Peace appears to be in the horizon as two prominent chiefs in Warri Kingdom of Delta State, the traditional Prime Minister, Chief Ayiri Emami and the Iyatsere, Chief Johnson Atserunleghe, on Wednesday, April 28th, 2021, met at the Zone 5 headquarters of the police in Benin City apparently in a bid toward finding lasting peace to the feud generated by the emergence of Prince Tsola Emiko, as the Olu of Warri designate.
It would be recalled that the police had last week questioned Chief Ayiri Emani for several hours over the invasion of the palace of the Olu of Warri where it was reported that the 400 years old crown and the symbol of the Itsekiri monarchy were declared missing.
The demise of the immediate past Olu of Warri, Ogiame Ikenwoli (Atuwatse II), in December 2020, had created a succession tussle which eventually produced Prince Tsola Emiko as the chosen Olu-elect (Omoba) in Warri.
The two senior Warri chiefs spent close to four hours at the zonal command headquarters of the police.
Sources however privileged to the details of the meeting said both parties are working assiduously in ensuring that peace returned to the Kingdom
Ayiri, had last week told journalists that he was “invited based on the incident in Warri and it happens to be the invasion of the Olu palace that was why I was invited and I told them I know nothing about that because I was not in town when that incident happened so I know nothing about it and I told them I know nothing about it.
“It is about that laid down procedure, which is one of the reasons why I am here and I have told the police. The police have questioned me on that issue, what led to the invasion; I have answered that and other issues I can’t divulge.
Alluding to his interest in ensuring peace Ayiri had stated: “The person in question (Olu designate) is my brother; he is my friend, so, I have no personal issue when you say Ayiri is not in support. Whatever we are doing as Itsekiri, there are laid down procedures and that is what I am trying to do. So it is not that I am not in support of whatever they are doing.
“I am not the one that reported this issue here. They reported and I have been invited and I came here and I have made my statement so it is left for the police to act not me.
“I don’t have any issue with anybody; it is not about Ayiri it is about the people of Warri Kingdom. If they are happy, I am happy that is why I am the custodian.
“I don’t have any personal issues against anybody, if they feel they are happy, mine is to keep the heritage and that is what I stand for but if they are happy about it, I am happy,” he had stated.
