— HRM Clement Ikolo Oghenerukevwe, the traditional ruler of Ewu Kingdom
By Adeola Idris
The traditional ruler of Ewu Kingdom in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State, HRM Clement Ikolo Oghenerukevwe, has surrendered himself to the Police.
The monarch was declared wanted following the killing of 17 soldiers in the Okuama community.
He was declared wanted along side the President-General of Ewu, Prof Ekpekpo Arthur, and six others by the Defence Headquarters of the Nigerian Army.
Meanwhile, it was learned that the monarch held a press conference before submitting himself to the Police.
According to a statement by the traditional ruler at the briefing, “I am very surprised that my name as the monarch of the kingdom will appear in the list of wanted persons.
“I have no hand in the killings, I have no hand in encouraging anybody to kill anybody. It is against my philosophy as a human being and my faith as a Catholic.
“It is a serious crime against humanity. They need to look at the appropriate places and do thorough investigation to know all those who committed this, bring them to book and let justice prevail.
“I am not a party to this. And like I have said earlier, the state government is aware of the turbulence I have been going through.
“And as I speak, an arrangement was made by the government to invite the opponents recently just before these happenings.
“(The arrangement was) To invite those who are fighting me in the kingdom to reconcile the differences and allow me to go into the kingdom and start to rule as the monarch of the place.
“I have not been able to set up anything. Not even my traditional council. I have done nothing in the kingdom.
“So I barely know anything right now. I have no information, I know nothing. I’m only just in the process of setting up a structure to enable me rule in the kingdom,” he added.
