News of the alleged dethronement of the former Chairman of the Rivers State Traditional Council, Amachree XI, Amanyanabo of Kalabari Kingdom, His Majesty, King (Prof.) Theophilous J. T. Princewill, CFR, by the Supreme Court has been dismissed as false and malicious.

Counsel to King Princewill, Barr. Faye Dikio, SAN, while reacting to a report last Friday by the Port Harcourt-based Beacon newspaper, said there was no truth whatsoever in the publication. He alleged that the publication was only targeted at tarnishing the image of his client and also to cause confusion and panic in Kalabari Kingdom and beyond.

Barr. Dikio explained that what transpired in the proceedings of Appeal No. SC.249/2011 before the Supreme Court last Monday, February 25, was not for hearing of the substantive suit, but an appeal by Chief O.T.K.D. Amachree as appellant against Chief MacDonald O. Abbi, His Majesty T.J.T. Princewill, Chief Dagogo Princewill and Chief S.O. Princewill.

He further explained that the appellant filed two motions which were listed for that day, February 25.
According to the lawyer, one of the motions was for the striking out of the names of Chief Dagogo Princewill and Chief S.O. Princewill who were deceased and other prayers.

Dikio said the prayer to strike out the names of the deceased respondents was granted and others were struck out upon withdrawal.

The counsel also informed the press that the second motion for leave to file additional grounds of appeal was also withdrawn to be re-filed.

“I give it to you to note that there was no order and there could not have been any judgment on the appeal that has not been heard. His Majesty also has his appeal in the Supreme Court against the same judgement of the Court of Appeal delivered on 23rd May 2011 with a motion for stay of execution still pending before the apex court,” he said.

Barr. Dikio said His Majesty’s Appeal No. SC.248/2011 was not listed for last Monday and also not been heard due to many other appeals before it.

According to him, the motions struck out by a panel of five Supreme Court Justices headed by Justice Walter Onnoghan has no effect on the substantive suit on whether King Princewill was rightly crowned as the Amanayabo of Kalabari and subsequently recognised by the government.

He regretted that the publication failed to verify the veracity of the facts before going to the press.

Barr. Dikio’s Chambers has already written to the publisher to take urgent steps to retract the false story and state the true facts of the case to the public. A copy of the letter made available to News Express gave the correct account of the issues at stake and wondered where the newspaper got the materials on which it based its story.

•Photo: His Majesty, King (Prof.) T. J. T. Princewill, addressing the press.