The Benin Customary Court sitting in Okada has declared the position of Odionwere (head of village) of Ikpako village vacant following serious allegations of sacrilege and financial misappropriation against the incumbent, Mr. James Ailegboze.
The ruling came after a suit was filed by the elders of Ikpako village, seeking a declaration that the Odionwere stool be declared vacant due to the incumbent’s alleged misconduct. The claimants accused Ailegboze of misappropriating over #71 million belonging to the village and said he was unanimously removed by a vote of no confidence from the village elders and indigenes.
In a judgment delivered by a three-member panel led by Mr. B.E. Imohimi, the court granted two out of three reliefs sought by the elders. The court ruled that the indefinite suspension of Ailegboze through a vote of no confidence, accompanied by the laying flat of the Ukhure (traditional staff of office) at the Oguedion, effectively constituted a declaration of vacancy in the Odionwere position.
The court’s key decisions include:
- Declaring the position of Odionwere of Ikpako village vacant.
- Ordering the first to third defendants to account for #7.45 million of village funds still unaccounted for.
- Directing Dubri Oil Company to remit all funds meant for Ikpako/Ekenwan community into the designated First Bank account number 2027881248.
Invoking principles of Benin customary law, the court emphasized that tradition abhors a vacuum in leadership. It declared that the oldest indigene of the community, after fulfilling all traditional rites, automatically succeeds as the new Odionwere.
