Tuesday, December 24, 2024 - The Etsu Lokoja, Emmanuel Akamisoko Dauda-Shelika, Nyamkpa IV, has narrated how he scaled through the fence when hoodlums invaded his palace on Saturday, Dec. 21.
The palace, located on plot 306, New Layout, Lokoja, was attacked by
hoodlums at about 1:00 am on Saturday.
Though the monarch escaped, the hoodlums burnt his vehicles and other
properties within the palace premises.
The community was planning to host the 2nd
Edition of Nupe Natives end of the year event, tagged: “Lokoja ‘24 Nupe
Cultural Fiesta”, on Dec. 21, 2024, before the incident occurred.
The event was aborted due to the
unfortunate attack at early hour on Saturday around 1:00am, when many Nupe
natives from neighboring States had started arriving on the eve of the
event.
Narrating his ordeal to reporters who
visited the scene yesterday, Dec. 23, the Etsu Lokoja, HRH Emmanuel Akamisoko
Dauda-Shelika, Nyamkpa IV, said: “It was around 1 am at night that I had a big
bang on my door and I woke up to check through the window, wondering what could
have happened.
“Then, I suddenly saw wild fire coming out
of my car as it had been set ablazed by attackers.
“I knew it was an attack on the palace, and
therefore I could not come out because of fear of being attacked. So, I managed
to come out through the back door and scaled the fence to escape for my
life.
“Thereafter, I came out to the road and realized that all my neighbors in the community were on ground trying hard to quench the fire, but unfortunately the car was burnt as well as other properties inside it”.
He explained that members of the planning
committee for the event, had a meeting till around 11:30 pm on Friday, Dec. 20,
before departing to their various homes. He lamented that it was unfortunate
that cultural fiesta was aborted due to the ugly incident.
Dauda-Shelika appealed to government and security agencies to investigate the
cause of the attack and bring perpetrators and their sponsors to justice.
He also appealed to the Nupe natives in
Lokoja, to avoid any form of reprisal but continue to remain peaceful, law
abiding and allow government and security agencies to conduct thorough
investigation on the attack.
“We are appealing to His Excellency, Alhaji
Ahmed Usman Ododo, and security agencies to please use their good offices to
investigate this unfortunate incident, and bring to justice whoever is
concerned whether directly or indirectly.
“We also want the government to kindly
visit our issues by recognizing and grading the stool of Etsu Lokoja which had
been in existence before colonisation.
“By officially recognising and grading Etsu Lokoja stool, we know everything
will be laid to rest because that is the power of the government.
“If the government remains silent and looks away, it leaves the door
open for this kind of thing to happen. And as a people, we will not want to see
such things continue.
“I urge my people to remain as peaceful and law-abiding as we have
always been because this incident has drawn the attention of government to our
issue,” Dauda-Sheika added.
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