Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwase II, dies

The 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.

According to an online news portal, TheWill, the monarch might have died from a brain injury he suffered after reportedly falling from the stairs of his Warri residence in Delta State.

TheWill reported that Atuwatse was due to have a surgery at Reddington Hospital in 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.

A source close to the palace said none of the palace chiefs agreed to comment on the development when our correspondent made enquiries on Saturday.

In 2013, the Olu of Warri was embroiled in a controversy 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, the transition would not be officially announced until after three months when a new king will be ready to be installed.