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The police in Anambra State have sealed the palace of the factional monarch of Awka community, His Majesty, Eze Uzu III, Chief Austin Ndigwe.
It was gathered that Ndigwe was getting ready to hold the celebration of the New Yam Festival on Saturday when the police stormed his palace and sealed the premises.
Ndigwe had sent invitations to politicians, monarchs, journalists and others to witness the festival.
Invitations sent out had read, ‘You are invited to the OTITE AWKA 2022 (Iri Ji Ofuu) festival of Awka Ancient Kingdom by the Obi of Awka Kingdom, His Imperial Majesty, Ozo Dr Austin Ndigwe. Date is Saturday 10th September 2022, by 11am, at the palace of the monarch.”
Sources said some notable monarchs were already at the palace at about 11am when police and military men arrived at the palace and sealed it.
“The policemen and soldiers chased everyone out of the palace, shooting canisters of tear gas. There was pandemonium when they started shooting,” the source said.
A policeman said they were acting on orders from above.
The spokesperson for the state police command, DSP Toochukwu Ikenga, said he was not aware of any order to seal off the palace.
The traditional stool of Awka Kingdom has for a few years been in a tussle after some influential members of the community claimed they had dethroned the monarch, Eze Uzu II, Igwe Gibson Nwosu.
But the state Commissioner for Information, Paul Nwosu, insisted that the only recognised traditional ruler of Awka remained Nwosu. He warned Ndigwe to desist from parading himself as the monarch. He said the state would not hesitate to sanction any impostor.
The commissioner in a statement said, “For the avoidance of doubt, the state government wishes to state emphatically that the only recognised traditional ruler of Awka is Igwe Obi Gibson Nwosu, Eze Uzu II of Awka, whose recognition by the state government has not been withdrawn and he is the only one empowered by Section 15 of the Traditional Rulers Law of Anambra State 2007 to preside over such festivals or carry out any of the function of a traditional ruler in Awka.”
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