Chiefs of Warri Kingdom under the aegis of Warri Council of Chiefs have vowed to interrogate, expose and deal with perpetrators of a sacrilegious smear campaign against the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III.
The vow followed a smear campaign against the revered Warri Royal Stool in a viral video set in diaspora where the youthful monarch and five others were in gloriously labelled oil thieves and economic saboteurs.
In the five minutes forty-three seconds video spotted by our correspondent, a lady is seen with several others in hooded attires reading from a displayed large poster with the photos of the Olu of Warri, Chief Robinson Ariyo, Chief Kingsley Kuku, Biopri Atube, Jude Gbadoyo and one other, accusing them of oil bunkers and thieves whom the international community should put under watch.
Arising from the sacrilegious falsehood, the Ologbotsere of Warri Kingdom and chairman of the Warri Council of Chiefs, Chief Engr. Oma Eyewuoma led other chiefs on Tuesday to state the position of the palace.
Chief Eyewuoma, who read the press statement at the palace on Tuesday, said the viral video, which hit the air precisely on Friday, 31st January 2025, was laced with not only tissues of falsehood but abominable accusations, describing it as evil.
“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 on social media.
“Without any equivocation, we knew it was all a 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 or 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 whom they wish to defame with this falsehood on the other hand, made us consider that the purpose of the fomenters of this falsehood was very intentional.
“It reveals the depth of the cesspool of evil from which this thought and action emanated.
“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 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 share their thoughts 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 tarnish 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,” the Ologbotsere, Chief Eyewuoma, stated in part.
He vowed, on behalf of the palace, represented by Chief Dr Eugene Ikomi, the Olulaye of Warri Kingdom and Secretary, Warri Council of Chiefs, Chief Samuel Omebeyinje, the Olugbo of Warri Kingdom and Director, Palace Administration, Chief Brown Mene, Ogwa-Olusan of Warri and Chief Engr Anthony Onuwaje, the Otsodi of Warri Kingdom, that the the faces behind the evil act will be exposed and made to pay for the malfeasance.
“We have resolved that such evil cannot be left to foul the air of people of the right-thinking mold. It must be interrogated and exposed.
“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 those behind all of this will be unveiled and exposed.
“What will follow afterward will be the repercussion of their evil act. Like the African adage goes: “Those who grow big teeth should endeavour to have corresponding big lips to house the teeth.”
The chiefs, however, urged “all sons and daughters of the Iwere Nation to remain calm in the face of this provocation and assure you that we are on top of the situation.”
