The Odenigbo Royal Household, Akpakwume autonomous neighborhood, Udi Native Authorities Space of Enugu State, on the weekend, referred to as on Governor Peter Mbah to intervene within the continued incarceration of the 86-year-old blind monarch, Igwe Ekwueme Odenigbo.
The royal father was final week remanded in correctional custody alongside his 33-year-old son, Izuchukwu, by an Enugu Justice of the Peace’s Courtroom for alleged arson, promotion of native warfare, and assault on law enforcement officials on lawful obligation.
Youngsters of the monarch, Pastor Solomon Ekwueme and Ozioma Roseline Ekwueme, who addressed newsmen in Enugu, acknowledged that their father was unjustly being held, including that some folks had capitalised on his incapacity to tarnish his character and possibly take away him as their monarch.
Additionally they appealed to the Senator representing Enugu West Senatorial District, Osita Ngwu; the Government Chairman of Udi Native Authorities Space, Hyginus Ogbonnia Agu, and well-meaning Nigerians “to come back to our assist and impact the instant launch of our 86-year-old blind father and our youthful brother from the Nigerian Correctional Heart, Enugu,” stressing that they have been incapable of committing the offences they have been charged with.
Solomon, who got here near tears whereas addressing journalists, acknowledged: “It’s really heartbreaking for us to be referred to as again to Enugu with the information that our aged and blind father, a retired elder within the Redeemed Christian Church of God and the king of a whole neighborhood, has been locked up by the Nigerian Police and charged to a Justice of the Peace’s Courtroom and subsequently despatched to the jail on the behest of a person that has been nothing in need of a terror to all the folks of Akpakwume neighborhood.”
He alleged that some armed youths, led by a member of the cupboard (names withheld), had on December 23, 2024, barged into the palace of our father with over twenty boys bearing weapons, axes, and machetes.
He mentioned, “They tossed our father, the Igwe, round like a bit of rag, held our mom, the Lolo, in a chokehold, beat up some individuals within the compound that attempted to mount resistance, and compelled their manner into our father’s room, taking his certificates of oath, workers of workplace, and royal crown.
“Additionally they made away with a few of our father’s portraits, official stamp, and large quantities of cash amassed from donations for the deliberate cupboard inauguration of his new Igwe-In-Council scheduled for the thirty first of December 2024, and money presents from his topics for the Christmas festivities, in addition to money that was safeguarded in our father’s room by us, his kids.
“He claimed that the Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, and the Commissioner for Native Authorities, Rural Improvement and Chieftaincy Affairs, Deacon Okey Ogbodo, had dethroned our father and licensed him to hold out this motion. It is a determination the folks of Akpakwume are but to obtain any formal communication about to this date, and so they have by no means heard any announcement from the Governor or Commissioner substantiating it.”
However in a swift response, the Commissioner, Deacon Ogbodo, acknowledged that the monarch was undermining the state authorities and its financial pursuits and had due to this fact been suspended indefinitely.
He alleged that the monarch gave authorisation to an organization, Eta-Zuma Mining Firm, to mine locally with out the state authorities’s data and approval, stressing that it amounted to taking part in double requirements and inflicting a disaster in his neighborhood.
Ogbodo acknowledged that the state authorities had reached an understanding with all communities with mineral sources, including that the monarch promoted the disaster locally by authorising mining that led to the burning of homes locally not too long ago.
He mentioned the state authorities had recovered the certificates of oath and workers of workplace issued to the monarch.
However Solomon insisted that his blind royal father by no means authorised any mining locally and by no means requested any member of the neighborhood to destroy or set property ablaze.
“We want to make it identified that our father, the Igwe, has by no means engaged in something of this nature. Our neighborhood has had a proposal delivered to the Igwe from Eta-Zuma Mining Firm Ltd. This proposal was what led to the rumours that the Igwe had granted consent for mining actions illegally.
“It’s on report and with proof that our father, the Igwe, wrote a letter concerning this subject on December 3, 2024, to the Zonal Coordinator, Mining Cadastre Workplace, Southeast Zone, titled: Re: Denial of Consent to Eta-Zuma Mining Firm by Akpakwume Group.
“One other letter on this regard was additionally written previous to the primary one, addressed to the Commissioner, Ministry of Native Authorities, Rural Improvement, and Chieftaincy Affairs, on November 26, 2024, titled: Affirmation of My Full Help for the Improvement Agenda of Our Expensive Governor, His Excellency, Dr Peter Mbah, and Reaffirmation of My Cooperation with the State Authorities within the Matter of Stable Minerals Exploitation/Exploration in My Group.
“All these letters have been addressed to totally different authorities workplaces and are open for public consumption. Our father has by no means and can by no means encourage this type of exercise. These allegations aren’t solely damaging and malicious however are additionally depraved and purely devised to break his hard-earned fame,” he acknowledged.
Interesting to Governor Mbah to come back to their assist and nip the problem within the bud earlier than it turns into worse, he added: “Our father is a sick, 86-year-old blind man with no capability to inflict damage on anybody. He has confronted every kind of tribulations by the hands of a cupboard member and his cohorts. Our brother is under no circumstances an individual of violence and wouldn’t interact within the actions he has been accused of. We’re calling on well-meaning Nigerians to hitch their voices with ours and name on the federal government to launch our father and brother from jail.”
The monarch and his son, who have been summoned by the police following a petition from Chief Livinus Okolo that he allegedly incited youths to burn his home amongst different property, spent 4 days in police custody earlier than being arraigned at a Justice of the Peace’s Courtroom on January 16.
When contacted, Chief Okolo acknowledged that he determined to petition the police as a result of he was the sufferer of the youth’s restiveness locally, which claimed a number of properties, together with his duplex and a development website. He claimed the irate youths have been working for the monarch.
He mentioned the monarch was working in opposition to the structure of the neighborhood and refused to hearken to the voice of motive, including that the legislation would take its course within the matter.
