In an unprecedented move, the Abovwe family of Uduere in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State has suspended one of their own, Chief (Barr) Jaro Omuvudu Egbo, who also serves as Chairman of the Ughelli North Local Government Council.
The decision, which has sent ripples across the local political scene, was reached at an extraordinary family meeting held on May 12, 2025. Elders from the four branches of the Abovwe family—Owhefe, Ogun, Odebor, and Erineyenre—gathered at the Abovwe Hall to deliberate over what they termed Chief Egbo’s “unacceptable conduct.”
According to the resolution signed by family gate heads Pa. David Oduorere, Pa. Emmanuel Erhueh, Mr. Joseph Egoide, and Pa. Emagboro, the council chairman is accused of physically attacking family elders on April 29, a move described as “shameful, disgraceful, and dishonorable.”
“He no longer has the moral standing to sit among us until he apologizes and makes restitution,” the communique stated.
The family further accused Chief Egbo of serious financial misconduct involving communal assets. Among the allegations are:
Seizing 11 acres of land after paying for only 6;
Pocketing ₦8 million meant for an electricity project in Abovwe Quarter;
Diverting another ₦8 million from communal land sales in Akpuvanagha;
Pretending to build a church in order to obtain land, which was later sold privately;
Receiving financial support from family land sales during hard times, which he allegedly never repaid.
“He took what belongs to all of us and used it as if it were his inheritance alone,” said one elder who attended the meeting.
The family also alleged that Egbo has continually threatened the family chairman and the eldest family member, trying to override traditional structures and silence dissent within the family.
Efforts to reach Chief Egbo for comment were unsuccessful as he declined to speak on the matter. However, a close associate who spoke anonymously described the suspension as a “smear campaign” orchestrated by elders determined to protect their own financial interests.
“They’re angry because he refused to allow them bypass community processes,” the source said. “This is not about justice—it’s about power.”
The suspension has divided opinions across the community, with many calling for a transparent investigation into the allegations, while others see it as a family matter that has spilled too far into public space.
Regardless, the incident underscores growing tensions between traditional authority structures and modern political leadership, and raises fresh questions about the conduct of public officials at the grassroots level.