The Idoma Area Traditional Council, led by Och’Idoma V, invokes Benue State Chieftaincy Law 2016 to void titles conferred during the 2025 Igede Agba Festival
The Idoma Area Traditional Council (IATC), under the leadership of His Royal Majesty, Agaba Idu Dr. Elaigwu Odogbo Obagaji John, CON, the Och’Idoma V, has annulled the chieftaincy titles recently conferred during the 2025 Igede Agba Festival.
The titles, bestowed on September 6, 2025, by His Royal Majesty Oga Ero, Adirahu Ny’Igede, were declared null and void by the IATC on the grounds that they contravened established traditional and legal provisions. The council invoked the Benue State Chieftaincy Law of 2016, which vests exclusive authority for title conferments across Idomaland in the Och’Idoma and the IATC.
According to the council, the Igede Traditional Council’s action directly violated a formal declaration issued on September 2, 2025, suspending all conferments of chieftaincy titles in Idomaland until further notice. The IATC stressed that any acts carried out in defiance of this directive amount to a breach of extant law and will not be recognized.
In its statement, the council directed government institutions, traditional stakeholders, and the general public to disregard the disputed titles, warning that recognizing them could create disorder and undermine the sanctity of the chieftaincy system.
The decision, the IATC noted, was taken to safeguard the integrity of traditional institutions, ensure unity among the Idoma people, and preserve peace and order in the region.
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