…Court Gives Verdict May 9
…King Amachree Royal House Divided
A High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers State will decide on May 9, 2016 whether HM King Prof. T.J.T Princewill, Amachree XI will continue to occupy the prestigious King Amachree Kingship stool as the Amanyanabo of Kalabari or to vacate the throne.
On Tuesday when the case came up before Hon. Justice E. Teeftito to decide the authenticity of Prof. Princewill’s kingship as Kalabari monarch, the trial judge adjourned the judgment to May 9, 2016, due to some legal exigencies.
Since Prof. Princewill ascended on the King Amachree ancient kingship throne, fourteen (14) years ago, there are been a lot of legal battles.
The fierceness the legal wars, the King Amachree royal family has been sharply divided. Many of the chiefs within the royal house had refused to identify with King Princewill leadership.
With the coming judgment on Suit No. PHC/624/2002, the King Amachree Royal House is further polarized, as some members of the family want King Princewill to be sacked, while others want him to continue as the Amachree XI. However, palpable fear gripped some section of the royal house as the trial judge; Hon. Justice E. Teetito delivers his judgment next 4 weeks. Nobody knows what will happen if he gives his verdict otherwise.
On Tuesday when the case came up before E. Teetito, the High Court was filled to its brim, before the judge adjourned the case to May 9, 2016.
The embattled king is already in the state of dilemma because of fear of unknown.
It would be recalled that precisely on Monday 23 May, 2011, an Appeal Court in Port Harcourt on Suit No. CA/PH/19/2007 frowned at the installation of Prof. Princewill as the King of Kalabari kingdom.
Justices M.D Muhammad, Ejembi Eko and T.O. Awotoye faulted the installation and the recognition of Prof. Princewill as the Amanyanabo, recalling that there was an interlocutory injunction granted on the 31st July, 2000, restrained all parties from taking any step in selecting, electing, anointing and or installing any person whatsoever as the Amanyanabo of Kalabari.
The Appeal Court Judges described the purported installation of Prof. Princewill as a worse situation. They observed that the installation of Princewill as the Amanyanabo of Kalabari on the 23rd March, 2002 was tantamount to flagrant disobedience of the order of Interlocutory Injunction made on 31st July 2000.
The Appeal was instituted by Chief M.O. Abbi against King Princewill, Chief Dagogo Princewill, Chief S.O. Princewill and Chief O.T.K.D Amachree. While delivering the judgment Hon. Justice Ejembi Eko said that the lower Court presided over by Justice J. M. Kobani in his ruling on the matter acted grossly in error when he condemned the indiscipline and lawlessness of the defendants/respondents who flagrantly flouted the subsisting injunctive order made on 31st July, 2000.
Justice Eko quashed the purported installation and recognition of King Princewill and ordered the respondents jointly and or severally to pay costs assessed at N60,000 to the Appellant (Chief M.O. Abbi). In few days to come, the Kalabari ethnic nationality will know their king.
