Olu of Warri: Two princes declared wanted over stolen crown – Police

Two sons of the immediate Olu of Warri, Ogiame Ikenwoli Emiko, Princes Onyowoli and Omatsuli, have been declared wanted by the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) Zone 5 in Benin, Edo State, over the stolen 400-year-old crown of Warri Kingdom.

The princes were declared wanted ahead of Prince Tsola Emiko, son of Olu Atuwatse, being crowned Olu of Warri on Saturday.

Prince Oyowoli, 30, was described as a student, Itsekiri by tribe, and 5.2 feet tall, while his younger brother, Omatsuli, 27, was described as 5.6 feet tall.

On the directives of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Usman Baba Alkali, police bulletins describing their declaration as wanted individuals were issued by the Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) Zone 5, Benin.

Last Friday, the AIG Zone 5 and some officers at the zonal headquarters grilled Chief Ayiri Emami, the suspended traditional Prime Minister of the Warri Kingdom, about the purported invasion of the Olu of Warri’s palace and theft of the ancient crown.

In December 2020, Ogiame Ikenwoli, the immediate Olu of Warri, joined his forebears.

The coronation of Prince Tsola Emiko, the son-in-law of billionaire philanthropist Capt. Hosa Okunbo, who died in London on Sunday, August 8 this year, is set for Saturday.

About seven years ago, the young Olu-designate married Ivie.

A more appropriate crown had been arranged for Prince Tsola Emiko’s coronation on Saturday to avoid any hiccups.