By Gabriel Omonhinmin.
There are two Okpe towns in Nigeria. One is located in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area Council of Edo State while the second Okpe town is located in Delta State.
The Okpe town in Edo State is an ancient kingdom whose people according to history migrated from Ile-Ife about two thousand years ago to its present location.
This particular town is sited on the border between Edo State and Ondo State. The agrarian town, although a very rocky terrain, is still blessed with a vast expanse of farmland. It is therefore not surprising that the majority of its people are farmers and hunters, while the women are known for their weaving and trading.
The slippery and rocking town is located on one of the busiest major roads linking Edo State and the South-West. Okpe is therefore known for its high vehicular traffic. This high vehicular movement of transports and persons through Okpe town instead of being a source of blessings to the people, have over the years, unfortunately, become a cause for concern to the Olokpe of Okpe Kingdom, His Royal Highness Oba Okhishumede Eshimokhai Idogu III (JP) OON, and his people.
The consistent attacks by bandits and other nefarious activities of unscrupulous persons who see the town as an easy escape route, have made the king and his people uneasy, as they can now hardly sleep both day and night with both eyes closed.
Palace Watch asked His Royal Highness, Oba Okhishumede Idogu III (JP) OON, the Olokpe of Okpe Kingdom, what exactly would he say, is responsible for the high level of banditry in his hitherto quiet and peaceful town of Okpe?
Olokpe of Okpe Kingdom: Okpe town because of its strategic location is a melting spot for all manner of travelers, and my people by their nature are very friendly and hospitable to strangers. This kind gesture, unfortunately, is what some unscrupulous persons who pass through this place are now taking undue advantage of. We have therefore taken our time to study the recent activities in and around our town here in Okpe. Part of our findings, is that, because of the high level of vehicular movements and persons, and this town also being a bother town to Imeri in Ondo State, our hitherto quiet and peaceful town, is now been violated daily, by the activities of hoodlums.
For example some of the attacks that have taken place here are perpetrated by criminals who stop over in the town while passing through. Other crimes are linked to persons who jumped into our town from other places to carry out these nefarious activities and then run across the border to other places where we cannot immediately reach them. We are therefore not folding our hands about these ugly incidents, as we are doing all within our powers to checkmate them.
We will do all within our powers as a people, to flush the bandits we are able to identify here out of our town. Okpe people are not lazy; our youths are never known to be involved in crimes. We are therefore working daily, to identify them and their black spots, and if some of them ever reside in this town, we will identify where they live and flushed them out immediately. In doing all this, we are collaborating among ourselves to make sure that these criminals never use Okpe town as a transit camp for their activities.
As we speak, we already have in place an efficient vigilante group, and local hunters here who help us to police all our territory and make it safe for our people and for the people who visit this place for their legitimate businesses. Our vigilantes and hunters are mandated to do all within their powers to identify these bandits and stop them before they commit any crime, or do their very best to stop them while committing the crime and when the need arises, to help in their apprehension. All this our people do, with the co-operation and collaboration of the Nigerian Police Force.
Our appeal, therefore, is for the Edo State Government to do all within its powers to encourage these vigilante and hunter groups, who are presently doing this wonderful job around here, at a great risk to their lives and personal safety. So, they will continue to do more.
Presently, the vigilante and hunters around here need to be put on a monthly stipend. They also need to be given vehicles for patrol of the town and all the surroundings around here.
What has kept them going so far, is the little resources I have worked strenuously to generate among my people, I even end up spending the little money I have on me at the expense of the welfare of my immediate family and the palace.
It has gotten to a point now, that we are now gradually being pushed to a breaking point. Hence, our appeal to the Edo State Government to assist us in whatever way possible, especially with vehicles and money to pay these people, so that they will continue with the good work they are presently doing.
Let me however seize this opportunity to appeal to the Federal Government, to hastily implement the Community police policy, if and when operational and it is properly coordinated will lead to more efficiency in the policing of the country, and this will also lead to a drastic reduction in crime nationwide.
We are getting tremendous results from the activities of our vigilantes and hunters, just because they know our terrain very well, and they are also natives who live among the people of the town. With state police, people like the ones we already have in place, will easily be integrated after they have been given proper training by police experts.
The Nigerian Police Force as the coordinating body at the apex will now have more information to work with, in the area of crime-fighting.
Palace Watch: In the face of these security challenges your town also has this lingering boundary dispute with the people of Imeri in Osse Local Government Area of Ondo State, which you presently share your border with. The National Boundary Commission sometime in February, 2018 wadded into this matter, the Deputy Governor of Edo State Philips Shaibu and his counterpart in Ondo State Rt. Honourable Agboola Ajayi alongside Your Highnesses Oba Idogu, the Olokpe of Okpe and Oba Babatunde Adeniran, the Onimeri of Imeri with chiefs from both sides met and had an extensive deliberation over this matter. If I may ask, what was the outcome of that meeting?
Olokpe of Okpe Kingdom: Well if you must know, it is very sad, nothing meaningful has come out of that meeting we had in Akure in Ondo State in the year 2018. This has made my people very apprehensive. This dispute began as far back as 1986 the major trigger of this crisis, was the sudden excision of Imeri people from Edo State to join Ondo State in the year 1990. This same Boundary Commission waded into this matter in the year 1991.
The National Boundary Commission (NBC) kept dilly darley over this matter for years, until that meeting they had with us in the year 2018. Three years after, they still have not deemed it fit to release their findings. This has kept me wondering how many years it will take for NBC to come and demarcate our boundary with the Imeri people. If not for my continuous appeal for calm and peace, with the daily provocation of our people, there would have been an uproar in the whole area. As our neighbours, the Imeri people have not stopped tormenting and provoking us. As a matter of personal principle, I long resolved never to preside over a crisis riding kingdom, I am working very hard to live up to these principles.
Once this boundary is demarcated people on both sides of the towns will know where to draw their limit. There will no longer be this deliberate violation of other people’s properties and rights. And there will be general peace in the whole area. If I may ask, what does the National Boundary Commission want? Does the commission want to wait until there are upheavals, violence of high proportion which will result in the destruction of lives and properties before they act? To me oh!, this is not what government is all about. We are still waiting patiently for them to come out with their findings and act promptly to come and demarcate the boundary with the Imeri people.
Let me seize this opportunity to once again appeal to the National Boundary Commission to do the needful now, as we do not want any harm done to our people on both sides.
Palace Watch: The Benin Owena River Basin Development Authority recently commissioned he consistent attacks by bandits and other nefarious activities of unscrupulous persons who see the town as an easy escape route, have made the king and his people uneasy, as they can now hardly sleep both day and night with both eyes closed.
Palace Watch asked His Royal Highness Oba Okhishumede Idogu III (JP) OON. The Olokpe of Okpe Kingdom, what exactly would he say, is responsible for the high level of banditry in his hitherto quiet and peaceful town of Okpe?
Olokpe of Okpe Kingdom: Okpe town because of its strategic location is a melting spot for all manner of travelers, and my people by their nature are very friendly and hospitable to strangers. This kind gesture, unfortunately, is what some unscrupulous persons who pass through this place are now taking undue advantage of. We have therefore taken our time to study the recent activities in and around our town here in Okpe. Part of our findings, is that, because of the high level of vehicular movements and persons, and this town also being a border town to Imeri in Ondo State, our hitherto quiet and peaceful town, is now been violated daily, by the activities of hoodlums.
For example some of the attacks that have taken place here are perpetrated by criminals who stopover in the town while passing through this town. Other crimes are linked to persons who jumped into our town from other places to carry out these nefarious activities and then ran across the border to other places where we cannot immediately reach them. We are therefore not folding our hands about these ugly incidents, as we are doing all within our powers to checkmate them.
We will do all within our powers as a people, to flush the bandits we are able to identify here out of our town. Okpe people are not lazy, our youths are never known to be involved in crimes. We are therefore working daily, to identify them and their black spots, and if some of them ever reside in this town, we identify where they live and flushed them out immediately. In doing all this, we are collaborating among ourselves to make sure that these criminals never use Okpe town as a transit camp for their activities.
As we speak, we already have in place an efficient vigilante group, and local hunters here who help us to police all our territory and make it safe for our people and for the people who visit this place for their legitimate businesses. Our vigilantes and hunters are mandated to do all within their powers to identify these bandits and stop them before they commit any crime, or do their very best to stop these criminals while committing the crime and when the need arises, to help in their apprehension. All this our people do, with the co-operation and collaboration of the Nigerian Police Force.
Our appeal, therefore, is for the Edo State Government to do all within its powers to encourage these vigilante and hunter groups, who are presently doing this wonderful job around here, at a great risk to their lives and personal safety. So, they will continue to do more.
Presently, the vigilante and hunters around here need to be put on a monthly stipend. They also need to be given vehicles for patrol of the town and all the surroundings around here.
What has kept them going so far, is the little resources I have worked strenuously to generate among my people, I even end up spending the little money I have on me at the expense of the welfare of my immediate family and the palace.
It has gotten to a point now, that we are now gradually being pushed to a breaking point. Hence, our appeal to the Edo State Government to assist us in whatever way possible, especially with vehicles and money to pay these people, so that they will continue with the good work they are presently doing.
Let me however seize this opportunity to appeal to the Federal Government, to hastily implement the state police policy. State Police if and when operational and it is properly coordinated will lead to more efficiency in the policing of the country, and this will also lead to a drastic reduction in crime nationwide.
We are getting tremendous results from the activities of our vigilantes and hunters, just because they know our terrain very well, and they are also natives who live among the people of the town. With state police, people like the ones we already have in place, will easily be integrated after they have been given proper training by police experts.
The Nigerian Police Force as the coordinating body at the apex, will now have more information to work with, in the area of crime fighting.
Palace Watch: In the face of these security challenges your town also has this lingering boundary dispute with the people of Imeri in Osse Local Government Area of Ondo state, which you presently share your border with. The National Boundary Commission sometime in February, 2018 wadded into this matter, the Deputy Governor of Edo State Philips Shaibu and his counterpart in Ondo State Rt. Honourable Agboola Ajayi alongside Your Highnesses Oba Idogu, the Olokpe of Okpe and Oba Babatunde Adeniran, the Onimeri of Imeri with chiefs from both sides met and had an extensive deliberation over this matter. If I may ask, what was the outcome of that meeting?
Olokpe of Okpe Kingdom: Well if you must know, it is very sad, nothing meaningful has come out of that meeting we had in Akure in Ondo State in the year 2018. This has made my people very apprehensive. This dispute began as far back as 1986 the major trigger of this crisis, was sudden excision of Imeri people from Edo State to Ondo State in the year 1990. This same Boundary Commission waded into this matter in the year 1991.
The National Boundary Commission (NBC) kept dilly darling over this matter for years, until that meeting they had with us in the year 2018. Three years later, they still have not deemed it fit to release their findings. This has kept me wondering how many years it will take the NBC to come and demarcate our boundary with the Imeri people. If not for my continuous appeal for calm and peace, with the daily provocation of our people, there would have been uproar in the whole area. As our neighbours the Imeri people have not stopped tormenting and provoking us. As a matter of personal principle, I long resolved never to preside over a crisis riding kingdom, I am working very hard to live up to these principles.
Once this boundary is demarcated people on both sides of the towns will know where to draw their limit. There will no longer be this deliberate violation of other people’s properties and rights. And there will be general peace in the whole area. If I may ask, what does the National Boundary Commission want? Does the commission want to wait until there is upheaval, violence of high proportion which will result in the destruction of lives and properties before they act? To me oh!, this is not what the government is all about. We are still waiting patiently for them to come out with their findings and act promptly to come enin Owena River Basin Development Authority recently commissioned an integrated farm in Okpe your kingdom,
Olokpe of Okpe Kingdom: This is a massive farm, and has so many segments. It is in line with the Federal Government agricultural programme on food security, sustainability and youth empowerment. We were therefore, not surprised, when the Benin Owena River Basin Development Authority which happens to be an agency of the Federal Government, saddle with the responsibility of providing water and irrigation facilities to enhance food production, taking cognizance of rich soil, labour and other agricultural potentials decided to approach here Okpe for a huge piece of land, which will gladly gave to them.
Their activities here have brought a lot of smiles on the faces of youths. The River Basin Authority has in the process of settling down here, done three kilometers of resurfacing /asphalting of Okpe road, from Okpe junction which they had earlier promised to do to the main town. They have also trained 50 recipients from these communities in all areas in capacity building as they are currently cultivating 50 hectares of land in cassava production.
The Olokpe of Okpe concluded. “Giving the vast land we have given to the River Basin Authority, we are appealing to them to build a 9 holes Golf course and other hospitality facilities in Okpe land, so that these modern facilities will further encourage people who would want to visit our areas for their annual vacations and relaxation.”
