The Tobin (Konibo-ye-Awanta) Chieftaincy House of Finima in Bonny Kingdom says those mouthing ‘Amadabo of Finima’ are mostly non-natives and as such ignorant of the fact that such appellation and status does not exist in Ibani (Bonny) traditions and customs.

Chairman of the Tobin House, Amasenibo Dagogo Tobin said this in an interview with Kristina Reports on Sunday, January 16, 2022 in Finima in Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State.

Tobin, who was reacting to the proclamation of the newly installed Chief and Head of the Buoye Omuso Brown House of Bonny Kingdom, Chief Dagogo Lambert Brown, as the Amadabo of Finima, declared that “it is alien to Bonny Kingdom. It is alien to Finima Community”.

“We have never had an Amadabo of Finima rather we have three chieftaincy houses with three chiefs, independent chieftaincy houses with their respective chiefs. I don’t know where this is coming from but I understand when you are not from a place.”

He stated that all three chieftaincy houses in Finima – Attoni, Brown and Tobin – are creations of the King of Bonny, and are independent of each other with their respective chiefs administering them, stressing that it was pertinent for the leadership of the Brown House to seek clarification on issues it was ignorant or confused about.

“There is this very popular adage that “if a child does not ask questions, he will build his house on top of a grave”.

The Tobin House leader also debunked the claim that Finima Community was owned by the Buoye Omuso Brown House, stressing that the judgment being bandied about by the House in Suit No. PHC/174/72 was in relation to the land where the Shell Bonny Oil and Gas Terminal is situated which is jointly owned currently by the Brown and Jumbo Chieftaincy Houses.   

“Yes, we had a case that concerns a parcel of land between Finima and Bonny. Yes, we took them to court and they won that case. It was over a parcel of land between Bonny and Finima that is owned by the Browns and the Jumbos. We all know that the Jumbos are not part of Finima.”

“But in 1974, they took us to court over a parcel of land that is located right at the centre of Finima. It was part of the vast land owned by the Tobin House that is more than half the size of Finima. They took us to court because we stopped them from building on that piece of land.”

“They presented their own judgment in this suit of 1972. The Chief of Brown House at that time, late Chief Idamieibi Brown was a witness in that case and he presented that 1972 judgment. But the judge made it clear to them that the said land in that 1972 judgment was a parcel of land between Finima and Bonny while the land in this case of 1974 is a land that is at the centre of Finima. They (Brown House) lost the case.”

He called on the residents of Finima Community to remain calm while appealing to the Amanyanabo of Bonny Kingdom and the Bonny Chiefs Council (BCC) to make a statement clarifying the true position of the customs and traditions of the Ibani people, calling on the relevant law enforcement agencies and the multinationals to be wary of what he referred to as “bogus claims” by some persons in Finima.