Warri Council of Chiefs: We’ll Expose Forces Attempting to Smear Olu of Warri’s Image

Sylvester Idowu in Warri

Warri Council of Chiefs has threatened to expose those behind attempt to tarnish the image of revered monarch, Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III for no justifiable reasons.

The Ologbotsere of Warri Kingdom and Chairman of Warri Council of Chiefs, Chief Ema Eyewuoma, at a press conference yesterday at the Olu of Warri’s Palace (Agbofen) said the alleged attempt to blackmail the monarch was being investigated and would be exposed.

Chief Eyewuoma was accompanied by Otsodi of Warri, Chief Anthony Onuwaje; Ogwa Olusan of Warri, Chief Brown Mene; Olulaye of Warri and Secretary of Warri Council of Chiefs, Chief Eugene Ikomi and Olugbo of Warri and Director, Palace Administration, Chief Samuel Omebeyinje, at the conference.

The Council was apparently reacting to a viral video where some people protested against the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse 111 at the United Nations headquarters recently, alleging the monarch was using his firm to engage in illegal oil bunkering and sundry crimes.

The viral video was titled – “The faces of oil bunkerers serving as agents of the international thieves and economic saboteurs. We call on the international community to put them under security watch”.

Though the Council did not emphatically state who and where the revered monarch’s image was tarnished, it however said it was already hard on the trail of the “fomenters and the disseminators” of the despicable act.

It alleged: “Evil contraption and perpetration often hide behind some veil or under the cover of darkness. We are already hard on the trail of the fomenters and the disseminators of this evil and despicable act. The air pollution must be cleaned up, as of those behind all of this will be unveiled and exposed.

“What will follow afterwards will be the repercussion of their evil act. Like the African adage goes; ‘Those who grow big teeth should endeavor to have corresponding big lips to house the teeth.”

The Council said: “A couple of weeks ago, precisely on Friday January 31, 2025, our sensibilities were grievously assailed and assaulted by the circulation of a very high degree of falsehood which came to our attention, concerning our highly Revered Monarch, His Majesty, Ogiame Atuwatse III, CFR, The Olu of Warri. It was in the social media.

“Without any equivocation, we knew it was all blatant falsehood. We knew too, that all who know our Monarch, and there are a very good number of such ones, know that there is no way the falsehood could be rightly linked to, nor related to him, no matter how remotely.

“However, the severity of this evil contraption on one hand, and the profile and stature of the highly revered personage who they wish to defame with this falsehood, on the other hand, made us to consider the purpose of the fomenters of this falsehood were very intentional.

“It reveals the depth of the cesspool of evil from which this thought and action emanated”.

It stated further: “Our monarchy of over 500 years has come with a very high degree of moral ethics and standards which combine to remove our highly revered monarch far above the acts they have thus tried to relate to our king who is widely known at home and abroad to be impeccable in terms of institutional status and personal character, carriage and conduct.

“We know and we agree that there are evil people everywhere, just as we know and agree that there are also good people that can be found everywhere.

“We are confident as we boldly acknowledge the status of our Monarch, His Majesty, Ogiame Atuwatse III, CFR, The Olu of Warri, not only among us, but even beyond our national borders, that he is a man of impeccable character.

“There are many others who know and would proudly and openly proclaim the same. Some of them have reached out to us to proudly and openly as they stand with us in this affirmation.

“All of this and much more is why we wonder what intensity of evil would reside in and propel anyone to foment and attempt to tar anyone with such falsehood, not to talk of our highly revered monarch who cannot, by any stretch of imagination be associated with the said concocted evil.

“We have resolved that such evil cannot be left to foul the air of the people of right-thinking mold. It must be interrogated and exposed.”

The Council urged all sons and daughters of Iwere nation to remain calm in the face of the provocation assuring you that it is on top of the situation.