Queen Nowamagbe Ewuare II is the fourth wife of Benin Monarch, His Royal Majesty, Oba Ewuare II and the queen is also the biological sister of the Oba’s fifth wife, Queen Aisosa Ewuare II, on Thursday early morning night, Queen Nowamagbe apparently used a proxy TikTok account named Queen Ewuare Backup and accused the Benin Traditional Council, BTC of dishonest behaviour, categorically stating, the BTC lied that Nigeria prominent social media streamer, Habeeb Hamzat Adelaja a.k.a Peller was not authorised access into the Palace of the Benin Monarch where she accidentally met Peller and gave him a motherly welcome as the Queen of the Oba, an action, the BTC has alleged she breached the Palace protocol, hence, she risked being removed or sent packing from the Palace, according to Queen Nowamagbe in the apparent TikTok social media proxy account, Peller’s visit to the Palace is a mere cover up, that a lots has been happening behind close door, she supported her claim with a document that suggest the Benin Traditional Council was aware of Peller coming to the Palace, and the document dated February 23, 2026 indicated that the BTC received and acknowledged the letter of Peller planned visit, but, if the BTC actually wrote back to Peller to notify him about the acceptance or rejection of his request was not stated, this, the President of Aiguobasinmwin Movement World Wide, Osaro Culture Iyamu countered the document and said; “The receipt of letter at any institution registry doesn’t amount to approval, however, the moment the letter (is) received at our revered Palace Registry, (it’s) forwarded to the private office of Oba of Benin, His Royal Majesty, Omo N’ Oba N’ Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare II, Oba of Benin will then instruct the Secretary of Benin Traditional Council, BTC to either write formally or call those seeking for approval of their letters especially as its relate to Royal Visitations, those who lured and deceived Peller without the approval of Benin Traditional Council, BTC are the real problem”, for the avoidance of doubts, Queen Nowamagbe may not be first Oba wife to be sent packing from the Palace over breached of access into the Monarch Palace, the Oba eldest wife, Queen Iroghama Ewuare II had been sent packing from the Palace simply because one of the biological children of the Oba entered the Palace allegedly in a manner the Oba did not like, this was made known in a reactionary public letter issued on December 30, 2025 by Prince Ezelekae Ewuare II, the Oba’s eldest son who is believed to be the next Oba of Benin, according to Prince Ezelekae; “I want to make it very clear; my mother did nothing wrong, six months ago, my youngest brother allegedly barged into the palace wanting to see his father; our father wasn’t happy with his approach, as a result, my mother was told to leave the palace, I would like to use this medium to plead on behalf of your senior children you wouldn’t see — your second son, your third son and your second daughter, please, whatever our father said they did wrong, please forgive and forget, time is precious, We want togetherness, not division”, on the issue he had with the Oba over the establishment of the Museum of West African Art, MoWAA, Prince Ezelekae said some of the Oba’s children only reach him through middlemen and as such he does not have the phone number of his biological father, Oba Ewuare II, saying; “what really caused the issue between my father and I was that while I was in Germany, I overheard my father say unpleasant things about me to a public figure on the phone, I got upset and raised my voice to my father — something I’ve never done in my entire life, As for me, my own father intentionally chose to compose a speech and talk about his eldest son for a whole five minutes, to wash me publicly over material things — objects, artefacts, a museum, Obaseki, You said Obaseki co-opted your eldest son”, before Prince Ezelekae issued the public statements about his father, the Oba had on November 7, 2025 during his official and ceremonial visit to the Edo State Government House in Benin City, called out his eldest son, Prince Ezelekae in a manner that seems to suggest as if the reigning Oba of Benin Kingdom has the power to choose his successor or the power to decide of whom become the Crown Prince, Edaiken and thus, Oba Ewuare II created this impression when he said during his speech at the Government House that being the first male child of the Oba does not automatically make you the Crown Prince of Benin Kingdom and the Edaiken of Uselu, saying, it is only when the reigning Oba send a person to be the Edaiken of Uselu, that is when the person is qualified to be seen and called the Crown Prince of Benin Kingdom and the Edaiken of Uselu, apparently angered by these words, Prince Ezelekae on November 11, 2025 issued a statement of apology apparently in an aggressive manner, demanding that the Oba can take away the titles of Crown Prince, Edaiken of Uselu, Oko n’ukhua, Ewuare and Prince from him, but, his biological name, “Ezelekae” meaning “River does not flow and carry away sand or wash away sand” should not be tempered with, saying, the name Ezelekae was given to him by his Grandfather, and we believed, the name, “Ezelekae” probably has a more deeper meaning inline with the traditions and laws of the people of Benin Kingdom, which significantly also means; “Leadership, government, Oba or (“river”) may flow and change, but the people, their culture, and their traditions (the “sand”) remain firmly in place”, inline with the foregoing, we are not aware of any aspect of the Benin traditions that gives an Oba or any human on earth the power to choose or decide who becomes the Crown Prince, Edaiken or the next Oba of Benin, but, inline with Benin traditions and history, we may not be wrong to say, it is only God Almighty that has the power to choose and decide for the people of Benin Kingdom the person who is qualified to be seen and called the Crown Prince, Edaiken and finally, the Oba of Benin Kingdom, historically, only God Almighty choose who becomes the Crown Prince, Edaiken and Oba by birth and preservation of the life of such a person till when times permit him to be the Crown Prince, subsequently become the Edaiken and finally the Oba of Benin Kingdom, and for the purpose of clarity, we may not be wrong to say the Benin traditions demand the eldest male child of the reigning Oba to be seen and called the Crown Prince until a time, the reigning Oba is aware or expecting to join his ancestors, the reigning Oba will now notify or call the Crown Prince and send him to Uselu as the Edaiken of Uselu, an institutional responsibility demanded of the reigning Oba probably by the traditions to protect the Throne of Benin Kingdom, Edaiken is a title of a person who act as a proxy of the Oba of Benin while the reigning Oba is still alive, he leaves the Uselu Palace and moves to the main Palace of the Benin Monarch to become the new Oba when the reigning Oba has finally joined his ancestors, the word proxy, according to Cambridge online dictionary, is “someone or something that takes the place of another person or thing, or has the same meaning, purpose, etc as them or it”, for the avoidance of doubts, Crown Prince Eheneden Erediauwa now Oba Ewuare II was sent as Edaiken of Uselu and began his move to the Uselu Palace on Saturday, March 12, 2016 while the reigning Oba, Oba Erediauwa was still alive, and for the record, Oba Erediauwa thereafter was announced to have joined his ancestors on Friday April 29, 2016, also, Crown Prince Solomon Aiseokhuoba Igbinoghodua Akenzua II who later becomes Oba Erediauwa was sent as the Edaiken of Uselu in 1978 and on June 11, 1978, the then reigning Oba of Benin Kingdom, Oba Akenzua II was announced to have joined his ancestors, the above illustration may have clarified that the act of a reigning Oba sending someone to Uselu as the Edaiken of Uselu is apparently not a “Power” to choose or decide who to send, rather, it is a job function the reigning Oba is expected to perform by thus sending the one already chosen by God Almighty right from birth as the Crown Prince, Edaiken, to become the Edaiken of Uselu and thereafter the person will move to become the new Oba of Benin when the reigning King becomes of blessed memory.

Peller, the 20-year-old reality or real-life interactive content creator had visited the palace on March 6, 2026 as part of his nationwide tour and was reportedly welcomed by the queen, who also presented him with a gift. However, the Benin Traditional Council described the visit as a desecration, leading to disciplinary actions including the suspension of a chief and the detention of palace staff, while Peller was also summoned.

According to the apparent proxy TikTok account of Queen Nowamagbe, the Queen obviously stated in proxy thus; “Hello everyone, the issues at hand isn’t just because Peller came to the Palace or me gifting him, a lot has been happening behind close doors, the Benin traditional council lied that Peller coming to the Palace was unauthorized and I brought him to the Palace, but I hope I will be able to convince you all that Peller coming to the palace was authorized, look at the stamp on this letter, shows that it was approved by Benin traditional council, but they’re all lying on my head, but what I want you to know is that this isn’t the main problem because there are other issues way bigger than what you all thinks. Thanks to those people who (have) reached out just to check (on) me and to make sure I’m fine”.

On March 16, 2026 in a press release signed and made available by Frank Irabor, the Secretary of the Benin Traditional Council, the BTC said; “The Benin Traditional Council, BTC) wishes to address the public regarding a serious breach of protocol and desecration of the sacred precincts of the Palace, which occurred on Friday, 6 March 2026.

The Council confirms that an individual, Habeeb Hamzat Adelaja, a social media influencer popularly known as “Peller,” gained unauthorized access to the Palace premises on the said date. Mr Adelaja and his entourage entered the Palace without the requisite permission from the Council, and their subsequent conduct caused significant embarrassment and a breach of the peace within the Palace grounds.

The Benin Traditional Council views this incident with the utmost gravity. The Palace is not a public thoroughfare or a location for frivolous content creation; it is the ancient and spiritual seat of the Oba of Benin, governed by centuries of tradition, custom, and sacred protocols.

The Council has conducted a preliminary investigation into the circumstances that allowed this unauthorized access. Consequently, stringent disciplinary measures have been taken against Palace staff and chiefs who aided this mischievous act. Specifically, a Chief who was implicated in the incident has been suspended indefinitely from the Palace. A staff member of the Benin Traditional Council, identified as Mr Omuemu, has been detained by the Nigeria Police Force.

He has been charged to court for causing a breach of the peace and abetting the unauthorized entry. Furthermore, it is with deep regret that the Council confirms that a Queen of the Palace who was unfortunately featured in the incident is now facing serious disciplinary proceedings in accordance with Benin traditions and customs, these proceedings may inadvertently result in her removal from the Palace.

Following the incident, the Council, utilizing the same channels within the palace that facilitated the initial entry, extended an invitation to Mr Habeeb Hamzat Adelaja (Peller). He was requested to appear before a committee of Chiefs tasked with investigating the matter to provide his own side of the story. Regrettably, Mr Adelaja has failed to honor this invitation.

The Council is therefore using this public medium to demand that Mr Adelaja present himself immediately to the relevant authorities within the Council. His unapproved visit has caused untold distress to so many people, and as such, he must tender an unreserved written apology to the Palace for his unauthorized access and the embarrassment caused. Failure to comply with this directive will leave the Council with no option but to pursue legal action. The appropriate Law Enforcement Agencies have been duly informed of this matter and are standing by to take necessary action against him.

The Benin Traditional Council assures the public and the entire Benin nation that it remains the unwavering custodian of our age-old customs and traditions. While unscrupulous elements may occasionally attempt to undermine our sacred Institutions, banking on the fatherly and forgiving disposition of His Royal Majesty, Omo N’Oba N’Edo, Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare Il, CFR, they do so at their peril. The Council wishes to state unequivocally that it possesses the institutional tools to immediately correct such infractions and prevent any reoccurrence. We thank the public for their concern and support in preserving the sanctity and dignity of the Benin throne”.

On November 11, 2025, the believed Crown Prince of Benin Kingdom and the Edaiken waiting for his time to be sent to Uselu, Prince Ezelekhae Ewuare II issued a public statement via his verified Instagram account, and said thus; “Domo Umogun), Hope you’re well. l hoped it would never get like this, especially my father addressing in-house publicly. I have apologised several times before but it seems l need to do it again. I Am SoRRY for how l spoke to you, I’m your son and I’m only human.

You are our father, we all look up to you and love you dearly, so of course, as our King, you can take Crown Prince, Oko n’khua, Prince, Edaiken of Uselu and Ewuare, but please “Laho” leave “Ezelekhae” for me because my Grand Father gave me that name. You raised me with morals, values and integrity. As your son imperatively, one thing you can always count on is that I will tell you what others wouldn’t tell you and speak my opinion on issues that others might be too worried to touch on.

l use this medium to plead, please handle the current situation on ground with sagacity. Our Father is the most fastidious, painstaking and meticulous individual known, so I have almost faith in you. I pray for you always, pray for good health and long life. May God and our Ancestors continue to give you wisdom, guide and protect you always”.

The Prince on December 30, 2025, released another statement via his verified Instagram account and stated that; “Over the last few weeks I’ve received an alarming amount of messages about the welfare of my mother. I really appreciate your concern but rest assured she is being cared for. Before the year ends, I choose to address this simply because I wouldn’t allow false narratives about why my mother isn’t in the palace.

I want to make it very clear; my mother did nothing wrong. Six months ago my youngest brother allegedly barged into the palace wanting to see his father; our father wasn’t happy with his approach. As a result, my mother was told to leave the palace.

Our dear Father, Domo, I would like to use this medium to plead on behalf of your senior children you wouldn’t see — your second son, your third son and your second daughter. Please, whatever our father said they did wrong, please forgive and forget. Time is precious. We want togetherness, not division.

As for me, my own father intentionally chose to compose a speech and talk about his eldest son for a whole five minutes, to wash me publicly over material things — objects, artefacts, a museum, Obaseki.
You said Obaseki co-opted your eldest son

Domo, our father omitted to mention the part where you were aware and gave your blessing for me to be on the Legacy Restoration Trust. It was after I got to Germany that my father then told me on the phone that he had changed his mind about me being on the board. I remember being so befuddled and shocked. There is no way on this earth I would ever be a part of something of this magnitude without getting green light from you, on God and our ancestors.

I tried informing you a few times before I left to Germany, but as our father recalls, you chose to put middlemen in between our direct communication, which meant you never got my message on time. You didn’t give anyone your direct number, so I couldn’t pick up the phone to inform you personally beforehand.

What really caused the issue between my father and I was that while I was in Germany, I overheard my father say unpleasant things about me to a public figure on the phone. I got upset and raised my voice to my father — something I’ve never done in my entire life. Hence why I aforementioned, I’m only human.
Afterwards, I realised the mistake I made. I pleaded and apologised for four years straight, wrote countless remorseful letters, but yet you chose not to forgive and rather keep malice for this long.

I didn’t know you had this kind of mind towards your own son, your first son if I may add. Why not just call and berate/castigate me privately? After all, I said I was sorry several times. After all, no one knew about this but you and I. It was a father and son issue — that was it — something private, sensitive but infinitesimal.

You’ve always taught us not to air our dirty laundry in public, but that teaching went out the window that day in government house. You chose to bring our private business to the public domain, which was so sad and heartbreaking to watch. My senior sister being on stage with you made me question her intentions towards me, and that’s a horrible feeling. If our father feels there was nothing wrong with what was said that day, then who am I to say or think otherwise?

Domo, I’ll deal with however you decide to treat me, but please don’t mistreat our mother. I worry about her sometimes; she’s not as young as she used to be. My mother has done nothing wrong. She has stood by you for years, raised your children with you for years. She’s mother to all, just as you are Father and King to all. Please, she doesn’t deserve this treatment. The year is coming to an end. I’m on my knees, let our mother back into her home. To our leaders, as we enter 2026, I pray for unity, togetherness, progress, development and peace. Positive projection of Edo should be priority!”.