The people of Ogwuaniocha community in Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State have vowed not to recognize their “exiled” monarch, who they identified as Igwe Oliver Nnaji if he resurfaces back into the community.
South-East PUNCH correspondent gathered that the said “exiled” monarch has been missing since November 2021, when some hoodlums invaded his palace and allegedly whisked him away and his whereabouts are yet unknown.
Findings also showed that the development led to the emergence of another monarch, a situation that has continued to cause a series of crises, emanating from different factions and groups, thereby bringing both commercial and economic activities in the community to a standstill in the last three years.
While it was gathered from some of the locals that the missing monarch went into “exile,” others believed he must have been feared killed as he had been missing for three years.
But while addressing a town hall meeting in the community, on Monday, the Secretary, Odua (Igwe) in-council, Chief Isadebe Sunday, said tension was presently brewing in the community over the rumoured return of the monarch through the backdoors. It was gathered that members of the Odua(Igwe)-in-council are the kingmakers in the community.
Speaking to journalists at the end of their meeting, Sunday said the meeting was called to douse the tension generated by the rumours making the rounds in the community, as well as declare the position of the community over the development.
He alleged that the relatives, family members, and supporters of the missing monarch who are behind the rumours are pleading that the monarch be accorded a “rousing reception” and be allowed to rule for three years when he returns to the community.
Sunday said, “Yes, the camp of the missing monarch is begging that the community should join them to receive Igwe Oliver Nnaji, who has been missing or exiled for three years now. They said he should be allowed back into our community and be allowed to continue to rule us for the next three years to be able to restore peace which has eluded the community.
“But some time ago, they had already told us that the missing monarch was dead. So how come they are now begging the community that the ‘dead’ should rule the living? It means they are suffering the people for nothing because it means he is alive and they know where he is staying. His wife, Ngozi Nnaji, should be made to explain the whereabouts of her husband (the exiled monarch) instead of telling us he was ‘whisked away’ by hoodlums.
“These showed that all they have been saying concerning the missing monarch are lies, those that will welcome him on his purported arrival should be his cohorts and not the entire community because we already have our Igwe-elect and he is Igwe Ogidiga Ogana.
“Our monarch-elect, Ogana, and some others were initially and falsely accused of masterminding the whisking away of the missing monarch, but he was freed based on a no-case submission in the court.
“Presently they have earmarked 17 people to plead for their support for the missing monarch’s recognition on his arrival. They claimed that any member of the Odua-in-council who did not come to welcome him on his arrival should be arrested and termed one of the masterminds of the missing monarch.
“The missing monarch can never be recognized by us when he returns, because he never went through due process to become the king and we urge the state governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo to come to our rescue by averting this imminent tension by restoring peace in Ogwuaniocha community.”
Also, a former Igweship candidate of the community, Chief Christopher Obumselu, said, “I was the one the community wanted to make king before the missing monarch, Oliver Nnaji, objected and I and others who were contesting were asked to withdraw for peace to reign.
“There is lobbying and intrigues for us to join hands in welcoming the missing monarch who was presumed dead, back to our community, and those who refuse will be termed opposition and arrested. His people know his whereabouts, that he is alive and not dead; if not why are they pleading that we join in welcoming him to continue to rule us when he didn’t go through the normal process to be monarch.”
In his contribution, one of the community leaders, Ogana Anthony Obidigbo, reiterated that he cannot be deterred by the antics of the opposition and those oppressing defenceless people in the community.
He said, “I was detained even before the alleged killing of the monarch and by the grace of God, released and just about a month ago. I was arrested by Police on the allegation by the opposition in the Diaspora that I was among those who killed the monarch but police after an investigation found that I was innocent of the offence and they released me.
“I was arrested for refusing to accept the missing monarch as Igwe, we are 17 persons earmarked to accept or be arrested. If he comes back as they are claiming, it is good so he will repair the damages he has caused. When I was arrested, I asked them how I can accept someone they said had died to be my monarch, and how he can take back the Igweship stool.
“Those who are pleading that we accept him as king if he comes back are his cohorts. No fewer than 40 innocent people have been arrested in this case of missing or dead Igweship saga. We plead with Governor Soludo and security operatives to prevail on the wife of the missing monarch, Ngozi Nnaji, to disclose where the husband is staying. Why are they asking us to allow the monarch to return when they accused us of killing him?”
Another member of Odua-in-council, Chief Oliver Nwabugwu, said he will never recognize the missing monarch if he returns as rumoured.
“I can’t welcome him if he resurrects when his family and cohorts accused us of being behind his missing. That means he is somewhere while innocent ones are being incarcerated in detention facilities. I can’t welcome him as my king, he is not my king and I don’t know when he was enthroned as a king,” he fumed.
But in a swift reaction when contacted, a member of Igwe Nnaji cabinet, Chief Uche Osinwa, said, “These people making all these claims are the ones masterminding the crisis in our community. They masterminded the attack on our authentic monarch and are using every tactic to thwart justice in the court of law.
“We are only interested in the return of peace to our community and we are engaging in every means to ensure peace because the community has been in crisis since the missing of the authentic monarch three years ago.”
