Uncle to the Olu of Warri-Designate Prince Yemi Emiko has expressed worries over the coronation of Prince Tsola Emiko on Saturday.
Gatekeepers News reports that the chairman of the coronation media and publicity committee expressed his fears following the widely reported missing crown.
Emiko, however, said the missing crown will not stop the exercise.
He said: “We have several crowns in the palace, including the original beaded crowns which Ginuwa I came from Benin with, and which we used to crown our kings up until 1625 when Atuwatse I came from Portugal with the diamond studded silver crowns.
“We also have a golden crown, and so on. The kingmakers will decide which of these several crowns to use for the forthcoming coronation.”
Following the missing crown, Nigerian Police Force, Zone 5, Benin, declared two sons of the immediate past Olu of Warri, Ogiame Ikenwoli Godfrey Emiko, wanted in connection with the missing royal crown of Itsekiri Kingdom
The two princes, Prince Onyowoli Emiko and Prince Omatsuli Emiko, were declared wanted on the allegation that they broke into the private apartment of the Olu of Warri, where they allegedly stole the ancient crown.
The duo was declared “by the Nigeria Police Force Interpol Section, Force Criminal Investigation Department, Zone 5 Headquarters, Benin City” with a Warrants of Arrest issued against them by a Federal High Court in Benin City, Edo State.
Since the transition of the immediate past Olu of Warri, Ogiame Ikenwoli, in December 2020, the palace was reportedly invaded and the 400-year-old crown and symbol of the Itsekiri monarchy were declared missing.
Ogiame’s passage had created a succession tussle in the kingdom, until Prince Tsola Emiko, the son of Olu Atuwatse, was eventually chosen as the Olu-elect.
The AIG Zone 5, had in a letter of invitation dated Wednesday 21st, April 2021, invited the suspended Ologbosere of Warri, Chief Ayiri Emami, for questioning over the kingship crisis in the Warri kingdom especially on the stolen Royal crow, which had resulted in high-level tension in the town.
The letter, entitled: “Police Invitation Letter. Re: case of burglary, stealing, and conduct likely to cause a breach of peace”, addressed to Emami,, also led to the interrogation another chief, Macgrey Richmond, for over two hours at the AIG zonal headquarters
Emami, however, said that he knew nothing about the invasion of the palace.
“I was invited based on the incident in Warri and it happens to be the invasion of the Olu’s palace. I told them I knew nothing about that because I was not in town when that incident happened.
“It is about that laid-down procedure, which is one of the reasons 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.
“I did not sign any undertaking, all they asked was who invaded the palace and that certain things were missing in the palace, they wanted to know the whereabouts of those things and I told them what I knew”, Emami had told journalists after his session with the police.
