Benin monarch warns communities against violence

By SIMON EBEGBULEM
BENIN CITY—THE Benin monarch Oba Erediauwa, weekend, warned elders and leaders of Ugbor and Amagba communities, in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State, to abide by the ruling of the palace wih regards to the protracted boundary dispute between both communities to avoid unnecessary tension in the area.

It will be recalled that both communities had been at war over the boundary dispute in the last two years. Youths of both communities had on several occasions fought with each other which had led several persons being hospitalised.

However, the Oba who stressed the need for the communities to accept the final decision of the palace on the issue, recalled how Ugbor community offered him a piece of land in the past but it was later discovered that the youths of the area had encroached on the land to the chagrin of the palace and the Odionwere (community leader).

According to the statement by the Public Relations Officer of the palace, Mr Robinson Osayamwen, it recalled that the Odionwere later gave him another land though  the land is located in a remote area.

The Oba noted after chatting with the elders of the communities, that “ the area where the community shrine (Okhuahe and Nometene) is located, which is called the buffer zone as suggested by Chief Esogban when he first investigated the dispute for the Omo N’Oba should remain as such.

According to him, “the River Ire that was mentioned by Ugbor people should be the boundary between Ugbor and Amagba communities.” The communities were urged to accept the decision in the interest of peace.