From Uchenna Inya, Abakaliki
The struggle over who occupies the traditional stool of Nkomoro community in Ezza North Local Government Area of Ebonyi State has turned bloody with many properties destroyed.
The people of the community have been at war for four months over the traditional stool.
However, the tussle became more fierce last Saturday when a mob burnt houses, motorcycles, tricycles and other properties, while some of the properties were looted by the mob when some government officials came to instal a former resident electoral commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Chief Jacob Nwakpa, as the traditional ruler of the community, which did not go down well with the youths of the area
The mob attacked security agents, including policemen and soldiers, and destroyed their operational vehicles.
They also attacked journalists who came to cover the event. The journalists include Uchenna Inya, the state correspondent of The Sun, and Godwin Oguta and Chinelo Okoro of Radio Nigeria Unity FM, Abakaliki. The hoodlums smashed the windscreen of Inya’s corolla car.
Trouble started when Chika Igboke, the coordinator of Imoha Development Centre, addressed the people with a paper in his hand that he was instructed to instal Chief Nwakpa as the traditional ruler of the community, who the people have been opposing for the stool.
The youths, who gathered in their numbers for the election and installation of a new traditional ruler of the community, started raising their voices and hands against Igboke after he addressed them.
It was at that time that a member of the community appeared with a paper, which he said was a court order and pleaded that Nwakpa should not be installed as the traditional ruler pending the determination of the matter by the court.
While the member of the community was talking, Nwakpa was taken by the corner and installed.
Nwakpa and wife were brought down from his SUV and installed as traditional ruler in a place very close to where the vehicle that conveyed him to the area was parked, which was also close to where the youths were their raising voices.
After Nwakpa’s coronation, the youths started destroying cars in the area, leading to Nwakpa and his wife being smuggled out of the area by security agents. The youths moved inside the community and burnt Nwakpa’s house. His relatives and everyone who had a handshake with him when he was installed were not spared.
Meanwhile, some members of the community immediately issued a statement after the incident.
The statement was signed by Hon. Samuel Noko, councillor, Nkomoro ward; Livinus Eze, traditional prime minister of the community; Obiora Ezaka, acting town union president of the community; Prophet Cletus Igwe, Ezeogo contestant (Orizor clan); and Chief Joseph Oganyi, Ezeogo contestant (Oriuzor clan).
The community leaders said “that the High Court of Ebonyi State in Suit No. HNK/18/2024 between MR. OKWUDIRI AGBOM & ANOR VS CHIEF JACOB NWAKPA & 6 ORS made an order on the 10/06/2024 restraining all the respondents from carrying out coronation of the first defendant as the traditional ruler of Nkomoro community said was dully served on all the defendants.
“That we got the wind of purported coronation on the 16/06/2024 of the first respondent in total violation of the order; we quickly wrote to the commissioner of police, Ebonyi, and also went to have a personal discussion with her and she informed us that she is not aware of any coronation of any sort and that nobody informed her of any coronation in Nkomoro community.
“That on the 16/6/2024, we got information that Chief Jacob Nwakpa and his brothers had mobilized some thugs to Nkomoro community in a bid to coronate himself as the traditional ruler of Nkomoro community, which made some people to come and attempted to resist them and Chief Jacob Nwakpa got angry and unleashed his thugs on the innocent people of Nkomoro community.
“The duty of full disclosure and civic responsibility that we owe the general public and, in particular, the peace-loving people of Ebonyi State compels us to address you on this sad day in Nkomoro community on the following details:
“The people of Nkomoro community vehemently condemn the desecration of their land today by Jacob Nwakpa, Ifeanyi Nwakpa, Amechi Nwakpa, Emeka Nwakpa as led by Mr. Uchenna Igwe (Ebonyi State commissioner for local government & chieftancy matters) and Mr. Innocent Chikodili Nomeh who invaded the community today in an unsuccessful attempt to coronate/impose their stooge as the traditional ruler of Nkomoro.
“It is on record that the peace-loving members of Nkomoro had before now through multiple channels of communication alerted the public and expressed their rejection of the clandestine moves and attempts to impose a traditional ruler on them but the evil perpetrators refused to relent.
“That, pursuant to agony and outcry of the people of Nkomoro, we approached the court to ventilate our grievances. Upon the court’s intervention, an order of interim injunction was issued to restrain all parties and maintain the status quo, pending the determination of all issues before the court.
“However, the evil group, led by Uchhena Igwe and Mr. Innocent Chikaodili Nomeh, persisted in their machinations and arrived at Nkomoro this morning to allegedly coronate a person as Ezeogo without any form of election.
“We, therefore, categorically state that the action of Mr. Jacob Nwakpa, Ifeanyi Nwakpa, Amechi Nwakpa, Emeka Nwakpa, in connivance with Mr. Uchhena Igwe and Mr. Innocent Chikaodili Nomeh, is capable of igniting crisis in Nkomoro and should be condemned outrightly.”
Meanwhile, the community has been deserted. The people of the area are now in their neighbouring Ogboji. They left the community for fear of arrest and harassment by security agents who were attacked and who vowed that they would go back to the community and look for their vehicles’ windscreens that were smashed by the mob.
It was gathered that some of the youths who perpetrated the attack have travelled out of the state. Some of them came from other states for the election and installation of a new traditional ruler of the community and were not happy that their choice was not allowed to emerge. This infuriated them and they carried out the attacks and destruction and travelled back to their bases.
