni we heard has reconciled with the disgraced Collins Afuwah who everyone knows as a prolific land grabber and a fugitive facing arrests warrants for attempted murder and forgery. Collins Afuwah and his boys, many of whom have been sentenced to life imprisonment for shooting the Chief of Edo Ogwashi-Uku, are the ones who terrorised our community for years until the Obi of Ogwashi-Uku came to our rescue. Members of the media will recall how another associate of Collins Afuwah, Francis Oduwanor declared war on Ogwashi-Uku and claimed to be the Obi of Otulu. Where was Mr Mike Nwaukoni when this happened? Where was his purported iyase in council? Rather than assist our Obi even in a personal capacity, he kept mute and was organising protests against the Obi of Ogwashi at the same time. When our lands in Edo Ogwashi-Uku were being ravaged by terrorists, criminals and land grabbers, where was Mike Nwaukoni and his purported Iyase in Council?”

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The Chief of Otulu community ended the press briefing by stating as follows: “For me personally, I do not like cowardice and opportunists. I also do not like people maybe because of their lack of education to do things that are not proper just to heat up the community. As gazetted Chiefs who are taking care of our own communities assigned to us by the Obi of Ogwashi Uku and confirmed by the state government, we are issuing this direct warning to any and all members of the so called iyase in council to stay off our lands so as not to create any problems”.

He continued: “We will absolutely, definitely and resolutely resist any attempt by anyone outside the Obi of Ogwashi-Uku who enters our community and tries to cause problems, extort money, engage in land grabbing, attempts to scrutinize land documents etc.”