High Court in Rivers State has confirmed that HRH D. Gogo Orufe-Berena remains the Amanyanabo of Angulama community in Asari-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Delivering judgment in Suit No PHC/42/98, the Presiding Judge, Hon. Justice H.J Dagogo-Jack declared that the right to select an incumbent to fill the vacant stool of Amanayanabo of Angulama under Kalabari native law and custom as practiced in Angulama is the exclusive preserve of the Pere Royal House of Angulama.
The court maintained that HRH D. Gogo-Orufe having been validly selected and installed by the entire Pere Royal House and the people of Angulama on 11/4/98 in accordance with the Kalabari native law and custom as practiced in Angulama is the bonafide and authentic Amanyanabo of Angulama.
The court restrained the defendants (Ngoye Igobo, Telema Igobo, Tamunoemi Igobo and Elder Abodaike Marcus) from holding out any other person as the Amanyanabo or Amadabo or paramount ruler of Angulama community.
The judge further ordered the perpetual injunction restraining any other person from parading himself in any manner whatsoever as the Amanyanabo or paramount chief of Angulama community.
Hon. Justice Dagogo-Jack had earlier submitted that the Pere Group of Houses constitutes the Royal House in Angulama, adding that HRH D. Orufe-Berena was duly selected, confirmed and installed the Amanayanabo of Angulama.
According to the court, Orufe-Berena having performed the Iya marriage ceremony is of full status therefore qualified to ascend the stool of the Amanyanabo of Angulama according to the Kalabari native law and custom.
Hon. Justice Dagogo-Jack in his ruling further noted that, the evidence of the defendants were manifestly unreliable, adding that the defendants failed woefully to prove their counter claim on a balance of probabilities of the totality of the evidence led at the trial suit”. The judge dismissed all the reliefs sought by the defendants. ###
