Olu Of Warri Tussle: Protesters Invade Court, Disrupt Proceedings

…Princes Ask Court To Nullify Prince Tsola’s Emergence As
Omoba

The succession crisis rocking Warri Kingdom over the emergence
of Prince Tsola Emiko as Olu-designate assumed a new twist on
Thursday as unruly crowd invaded the Warri High Court venue of a
suit challenging his emergence.

The protesters are believed to be supporters of Prince Tsola
Emiko.

They stormed the court and chased out judicial workers,
litigants, and lawyers, including a Senior Advocate of Nigeria
(SAN) who is representing one of the parties, and disrupted the
day’s proceedings.

It would be recalled that the emergence of the Omoba, son of
Ogiame Atuwatse II (19th Olu of Warri), had polarized the Itsekiri,
despite his general acceptance.

The son of the late Olu Ikenwoli, Prince Oyowoli Emiko, and his
uncle, Prince Bernard Emiko, approached the court to challenge the
processes that led that to his choice as the 21st Olu of the
ancient stool.

It would be recalled that Prince Tsola was snubbed in the race
to succeed his father in 2015, on account of his maternal
parentage, which is also a sticking point in the present
dispensation.

However, it was learnt that pandemonium broke out on Thursday
when women and youths, who were armed with green leaves and singing
war songs, invaded the hallow premises of the court where the case
was instituted.

“The issue for debate was the method of services to the
defendants, but this could not go on because the youths took over
the place and stopped legal proceedings,” a source at the scene
said.

It was gathered that Prince Bernard Emiko, Olu Ikenwoli’s
younger brother, in an affidavit supporting the suit, said that he
is the Olori-Ebi (head) of Ogiame Erejuwa II (18th Olu) Ruling
House.

He prayed the court to nullify the nomination and adoption of
Prince Tsola Emiko as Olu-designate.

The appellant urged the court to declare the processes that
threw up the Omoba as null and void, and prayed the court to stop
him from performing the Ideniken and other rites that are mandatory
towards his assumption of the stool of Olu of Warri.

The affidavit pleaded “an order of perpetual injunction
restraining Pa Akoma Dudun (the parallel Olare-Ebi (oldest member)
of the Ginuwa I Ruling House from presenting Prince Tsola Emiko to
Chief Ayiri Emami (Ologbotsere of Warri Kingdom).”

The affidavit also seeks to restrain members of the Olu Advisory
Council, from accepting the candidacy of Prince Tsola as Omoba.

It also sought the an order setting aside and nullifying the 5th
April 2021presentation by Prince Johnson Amatserunleghe, the
Iyatsere, of Prince Tsola to the Itsekiri nation as Olu-designate
in Ode-Itsekiri, the ancestral home of the Itsekiri people.

Prince Bernard confirmed this and the invasion of the court in a
text message response to our reporter’s inquiry on Thursday
evening.

Meanwhile, Sir Amorighoye Sunny Mene, secretary of the Itsekiri
Leaders of Thought has denounced the protesters’ action as
‘barbaric and uncouth’, stressing, “I don’t support the invasion of
court by anybody.”

Mene said the ILOT was disposed towards an amicable settlement
of the issues surrounding the stool, and appealed to all parties to
conduct themselves in responsible and peaceful manner.

…Princes Ask Court To Nullify Prince Tsola’s Emergence As
Omoba

The succession crisis rocking Warri Kingdom over the emergence
of Prince Tsola Emiko as Olu-designate assumed a new twist on
Thursday as unruly crowd invaded the Warri High Court venue of a
suit challenging his emergence.

The protesters are believed to be supporters of Prince Tsola
Emiko.

They stormed the court and chased out judicial workers,
litigants, and lawyers, including a Senior Advocate of Nigeria
(SAN) who is representing one of the parties, and disrupted the
day’s proceedings.

It would be recalled that the emergence of the Omoba, son of
Ogiame Atuwatse II (19th Olu of Warri), had polarized the Itsekiri,
despite his general acceptance.

The son of the late Olu Ikenwoli, Prince Oyowoli Emiko, and his
uncle, Prince Bernard Emiko, approached the court to challenge the
processes that led that to his choice as the 21st Olu of the
ancient stool.

It would be recalled that Prince Tsola was snubbed in the race
to succeed his father in 2015, on account of his maternal
parentage, which is also a sticking point in the present
dispensation.

However, it was learnt that pandemonium broke out on Thursday
when women and youths, who were armed with green leaves and singing
war songs, invaded the hallow premises of the court where the case
was instituted.

“The issue for debate was the method of services to the
defendants, but this could not go on because the youths took over
the place and stopped legal proceedings,” a source at the scene
said.

It was gathered that Prince Bernard Emiko, Olu Ikenwoli’s
younger brother, in an affidavit supporting the suit, said that he
is the Olori-Ebi (head) of Ogiame Erejuwa II (18th Olu) Ruling
House.

He prayed the court to nullify the nomination and adoption of
Prince Tsola Emiko as Olu-designate.

The appellant urged the court to declare the processes that
threw up the Omoba as null and void, and prayed the court to stop
him from performing the Ideniken and other rites that are mandatory
towards his assumption of the stool of Olu of Warri.

The affidavit pleaded “an order of perpetual injunction
restraining Pa Akoma Dudun (the parallel Olare-Ebi (oldest member)
of the Ginuwa I Ruling House from presenting Prince Tsola Emiko to
Chief Ayiri Emami (Ologbotsere of Warri Kingdom).”

The affidavit also seeks to restrain members of the Olu Advisory
Council, from accepting the candidacy of Prince Tsola as Omoba.

It also sought the an order setting aside and nullifying the 5th
April 2021presentation by Prince Johnson Amatserunleghe, the
Iyatsere, of Prince Tsola to the Itsekiri nation as Olu-designate
in Ode-Itsekiri, the ancestral home of the Itsekiri people.

Prince Bernard confirmed this and the invasion of the court in a
text message response to our reporter’s inquiry on Thursday
evening.

Meanwhile, Sir Amorighoye Sunny Mene, secretary of the Itsekiri
Leaders of Thought has denounced the protesters’ action as
‘barbaric and uncouth’, stressing, “I don’t support the invasion of
court by anybody.”

Mene said the ILOT was disposed towards an amicable settlement
of the issues surrounding the stool, and appealed to all parties to
conduct themselves in responsible and peaceful manner.