Olu of Warri is dead

Olu of WarriThe Olu of Warri, Godwin Edomi, Ogiame Atuwatse II, is dead.

He was said to have died in Lagos on Friday night of an undisclosed ailment.

Atuwatse became the Warri monarch in 1987.

The monarch, according to report, died from a brain injury he suffered after reportedly falling from the stairs of his Warri residence in Delta State.

He was said to be due to have a surgery at Reddington Hospital on Victoria Island, Lagos, where he was rushed to, before he passed on.

It further said the monarch’s body had been flown back to Warri for burial.

The deceased was embroiled in a controversy in 2013 when he allegedly planned to relinquish the traditional title of Ogiame but that decision did not go down well with the Itsekiri people.

After four days of protest by the people over his decision to renounce the title he bowed to the wishes of his subjects.

The monarch, who claimed the title Ogiame was associated with the ‘Sea goddess,’ had said he had nothing to do with the deity.

Twenty-two palace chiefs at the height of the protest criticised the decision of the monarch to renounce the Ogiame title.

According to the tradition of the Itsekiri, his transition would not be officially announced until after three months when a new king will be ready to be installed.