The crisis has pitted the Traditional Council of Chiefs in Effi village of Okuni, led by an environmentalist, Odey Oyama, against a lawyer, Icheri Imo Okim and others for allegedly auctioning the property that belonged to the community without accountability.

Initially, the property, comprising heavy-duty machines and equipment were owned by a private company (Mike Wood Plant), which had since abandoned it. Court judgment authorised the auctioning of the property on behalf of the community through Okim, who claimed the community gave the power of attorney to him.

The council of chiefs in Effi alleged that Okim diverted proceeds of over N21 million that ought to have gone to them.

They also accused him and others of refusing to disclose details of the auction transactions, and refusing to avail them the court judgment that authorised the auctioning and the power of attorney purportedly given to him by the community.

Oyama, who said he spoke on behalf of the Royal Conclave of Effi village, in different letters, accused the lawyer of gross negligence.

On the other hand, notable leaders of Ikon community, like the former Commissioner of Police, Lawrence Alobi, and Secretary of the Effi community in Calabar, Sam Nsoh, sympathetic to Okim, at the weekend, blamed Oyama for involving the press over family issues, insisting they are going to issue a statement on the matter after a peaceful intervention and settlement by the elders of the community in Calabar.

In his reaction, Okim denied all the allegations by Oyama and the Royal Conclave of Effi village, saying: “What my brother has alleged are not true at all. Oyama has been acting on rumours. I am a lawyer of 30 years practice. I acted as solicitor to the community and got judgment against the company. We held several meetings with elders and chiefs of the community over the auction. The only money that came to me legitimately was my legal fees. “It is not also true that I gave money to youth president and others. It was one Missang, a colleague, whom I asked to represent me at some of the legal hearings, that I gave money when he appealed that he had some challenges.”

Okim, responding in a letter dated, October 12, 2022, to one of the letters from Oyama, said: “I am under no obligation to disclose or divulge a client/solicitor brief to any person or purported conclave. Rules of professional engagement prohibits me from such.”