A Rivers State High Court sitting in Isiokpo, Ikwerre Local Government Area has upheld the Okpo 21st, HRH Eze Achinike Amadi, as the authentic paramount ruler and Nye-We-Ali Omagwa ancient stool after about six months legal battle.
The judgement, which was delivered by the Presiding Judge, Justice Ben-Whyte, was contained in Suit No: IHC/245/CS/2022 and was held on the 20th day of February, 2023.
The Judge, who was armed with Sections 29, 30, and 31 of Rivers State Traditional Rulers Law No.4 of 2015, held that the unauthorized installation of a Traditional Ruler and the unauthorized representation as a Traditional Ruler, the unauthorised use of the property of a recognised Traditional Chietaincy Stool, constituted a punishable offence.
By the fore going, He stated that the Claimants recognition as a 2nd Class Traditional Ruler can only be withdrawn by the recognising authority, being the Rivers State Government.
The Judge said by the provisions of the Rivers State Traditional Rulers Law No 4 of 2015, the 1st defendant, Mr Henry Ikpor, and and six others lack the authority to recognise the claimant, HRH Eze Achinike Amadi, as the Traditional Ruler of Omagwa Town.
The judgement also barred the Attorney-General of the state and Rivers State Commissioner for Chieftaincy and Community Affairs from recognizing the 1st Defendant or any other person unless the Stool was declared vacant by relevant authority.
“I make an Order of perpetual injunction restraining the 1st – 7th Defendants from nominating and/or installing the 1st Defendant or any other person as Nye-We-Ali Omagwa, contrary to the provisions of Rivers State Traditional Rulers Law No 4 of 2015”, he said.
Sources who spoke with The Tide in the Community at the Weekend said the judgment was in order.
According to them, to dethrone a Monarch in Omagwa, such Monarch or Traditional Ruler must have been involved in some abominable acts like incest, drunkenness, public nuisance among others.
The case of the present Monarch, Eze Amadi, as it was learnt, has something to do with Honorary Chietaincy title for certain deserving members of the Community such as the Ikwerre Local Government Chairman, Hon Samuel Nwanosike, and Barr Ibrahim Eddy Mark, which a section of the people frowned at.
They said such was a taboo or a punishable offence and unknown to Omagwa custom and tradition, adding that the letter written to Eze Amadi by few members of the community warning him against visiting a particular person was not in order.
The matter, which The Tide further learnt, was also handled by the Leadership of Ogbakor Ikwerre Convension, was held in favour of Eze Achinike Amadi.
It was also gathered that the Monarch was properly presented to the Oha -in-Council and the entire Community sometime in April 2014 and was later crowned as the occupant of a 2nd Class Chieftaincy Stool in Omagwa which was first in history of the people as they never had such Stool.
Eze Achinike Amadi’s reign, according to the people, has brought peace and development in the area, hence there was no counter claim to the Stool from any family in Omagwa, including the Agwawurie family.
They have, however, called on the Rivers State Government and relevant authorities to prevail and ensure that the judgment was obeyed by the defendants in a bid to maintaining the existing peaceful coexistence in the area.

By: King Onunwor