The President General of the Evwreni Clan Improvement Union (ECIU) in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State, Chief Kenneth Ukpebitere, has dismissed allegations made against the Ovie of Evwreni Kingdom, Oghenekevwe Owin Kumani, and the Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Hon. Samuel Mariere, describing them as “cheap blackmail” and an attempt to distract government attention.
Chief Ukpebitere made the remarks during a telephone interview with NewsNet Nigeria on Monday, May 4, 2026, in reaction to a recent publication by the Evwreni Elites Forum calling for the suspension of the two public figures over pending criminal charges.
He said the claims attributed to one Amos Ogagamuero, who identified himself as Secretary of the Evwreni Elites Forum, were misleading and not reflective of the reality in Evwreni Kingdom.
According to him, the Ovie of Evwreni remains a peace-loving monarch who has consistently honoured court proceedings in a matter currently before the Federal High Court in Asaba.
“It is true there is a case in court, but the King and Hon. Samuel Mariere have never failed to attend proceedings. They have consistently appeared before the court since the inception of the matter,” he said.
Ukpebitere further alleged that the accusations being circulated are unfounded and have been thoroughly discredited during court proceedings, insisting that the evidence presented by the prosecution has not been convincing.
He also dismissed claims that Evwreni Kingdom is experiencing tension or insecurity, describing such assertions as exaggerated and false.
“I was in the kingdom just yesterday, and I even attended a social event over the weekend. As I speak to you, I am still in the kingdom. There is peace, people are going about their normal activities,” he stated.
The ECIU President General also questioned the identity of the individual behind the publication, alleging that neither the person nor the group he claims to represent is known within the kingdom.
“The group called Evwreni Elites Forum is not known to us. We do not recognise either the group or the individual making these claims,” he added.
He warned against what he described as attempts to mislead the public urging residents to disregard the publication, stressing that it was capable of creating unnecessary tension and distracting the state government from ongoing development efforts.
Ukpebitere further advised the Delta State Government to ignore what he called “baseless allegations,” insisting that Evwreni Kingdom remains peaceful and stable.
