Youths install dead crown prince as Delta monarch

The Mbiri community in the Ika North-East Local Government Area of Delta State has been thrown into unrest following the mysterious death of a 47-year-old crown prince, Evans Alekwe.

Southern City News gathered that when the news of the prince’s death filtered into the community, the youth of Mbiri went on the rampage and mobilised to the KIFA Hospital and took away the corpse to the palace and laid it on the traditional ruler’s stool.

It was learnt that he king quietly ran away from the palace because of the fear of the rampaging youths.

The youth, who alleged that the prince’s death was orchestrated by mischievous and selfish persons, described the act as a sacrilege and a desecration of the palace, carried the corpse into the throne room and installed the deceased by making the corpse to sit on the king’s throne where it stayed overnight.

When our correspondent visited the community, residents, who were still in shock, stated that the death of their beloved crown prince was a product of a prolonged infighting among members of the royal family.

According to findings, the royal rumble is traceable to the marital crisis between the king of the community, Obi Ifeanyi Alekwe, and his erstwhile queen, who was the first wife.

The king was said to have sent away his first wife and mother of the dead crown prince and another male child from the palace, and took a second wife who is now the queen.

This development was said to have led to the children of both women engaging in a fierce scheming for the crown.

One of the elders of the community, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “The king refused to educate the sons of his first wife, including the crown prince, out of sheer vendetta, whereas the children of the incumbent queen are being trained in top-notch institutions and are clandestinely being groomed for the throne.

“On the day of his demise, the crown prince complained of stomach ache and was rushed to the KIFA Hospital in the neighbouring town of Umunede. The prince was pronounced dead upon arriving at the hospital.

“The cause of his death is still uncertain; the youth believed that the death was orchestrated by mischievous and selfish persons and that he was poisoned and for that reason, they carried the corpse to the palace and laid him on the traditional stool.”

Meanwhile, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Onome Onovwakpoyeya, confirmed the incident on Sunday, stating that normalcy had return to community.

“The community is calm now and our men are on the ground to maintain peace and calm the situation,” she stated.