The Onu Otutubatu of Bagana in Omala local government area of Kogi state, Chief Salifu Anyebe, has appealed passionately to Kogi state Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, to as a matter of urgency order for an intensive investigation into the incessant Bagana crises that has claimed dozens of lives and destruction of properties worth millions of naira.
Commenting on the recent attack and previous others on Bagana by some local militants, Chief Anyebe, whose stool of Onu Otutubatu of Bagana is the subject of contention, complained that people who ordinarily have no business with the traditional institution, have turned the area to a war theatre.
The traditional ruler further appealed to the Governor to also draft more security agents to the area to prevent further reoccurrence of violence in the area.
He narrated that the ancient Otutubatu kingdom was founded by Abutu Eje, the first Igala King and the founder of Attah dynasty in Igala kingdom in the 12th Century.
The location (Otutubatu) which has since then been occupied by the descendants of Abutu Eje is made up of Ogbagana (now Bagana), Omagede, Ofapo, Idakpiti, Ojeda, Aj’Adakpajele, Egwumale amd Ojuwo-Igbone villages all within Bagana community in the present Omala Local Government Area of Kogi State.
The domain is bounded to the North directly by River Benue; to the East by Agatu LGA of Benue State; to the West by Ihiankpe Chiefdom in Omala LGA and to the South by Ife Kingdom in Omala LGA of Kogi State.
Otutubatu Kingdom is made up of some of the descendants of Abutu Eje who are members of Abutu Eje dynasty (otherwise referred to as Jukun dynasty), who for traditional reasons decided to remain at Otutubatu, while the other descendants embarked on a further expedition which took them to the present location known as Idah, now the traditional headquarters of Igala nation.
According to Chief Salifu, the descendants of Abutu Eje in Otutubatu today are faced with a lot of crises emanating from undue interest shown by various sets of people in the neighboring kingdoms who are envious of Otutubatu due to the availability of numerous economic potentials in the area which made them to contend with the traditional ruler of Otutubatu over customary ownership of Bagana land.
” Some of them have used all resources at their disposal to dispossess the people of Otutubatu and, of course, the descendants of Abutu Eje all over Igala land, of one major part of their ancestral home Bagana. especially the Hausa/Nupe settlers in Bagana have been attempting to take over Bagana land, who have been falsely laying claim of ownership without tangible proofs” he alleged.
The Onu, said as law-abiding citizens, the people of Otutubatu have gone to courts to seek redress on several occasions and have always triumphed, as judgements were usually passed in their favour due largely to the facts they presented to support their claim.
” His Royal Majesty Attah Igala has in all the cases testified in court that Bagana is right in the jurisdiction of Onu Otutubatu. But these people are separately determined to use any means to chase Onu Otutubatu out of Bagana, through blackmail, violence and incendiary reports through petitions that lack substances”, Chief Salifu maintained.
Anyigba, in a judgement passed on 30th May, 2019 and several others, including an Abuja Appeal court judgement of 20th December 2018
“Court judgements passed in respect of all the above cases are available to substantiate our claim”, he insists.
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Anyigba, in a judgement passed on 30th May, 2019 and several others, including an Abuja Appeal court judgement of 20th December 2018
“Court judgements passed in respect of all the above cases are available to substantiate our claim”, he insists.
Anyigba, in a judgement passed on 30th May, 2019 and several others, including an Abuja Appeal court judgement of 20th December 2018
Court judgements passed in respect of all the above cases are available
