Alexander Okere, Benin

An elderly man, suspected to be of Benin origin, has been chased out of the palace of the Oba of Benin, His Royal Majesty, Oba Ewuare II, for reportedly committing a sacrilege against the palace.

It was learnt that the man, identified simply as one Dr. Ogiugo, had been in the palace where he had a case adjudicated by the Oba.

Ogiugo was, however, said to have incurred the wrath of the traditional institution when he reportedly failed to kneel before the Oba in obeisance and in line with the Benin custom.

The incident was said to have occurred during the weekly peace mediation by the monarch last Thursday.

Irked by the act of disrespect, which many of the Benin chiefs present described as a sacrilege, they were said to have ordered him out of the palace.

A video of Ogiugo being humiliated out of the palace by some Benin Chiefs went viral.

In the video, the elderly man was seen walking out of the traditional ground half-naked.

While some palace chiefs rebuked him, some of them were seen touching him traditional objects.

Passers-by also watched in amazement as the erring man wailed out of the palace premises.

It had been speculated in the social media that the man had been banished as a Benin chief.

But a source close to the palace, who confirmed the incident and did not want to be mentioned, dismissed the speculation.

“There is no chief that was banished. Somebody was sent out but not a chief; it was just an ordinary person that came in company of those who had cases to answer.

“What happened to him was as a result of the way he behaved. Normally, when the Oba is on his throne, no matter who you are, you kneel to greet the Oba. But the man refused and he was a Benin man, meaning that he was a son of the Oba.”