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Family members of Chiefs Tobin of Bonny Kingdom, Rivers State, have petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu, urging him to urgently intervene in a growing dispute between the families of Chiefs Tobin and Brown over the performance of traditional cultural rites.
The family claims that the years-long dispute took a dangerous turn on August 22, 2026, when alleged members of the faction led by Eng. Dagogo Lambert Brown allegedly attacked the Tobin family compound in the early hours of the morning, leaving several members injured and property damaged.
The Tobin family also protested the arrest of its leader, Darlington elder Adango Tobin, describing it as unjust, particularly against the backdrop of what it claimed was an orchestrated attack on its members on the day they were due to celebrate their annual Eremini and Fongu Mini cultural rites.
In the petition to the IGP, the family accused the local police division of allowing itself to be used in the controversy and called for an impartial investigation into the events surrounding the alleged attack and subsequent arrests.
According to the Tobin family, the Eremini and Fongu Mini Festival began on August 1 and is expected to last until September 30, with participating chiefs’ homes across Bonny Kingdom having designated dates for their outings.
It is said that while the Brown House was scheduled to perform on August 28, the Tobin House had August 22 as its designated date.
The family said tensions began to rise after threats and rumors circulated that the Brown House intended to prevent the Tobin House from performing its rites.
The development prompted the Bonny Local Government Area (LGA) chairman to invite both sides for a meeting in the presence of security personnel.
The Tobin family said during the meeting, the council chairman stressed that he lacked the legal authority to stop the Tobin Chieftaincy House, Owu-Ogbo, from participating in the ongoing festival.
The family also relied on a statement purportedly released by the Bonny Chiefs’ Council on August 17, which recognized the Tobin Chieftaincy House as one of 34 recognized chieftaincy houses in the Bonny Kingdom.
According to the family, the council declared that Tobin House had the legitimate right to observe, preserve and perform its cultural and traditional festivals, including the Eremini and Fongu Mini festivals and masquerade events, in accordance with the customs, culture and traditions of Bonny Kingdom.
However, the Tobin family said that despite efforts to prevent the breakdown of law and order, the situation had worsened.
He said the family had formally written to the police, Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), requesting security presence at the cultural event.
The family also said they provided logistics services to facilitate the deployment of security personnel.
However he claimed that between 3 and 4 am on August 22, Tobin’s compound was attacked by members of the Brown faction led by Brown.
The family said its president, Wariopusenibo Darlington Tobin, Wariopusenibo Golden Tobin and several other members suffered varying degrees of injuries, while property was reportedly destroyed.
The signatories expressed concern that the alleged attack occurred despite what they described as an intervention by an IG monitoring team at the force headquarters, Abuja.
They have consequently appealed to the Inspector General of Police to urgently take measures to prevent further escalation and ensure the dispute does not escalate into a community crisis in Bonny.
The family also raised allegations against the police officer of Finima police station, CSP Mukhtar Mahdi, accusing him of conduct which they said was contrary to his responsibilities as a police officer.
“We are also further concerned by the unprofessional conduct of CSP Mukhtar Mahdi, the DPO of Finima Divisional Police Station, who in all events, actions or inactions acted contrary to his oath of office,” the family said.
The Tobin family is calling for an impartial investigation into the alleged attack, the circumstances of its leader’s arrest and the behavior of security personnel during the crisis.
He also urged the police authorities to strengthen security in the area and ensure that all recognized chiefs’ houses can carry out their traditional activities peacefully and within the framework of the law.
The dispute has raised concerns that a long-standing disagreement over cultural rights could escalate into a wider confrontation if not urgently addressed by relevant authorities.
The allegations contained in the petition remain claims of the Tobin family, and the Brown family and the relevant law enforcement authorities should be given the opportunity to respond to the allegations.
