Chief Newton Agbofodo, A Delta State Traditional Ruler, Sentenced to Death
Chief Newton Agbofodo, the embattled community head of Ekpan, Uvwie Council Area of Delta State, linked to series of killings within Ekpan and its environs, including the murder of one Edigbe Ikpesa sometime in October 2012, has been sentenced to death after found of all four count charges preferred against him.
Chief Newton Agbofodo who is one of the highest ranking chiefs of Uvwie Kingdom, was arrested on June 17, 2016, and was later arraigned in court for crimes bordering on murder. Charges preferred against him were conspiracy to commit murder, the substantial offence of murder, conspiracy to commit attempted murder and an attempted murder, which the Delta State High Court 4, in Asaba found him guilty of. He was sentenced to death by hanging.
Trouble in EKPAN community in Uvwie Local Government Area, Delta State, a community that is so strategically located to reap copiously from the presence of oil companies, started when the traditional ruler, High Chief Newton Agbofodoh June 11, last year, dissolved the CLOs representing the community in the various companies and replaced them with new ones. Since then, peace has eluded the turbulent community.
While some persons viewed Agbofodoh’s action as something within the competence of the traditional ruler to do, others saw it as a punitive act calculated to teach those in the camp of the governor a lesson. In fact, the sacking of the CLOs shattered the fragile peace in the community. The new CLOs took over affairs to the consternation of supposed Okowa men. With the triumph of Okowa and his consequent swearing –in, May last year, the CLOs sacked for working for him decided to stage a comeback by whatever means possible. The opportunity did not present itself until January 8 2016, when the former chairman of the Uvwie local government council, known to be Agbofodoh’s confidant, Mr. Henry Baro, had a public row with two naval officers that turned awry.
