Okpoama, in Brass: It was a moment of a roll call of dignitaries in Okpoama, in Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, as the Anambra State Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, buried his uncle, Chief Emmanuel Solomon Beredugo Elie, amid celebration and thanksgiving for a life well spent.
The community of Okpoama in the Niger Delta was lit up and agog with dignitaries who travelled from across the globe to pay condolence visits to the family of Dr. Ikioye Orutugu, Commissioner of Police, Anambra State Command, over the death of his maternal uncle, Chief Emmanuel Solomon Beredugo Elie.
Elie was born on June 3, 1942, to Grace Tonbio Beredugo and Solomon Fonibiene Beredugo.
He died on November 5, 2025, at the age of 83.
Speaking during the funeral rites on Saturday in Okpoama, Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, Orutugu urged Nigerian youths to take ownership of their future and never give up on life irrespective of the challenges they face.
He said that as a growing boy, he had a clear vision of what he wanted for his life and remained focused and determined to achieve a bright future.
“I am where I am today because I took ownership of my life and worked very hard for a brighter future.
“Over 40 years ago, I made a deliberate decision to change the narrative of the environment I was born into and embarked on a studious mission.
“I employed hard work, commitment, determination, honesty, and patriotism in developing myself without engaging in sharp practices,” he said.
Orutugu assured the youths that if they follow the right path in life by shunning practices that do not promote peaceful coexistence and progress, a brighter future would be assured.
He attributed his life’s success to his late uncle, Elie, whom he described as his mentor, not only in his personal life but also in his intellectual development, especially in the pursuit of collecting information, studying, and writing about past history as an independent historian.
Orutugu said Elie was a man of notable intellect, sociability, and organisational ability whose influence extended across various spheres of community life.
According to him, Elie’s early years were marked by adversity as he lost his father at the age of six. Despite the setback and lack of financial resources for formal education, he demonstrated remarkable resilience and determination from an early age.
Orutugu encouraged the youths to emulate the zeal of his uncle and remain committed to self-development and professional advancement.
He said his description of Elie relied on testimonies, documentary evidence, and collective memory used to reconstruct his life and contributions, which portray a man deeply involved in community development.
Orutugu added that Elie obtained his Standard Six education at Saint Paul’s Primary School, Okpoama, and later earned the London General Certificate of Education. He described this as a bold achievement and urged the people of Okpoama Kingdom to sustain the spirit of community service demonstrated by Elie.
He further urged the people to be guided by Elie’s progressive ideas, which he said would continue to resonate within the Okpoama Kingdom and humanity at large.
He appealed to the people to uphold community leadership and cultural advocacy, values for which his uncle Elie was well known.
The Commissioner of Police said Elie was married to his first wife of 53 years, Naomi Erefahha (now late), and later to his second wife, Bodisere. The marriages produced 18 children and over 30 grandchildren, as well as several relatives, including his sister, Lady Biodoumonye Comfort Adigio Eseni, in-laws, nieces, and nephews, including Orutugu himself.
Speaking on behalf of the Association of Federal Heads of Establishments in Anambra State, Chief Arthur Mbuba of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security urged the community to emulate the legacies of the late Elie.
Mbuba said the testimonies from the community and Orutugu confirmed that the late Elie lived a productive life and urged the people to sustain his legacy.
He also encouraged the Anambra State Commissioner of Police, who is a member of the Association of Federal Heads of Establishments, to continue building on the positive legacy left behind by his uncle.
Dr. Blessing Ogbonna, Chairperson of the association, said the group came to pay their condolences because Orutugu had displayed rare humility in service and in public relations.
Ogbonna said the life of the deceased is a huge inspiration to many and called on the people to live transformational lives that would help build a safe and healthy society.
Mr. Emmanuel Muoka, Anambra State Commissioner representing the Public Complaints Commission, described death as inevitable and urged the public to live lives worthy of emulation.
The burial rites also featured rich cultural displays, including a novelty football match between the Okpoama Kingdom Council of Chiefs and the Twon Kingdom Council of Chiefs, held in memory of the late A.K.A. “Complete.
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