Information reaching DailyPost from Okpela, a settlement in Auchi Local Government Area of Edo State indicates that the community is currently on fire.
The crisis we exclusively gathered erupted between the youth, traditional ruler of the land and the police over job employment.
According to a resident, the crisis brewed some months back when Julius Begger PLC set up a company in the community. The company offers direct employment to all the youth in the community. But unfortunately some bad eggs were recruited among the youth who later turned against them by smuggling their valuables.
When the news reached the traditional ruler of the land, His Royal Highness, Alhaji A.Y.E Idrus, Okuokpellagbe of Okpella Kingdom, he was touched to hear that his subjects were rendering evil for good.
He immediately ordered that all the youth undergo some screenings before employment so as to select good candidates for the company in order to stop them from tarnishing the image of his kingdom.
“But the royal order was not the actual cause of the crisis,” a resident said. It all started when the youth were told that 5% of their wages is for the traditional ruler. He also gave a standing order that the first salary would go into their account.
“This unhealthy decree got all the youth angry and immediately they started making the community ungovernonable for the monarch,” the source told Dailypost.
He further added that the youth became angry because they thought that his highness’ decision was good but now it is obvious that he wants to use manpower to enrich himself.
It was learnt that the youth barricaded all the major roads in the community and started burning tyres calling the king names. They later moved to the palace, turned the monarch’s royal seat upside down, vandalized five of his seven cars and set some parts of the palace ablaze.
According to another resident identified as Grace, the youth became more infuriated when the monarch reported the case to the police who later came to his rescue.
Policemen attached to Okpella Police division came and cordoned the palace, preventing the visibly angry youth from gaining entrance into the palace to cause further damages.
“The youth began to throw stone at them and before you know, they police also started shooting into the air and strayed bullet hit one of the protesters.”
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