A queen in the Oba of Benin’s palace may face ejection after social media influencer Habeeb Hamzat Adelaja, popularly known as “Peller,” gained unauthorised access to the palace on Friday, March 6, the Benin Traditional Council (BTC) has said.
The council has suspended a palace chief indefinitely and a BTC staff member identified as Mr. Omuemu has been detained by the Nigeria Police Force. Mr. Omuemu has been charged with causing a breach of the peace and abetting unauthorised entry, Frank Irabor, secretary of the BTC, said in a statement in Benin City.
“The council has conducted a preliminary investigation into the circumstances that allowed this unauthorised access. Consequently, stringent disciplinary measures have been taken against palace staff and chiefs who aided this mischievous act,” Mr. Irabor said. “Specifically, a chief who was implicated in the incident has been suspended indefinitely from the palace. A staff member of the Benin Traditional Council, identified as Mr. Omuemu, has been detained by the Nigeria Police Force. He has been charged to court for causing a breach of the peace and abetting the unauthorised entry.”
Mr. Irabor said the council regretted that a queen who appeared in the footage is now facing disciplinary proceedings that could result in her removal from the palace in accordance with Benin customs.
Describing the March 6 incident as a “serious breach of protocol and desecration of the palace’s sacred precincts,” the BTC said Mr. Adelaja and his entourage entered without the council’s permission and behaved in ways that caused embarrassment and a breach of the peace.
The council said it invited Mr. Adelaja to appear before a committee of chiefs to explain himself but that he has not honoured the invitation. “The council is therefore using this public medium to demand that Mr. Adelaja present himself immediately to the relevant authorities within the council,” the statement said. It added that he must tender an unreserved written apology to the palace and warned that failure to comply may lead to legal action.
“The Benin Traditional Council assures the public and the entire Benin nation that it remains the unwavering custodian of our age-old customs and traditions,” the statement continued, naming His Royal Majesty Omo N’Oba N’Edo, Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare II, CFR. “While unscrupulous elements may occasionally attempt to undermine our sacred institutions, banking on the fatherly and forgiving disposition of His Royal Majesty, they do so at their peril.”
Following the incident, the BTC said it will tighten controls on public visits to the Oba’s palace. Individuals or groups wishing to visit will be required to submit prior applications and will be issued identity cards by palace functionaries.
