King Iyerite Chiefson Awululu, the paramount ruler of Oluasiri community
in Nembe Local Government Area in Bayelsa State, narrowly escaped death
on Sunday July 31st after he was attacked by armed men who invaded his
residence, cut him mercilessly with machete and left him for dead in a
pool of his blood.
Narrating his ordeal to Niger Delta Voice on his hospital bed, King
Awululu said that men of the State Investigation Bureau, SIB, Bayelsa
State Police Command, have arrested the key suspect, a politician
He said the attack was part of the ongoing attempt to
dethrone him over his refusal to extend the tenure of members of the
Oluasiri Development Union, ODU and Oluasiri Youth Forum, OYF and
receiving the then governorship candidate of the All Progressives
Congress, APC, Chief Timipre Sylva, who visited him during the last
governorship elections.
“I want to attribute my survival to the divine grace of God. It started
in November 2015 with the prime suspect and 145 others sending me a
letter stating that I should resign with threats to use legal means and
all other means possible. But I knew that the only authorities that can
remove me are the kingmakers, the state governor and a competent court
of law. It is a gazetted stool and I was constitutionally enthroned with
presentation of staff of office and coroneted. Oluasiri is not given to
one community, but made up of cluster communities headed by small
kings. On July 4, one John called me to mock that I was still on the
throne? I immediately called the prime suspect to report the threat
call. In his reply, he confirmed that there is already an active plot to
remove me. On the 18th of July at about 9.30 pm, I came outside my
sit-out and saw the prime suspect discussing with three men. At about
2.30 am, my wife alerted me that three men have gained entrance into our
home. All emergency calls were not answered, I called my nephew and he
answered. At this point, I was hearing the armed men breaking doors . I
was inside the master bedroom with my wife. They broke down the door to
the room and the one to the toilet, where we were hiding. They dragged
me out and dealt me several machete blows. They left me for dead in the
pool of my blood. They did not ask any valuable or for money. All they
wanted was my life but God, the owner of life said no. I believe it is
also politically-motivated because many of those involved in the plot
against me belong to a formidable political camp. “Before I became the
king in 2009, the issue of tenure elongation had caused a spate of
killings as well as arson, but I brought reforms. They threatened to
deal with me through government.”he said