The Och’Idoma and President of the Idoma Area Traditional Council, His Royal Majesty, Agaba’idu Elaigwu Odogbo John (Och’Idoma V), has warned that bitterness, disunity, and irresponsible conduct among the people are weakening Idoma Kingdom and worsening insecurity.
In his New Year broadcast to the Idoma Nation on January 1, 2026, the royal father said internal divisions, rumours, and lingering resentment now pose serious threats to peace and development in the land, stressing that they must be urgently addressed.
“I urge every Idoma son and daughter to lay down bitterness, to seek reconciliation where peace can be restored, and to understand that the strength of a people begins from their homes,” the Och’Idoma said.
He cautioned that communities where hatred, rivalry, and silence are allowed to fester become easy targets for criminal elements, adding that many long-standing divisions began as minor misunderstandings that were never resolved.
“As we step into 2026, I speak as a father to his children on forgiveness and reconciliation. Many divisions among us did not begin as wars. They began as misunderstandings, harsh words, rivalry, and pride,” he said, urging families, kindreds, councils, and associations to become centres of peace. “Charity begins from home.”
The monarch also issued a strong warning to individuals and communities harbouring or shielding criminals, declaring that such actions would no longer be tolerated. He said anyone found aiding criminal activities, directly or indirectly, would face lawful consequences.
“Peace is not a gift dropped into a community. Peace is built. Security begins with responsible citizenship,” he said, calling on residents to remain vigilant, report threats promptly to security agencies, resist rumours and incitement, and refuse to protect criminal elements.
According to him, peace cannot thrive where criminals are shielded and vital intelligence is withheld from authorities.
On the political front, the Och’Idoma warned ahead of increasing political activities in 2026 that there would be “no sacred cows,” stressing that violence, intimidation, and lawlessness would not be tolerated under any guise.
He urged political actors and their supporters to shun violence and pursue their ambitions with restraint, civility, and respect for the law, warning that personal ambition must never be placed above communal peace.
The traditional ruler also condemned the growing trend of demarketing Idoma people, leaders, and institutions on social media, describing it as harmful and counterproductive.
“Words can heal, and words can wound,” he said, calling for discipline and responsibility in online engagements, and warning that public ridicule and misinformation damage the collective honour of the Idoma Nation.
While acknowledging the security challenges experienced in parts of Idoma land in the past year, the Och’Idoma noted that engagements with security agencies and other stakeholders had yielded some progress. However, he stressed that unity, vigilance, and lawful cooperation remain critical.
He called on traditional rulers, community leaders, youths, and religious leaders to embrace reconciliation, reject bitterness, and commit to peace-building at all levels, urging the people to keep hope alive and place unity above personal grievances as the New Year unfolds.