The crown prince of Idumuje-Ugboko in Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State, Chukwunonso Nwoko, who allegedly instigated the ejection of his step-mother and queen of the kingdom, Faith Okwukwe Nwoko, from the palace, has been charged to the court for alleged stealing of property valued at N4 million from the said deposed queen.
The prince was arraigned alongside with one of his aides, Emeka Oyibundu, 43, before an Idumuje-Ugboko Magistrate Court at the weekend.
Also arraigned with him were Prince Ejimofor Nwoko, 68, Prince Richard Obiajulu Nwoko, 83 and Prince Edwin Nwoko, 72, his uncles, most of whom dictate for him in the kingdom.
The prosecutor in a three-count charge of conspiracy and stealing slammed against the accused and others now at large, said the offence was committed sometime in the month of October, 2012.
According to the prosecutor, the accused persons conspired among themselves to break into the shop of the queen and cart away with her property.
The prosecutor alleged that the accused persons allegedly stole bags of rice and food items valued at N4 million, property of the queen.
When the three-count charges were read for the accused persons, they pleaded not guilty and were granted bail in the sum of N200,000 each and a surety in like sum who must be resident in the magisterial district and also own landed property in the area.
The court further said the surety must deposit two passport photographs before the court and adjourned the case to May 26, 2016 for trial.
Since the crisis that has characterized the Idumuje-Ugboko palace, this is the second case the crown prince is facing having been arraigned before an Issele-Uku Magistrate Court alongside side three others over alleged document forgery.
The queen, 37, was ejected from the palace on the allegation of infidelity over four years ago. Her accusers thereafter denied her access to any property of the palace, even her personal effects were confiscated by the crown prince who took over the kingdom despite the king is still alive.
The queen was found with child and alleged to have been impregnated by an outsider against the custom of the kingdom. According to her accusers, the Obi of the Kingdom, HRM Obi Agbogidi Nwoko is 90-years-old and as such cannot impregnate a woman, consequently she was ejected from the palace, as she was alleged to have broken the palace custom.
This claim is not backed by any science.
