Ohen from the Palace of the Benin Monarch HRM Oba Ewuare II at the forest in Iyowa on Friday, 1 May, 2026 Photo Credit: hilltopnationale.com
The ancestral forest hosting the Ovia deity owned by the Benin Monarch. Photo Credit: hilltopnationale.com
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Kingsley Abavo, Managing Editor, Benin
The Palace of the Benin Monarch, HRM Oba Ewuare II has initiated action against invaders of the reserved ancestral forest in the Village of Iyowa, Ovia-North-East Local Government Council Area of Edo State.
The ancestral forest is host to the shrine of the Ovia deity which belonged to the Oba of Benin Kingdom, but catered for on his behalf by the people of Iyowa, it was said.
The uninitiated cannot enter the forest without permission by those who have the authority, according to the tradition of the Benin Kingdom, it was added.
On Tuesday, 21 April, 2026, some loggers who were said to be carrying out illegal operations were apprehended in the ancestral forest by a group of youths mobilised by the Okaighele (Youths Head) of the Village, ambassador Etionsa Ighodaro.
Stump of one of the timber trees harvested by the alleged illegal loggers. Photo Credit: hilltopnationale.com
The alleged illegal loggers told journalists that they were hired by some natives of Iyowa (identity not disclosed), and harvested several timber trees in the forest which they cut into about 20 pieces of logs; and ferried to the sawmill for processing.
The alleged illegal loggers. Photo Credit: hilltopnationale.com
By their action, they have desecrated the Ovia deity and its shrine thus incurring some punitive measures according to the dictates of the tradition of the Benin people, it was said.
In reaction, on Friday, 1 May, 2026, some representatives of the Palace of the Oba; Priests of Ovia deity in the various villages in the Kingdom visited Iyowa to see the situation first hand.
Expressing shock at what they saw, they said it was absolute sacrilege committed by the alleged loggers.
Speaking on behalf of the group, Ohen Igbinesigie said upon information that some elements have harvested several timber trees in the forest of the Ovia deity, they decided to get on the spot verification.
From their findings, over 14 timber trees have been harvested, so they would go back to report to the Palace of the Oba that the forest hosting Ovia deity in Iyowa Village has been invaded by some elements.
“What happened is a taboo and highly forbidden in Benin Kingdom. The Ovia deity is owned by the Benin Monarch and nobody enters its forest without permission.
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“This is sacrilege they have committed and it calls for traditional sanctions through the Palace of the Oba.”
Also, the acting Odionwere of Iyowa, Aiyamioghogho Igbinawahia spoke to journalists on the happening.
He said what happened; was a collective decision of the elders of Iyowa having been informed that criminals usually hide in the forest of the Ovia deity, to attack unsuspecting members of the public especially at odd hours of the day.
“Usually, before anything is done in the Village, we the elders would meet to deliberate on it.
“We learnt that there is a corner in that forest, thieves usually hide to waylay passers-by.
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“So we elders met and directed the youths to open up that area. That is why they entered the forest.”
But the acting Odionwere denied that the elders did not ask the youths to go harvest any timber tree in the forest.
“We elders did not ask them to go cut any timber tree there but that they should open up the area of the forest which was a criminal hideout.”
He said, however, he was informed that the people sent to go open up the criminal hideout in the forest, mistakenly cut down one of the timber trees that was ripe for harvesting; and has attracted the attention of the Palace of the Benin Monarch, HRM Oba Ewuare II.
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