Oba of Benin suspends chief over alleged land-grabbing, other offences

Oba of Benin suspends chief over alleged land-grabbing, other offences

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.

Irabor said: “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.”