Steer clear of matters you are clueless about, Egbema Traditional Council warns Warri NBA, Ijaw Lawyers, others
…Says traditional council not aware of Napoleon Egin’s kidnap
…Condemns description of Napoleon as Agadagba-elect
The Egbema Traditional Council has warned all sundry, including the Nigerian Bar Association, Warri Branch and Ijaw Lawyers Forum (ILF), to steer clear of matters they had no clue nor sufficiently informed about, especially matters bothering on impersonation of the respected Egbema monarch and purported Kidnap of one of their sons, Mr. Napoleon Egin.
The Traditional Council also frowned at NBA Warri Branch address of Mr. Napoleon Egin as Agadagba-elect, describing it as most sacrilegious, an affront on the entire Egbema Kingdom.
ALSO READ: Egbema Traditional Council announces new Agadagba of the Kingdom
Members of the Egbema Traditional Council stated this through a joint press statement with Egbema Leaders of Thought (ELOT), Egbema Youth Council (EYC) and Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Egbema chapters in Edo and Delta states, dated Sunday, December 18, 2022, and signed by High Chief Cyrus Olopele and made available to GbarantuVoice in Warri.
According to the statement, the traditional rulers feel dismayed by the NBA Warri branch chairman’s apparent display of ignorance of issues and developments about the Egbema kingdom, especially as it relates to the alleged kindnap of Mr. Napoleon Egin in the kingdom, in spite of his claim of having followed developments on the matter.
While noting that they were not aware of Mr. Napoleon Egin kidnap, the statement stressed that NBA Warri branch position on the matter was erroneous, misleading and uncalled for.
According to them, “Napoleon Egin has made it clear that at no time was he kidnapped; and, there is video evidence to this clarification on the kidnap story. Mr. Ogheneovo Okoro and his likes should not cry more than the berieved’.
Read the full statement below:
Alleged Kidnap of Mr. Napoleon Egin- Egbema Traditional Council Cautions NBA Warri Branch, Ijaw Lawyers forum on Publications.
The attention of Egbema Traditional Council has been drawn to recent newspaper reports on the alleged kidnap of our son and legal practitioner Napoleon Egin (Esq.), by unidentified persons.
In a joint press statements, Egbema Traditional Council, Egbema Leaders of Thought (ELOT), Egbema Youth Council (EYC) and Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Egbema chapters in Edo and Delta states, stated that they are unaware of such kidnap of Mr, Napoleon Egin.
Specifically, the Vanguard Newspaper of Thursday 15th December, 2022 published a report which quoted separate statements from the Warri Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and the Izon Lawyers Forum (ILF) on the allegation. The same report appeared also in other newspapers including the Nigerian Tribune and The Pointer about the same time.
The group addressed Mr. Napoleon Egin as Agadagba-elect is infact is most sacrilegious, an affront on the entire Egbema Kingdom, described the group as misinformed and self-seeking persons that have done more harm than good on the entire Ijaws in short changing the Ijaws in the appointment of judges in Delta state. Nobody will take Ogheneovo Okoro and the likes as serious persons who do not mean well for the good of Egbema Kingdom.
Ordinarily, Egbema traditional council would have refrained from joining issues with anybody on the seeming attempt in some quarters to drag the name of Egbema Kingdom and her peaceloving people into needless controversy, which amounts to dissipation of energies. However, considering the fact that a group in the calibre of the Warri branch of the NBA could be apparently so misled to dabbling into a matter bothering on impersonation of the Agadagba of Egbema Kingdom, we could not afford to play the ostrich.
In the publication, “Lawyers (Groups) Call For Prosecution of Egbema Monarch’s Kidnap Suspects”, the newspaper said, inter alia:
“The NBA Warri branch, in the statement, signed by its chairman, Ogheneovo Okoro, stated,
“We have been following developments relating to the kidnap of the Agadagba-elect of Egbema kingdom, Napoleon Sekegbekumor Egin, who spent two days in the hands of his abductors before he eventually regained his freedom.”
The Egbema Traditional Council is dismayed by the NBA Warri branch chairman’s apparent display of ignorance of issues and developments about the Egbema kingdom especially as it relates to the alleged kindnap of Mr. Napoleon Egin in the kingdom, in spite of his claim of having followed developments on the matter.
We wish to state categorically that the said publication is erroneous, misleading and uncalled for, to say the least. Napoleon Egin has made it abundantly clear that at no time was he kidnapped; and, there is video evidence to this clarification on the kidnap story. Mr. Ogheneovo Okoro and his likes should not cry more than the beberieved.
Few days ago, the Palace of the AGADAGBA stated that it was “not aware of the kidnapping of any individual before and after the coronation of HRM Meshack Eseighotiegha Ubabiri, Bini Pere IV, Agadagba of Egbema Kingdom.”
The Palace of the Agadagba also alerted members of the public to an attempt to cause disaffection among the peaceful people of Egbema and the monarch while condemning “in the strongest terms the impersonation of HRM Bini Pere IV, The AGADAGBA of Egbema, Amb. Meshach Eseighotiegha Ubabiri”, particularly relating to a recent publication by somebody claiming to be officially related to the Palace of the Egbema monarch and HRM Bini Pere IV vis-a-vis the uncharitable attempt to portray Egbema as a haven of kidnapping.
Finally, the Egbema Traditional Council wishes to warn all sundry, including the NBA Warri Branch, to steer clear of matters they had no clue nor sufficiently informed about, especially matters bothering on impersonation of the respected Egbema monarch.
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