PH High Court Resolves Nkoro Amanyanaboship Tussle

A three year Amanyanaboship tussle in the Nkoro Kingdom in the Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area has been resolved by an Port Harcourt High court.

The case with suit No PHC/82/2010 was filed in 2010 by Senibo Pascal Odeyh, Mr. Amakiri Theophilus and Hon. Peter Amah for themselves and on behalf of King Kpokpo War Canoe House of Nkoro against Senibo Nathaniel Sam, Kingsley Fiboro Amoneah and Senibo Peter Wilson.

Also joined as defendants are Mr. Calvin Irite Alagoa, Mr Stephen Thompson, Hon. Isaiah Tamuno, Dr. Ishmael Jkiri Igbani and Mr. Pius Edward Anikuroka. Among the reliefs sought by the claimants include, a declaration that Senibo Paschal Odeyh who is the first claimants in the suit is the king elect having been selected by King Kpokpo War Canoe House and presented to King Kpokpo section of Otuogba.

A declaration that the first claimant having been selected and presented to the King Kpokpo at the ancestral Otuogba shrine by the King Kpokpo War Canoe House on 27 October 2007 following laid down procedure in Nkoro is the rightful person to be recognized and installed  as the Amanyanabo of Nkoro Kingdom and order restraining the defendants either by themselves their agents associates from interfering with disrupting or howsoever preventing the installation of first claimant as the Amanyanabo of Nkoro.

The learned counsel to the claimants Mr. S.J. Efik in his address raised the same issue for determination and urged the court to hold that on the preponderance of evidence the claimants have proved their case.

In her own submission counsel for the first third and sixth defendants, Mrs. E. Mabadeje, raised a lone issue for determination, that is whether the claimants have made out a case against her clients.

She submitted that the claimants have not disclosed any case of action against the first third and sixth defendants and that the issue of first claimant election on the 27 October by members of King Kpokpo Royal House of Nkoro and his credibility for position of an Amanyanabo is not in dispute in the part of the first third and sixth defendants.

On her own part, Mrs. Florence A.E. Allison, who was counsel for the second, fourth, fifth, seventh and eight defendants also submitted an issue for determination of whether from the pleadings evidence and documents tendered the claimants are entitled to the relief sought.

In her judgments, the presiding Judge Itoni Justice A.I. Iyayi-Lamikanra said that there is overwhelming evidence that the first claimant was elected as Amanyanabo.

The judge also said that the evidence led by the claimants in their pleadings and before the court is more consistent, cogent and reliable.

She also said that the parties should have employed domestic remedy to resolve their dispute instead of resorting to the court.

She, therefore, granted the reliefs sought as well as ordered the defendants to pay cost of N20,000 infavour of the claimants.