The Egbe Council of Chiefs has issued a statement reaffirming its commitment to peace, unity and development in Egbe, Yagba West Local Government Area, and the wider Kogi West Senatorial District, while also moving to clarify recent public commentary surrounding remarks made by Senator Steve Sunday Karimi.
The statement, released on Wednesday, was signed by the Council’s Chairman, Chief P. S. Alabi (Irojah Otun Mirinmi), and its Secretary, Chief Babalola Femi (Ologun of Ijalu), on behalf of 27 other chiefs.
The Council said it remains dedicated to protecting the dignity of Egbe’s traditional institution, encouraging harmony among the community’s people, and backing genuine efforts toward reconciliation and sustainable development.
According to the statement, Senator Karimi recently visited Egbe and met with community elders and the Council of Chiefs. During that visit, he praised the peace and unity within the community and expressed gratitude for residents’ continued backing of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, Kogi State Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, and the All Progressives Congress (APC). The Council added that Karimi recognized the community’s dedication to Tinubu’s re-election bid and to APC’s broader electoral prospects.
The Council used the statement to push back on interpretations of Karimi’s earlier remarks, insisting he never suggested that any chief or traditional ruler had tried to unseat the Elegbe of Egbe from the throne, and that he did not name any individual ruler in his comments.
Instead, the Council said the senator’s concern centered on safeguarding the authority and standing of the Elegbe of Egbe’s stool. Karimi reportedly raised concerns about conduct within the community that some viewed as disrespectful toward the paramount traditional institution — specifically instances where clan heads or lesser chiefs allegedly failed to extend appropriate deference to the Elegbe as required by custom.
The Council linked this concern to disputes that arose during and after the 2024 Egbe Day celebration, along with other incidents, which it said had stirred unease among community members. While the Council said it prefers such matters be resolved through traditional channels rather than public debate, it acknowledged the issues could not be ignored if lasting peace is to be secured.
The Council described Karimi as the highest-ranking elected official from Egbe and a leading political figure in Kogi West, crediting him with consistent efforts to promote peace and development in the area. It singled out his role in funding the Egbe Central Palace as a major contribution to the prestige of the traditional institution, alongside broader investments in infrastructure, education, youth empowerment and human capital development across the senatorial district.
The Council said Karimi used the meeting with elders to restate his commitment to reconciliation, while stressing that any lasting peace must be grounded in honesty and mutual respect rather than suppression of legitimate grievances.
The Council closed its statement by urging all indigenes of Egbe to embrace unity, respect the authority of the Elegbe stool, and support genuine reconciliation efforts. It also cautioned against what it described as attempts to distort facts or deepen divisions within the community, calling on such actions to stop for the sake of communal peace.
The statement was co-signed by a number of traditional rulers and chiefs across Egbe, including the Owa of Egbe Land, the Asalu of Egbe Land, the Alaofin of Okoa Egbe, and more than twenty other chiefs and title-holders representing various quarters of the community.
