The Eldest Nteje man warns of crisis, insists Igwe Aborgu III is for Ifite(Videos included)

 

Ifite Nteje Elders have lauded the Anambra State Governor, Prof. Charles Soludo for the various giant strides he has taken in uplifting the image of Anambra and promoting peace and harmony in the communities. In a paper delivered by the elders during a press conference in Ifite Nteje, the elders noted that when the governor was elected, “our people heaved a sigh of relief given your antecedents and way of life. True to type, you have lived up to expectations. All we pray for is maximum support from the entire people of Anambra State because we have never had it so good”.

In an open letter to the governor, the elders said they have, “critically and religiously followed development strides in the state, particularly in the areas of safe guarding lives, property, infrastructural developments and the way you handled conflict resolutions. Your Excellency, it is on this premise that we the peace-loving people of Ifite Nteje have decided to run to your protection for peace to reign in our community”.

The elders said, “we have three quarters in Nteje, namely, Ezi, Ikenga and Ifite Nteje. Our constitution recommends rotation of Igweship stool for peaceful running of the community. The Ezi Nteje quarter has taken its turn through Late Igwe Sam Nnaemeka, Aborgu I”.  In the statement, the Elders noted, “the Ikenga Nteje has also taken its turn through late Igwe Rowland Odegbo, Aborgu II, though during his tenure, Ikenga, had internal problems due to selfish interests which have nothing to with the entire Nteje community”.

 

The Ifite Nteje custodians added, “an usurper called Charles Aduaka who never participated in the election decided to take Igwe Rowland Odegbo to court. The case was undecided in the Supreme Court when the Igwe Odegbo passed on. It is on record that when Ikenga quarter had the primaries Mr. Charles Aduaka never participated, he did not even purchase a form because he was a civil servant working with NEPA which disqualified him from participating. Ikenga Quarter had only three aspirants and Igwe Rowland Odegbo won overwhelmingly and was given the staff of office as the Igwe Aborgu II of Nteje”.

According to the elders, Ikenga has had its turn through late Roland Odegbo, Igwe Aborgu II of Nteje, insisting that it is now, “the turn of Ifite Nteje to produce the next traditional ruler of Nteje, Aborgu III, as stipulated by the constitution of Nteje. The selection process was already on and we have screened eight aspirants when eventually, Mr. Charles Aduaka through proxies surfaced from nowhere to cause confusion in Nteje community. There is no doubt that this move by Mr. Aduaka may lead to chaos or blood bath in Nteje as Ifite is charged and ready to resist any plan to impose any other person as Igwe Aborgu III of Nteje apart from a bonafide Ifite indigene”.

The elders pleaded, “Your Excellency, we pray that you summon this trouble maker called Charles Aduaka, to know his problems or those who are behind him. The entire Nteje Community views his actions as an outrage capable of splitting the entire community and setting Anambra State on fire. We have consulted our people far and wide both at home and in diaspora, they are all of the opinion that Charles Aduaka’s ambition is to split Nteje Community into two by using the same unscrupulous youths who they used in selling people’s ancestral lands to cause fracas in Ifite Nteje Community”.

In a written statement jointly signed by Mazi Onyekwe Akwuba, Uyammadu Amakom, and Joseph Okolougo and issued to the press, the elders went down the memory lane to buttress the veracity of Ifite claims to the Igweship of Nteje. According to Mazi Onyekwe Akwuba (the oldest man in Nteje and an Ifite indigene), Uyammadu Amakom (the Chairman Ojiana Ifite) and Joseph Okolougo (the Secretary Ifite Elders), the position of the Traditional Ruler of the town is governed by Nteje Constitution Part X of the Article 3 which states, “the Chieftaincy stool is not hereditary but rotational and is not debatable.

“Ezi Nteje produced HRH Igwe S.A.C Nnaemeka Aborgu I. He reigned from 1976 to 2007. Ikenga Nteje enthroned HRH Igwe Rowland Madukolu Odegbo Aborgu II. He ruled for 12 years from 2010 to 2022 and within this period, he was the Secretary of Traditional Rulers’ Council Anambra State and the Chairman Anambra North Traditional Rulers’ Council. He celebrated his last Ofala on the 11 / 1 / 2022. The front page of last Ofala Brochure and Certificate of Recognition are attached as “A2” and “A3”. In the order of rotation, it is now the turn of Ifite Nteje to produce the Traditional Ruler of Nteje (Aborgu III). “On 26/8/2023 we set up a 15-man Screening and Selection Committee of the Igweship Stool. Their letter of appointment is attached as “A4”. This is in accordance with Part X of Article 4 of NDU Constitution. The Committee has started the work and has screened eight aspirants and fixed 27/4/2024 for the election. The election was subsequently suspended because one of the aspirant’s younger brother of about 45 years old was gruesomely murdered in cold blood by unknown persons. This ugly incident happened on 25/4/2024, two days before the election.

“Later however, we were reliably informed that some unknown Ifite Nteje persons wrote that, “Ifite Nteje people have voluntarily relinquished their Igweship position to Ikenga Nteje”. On that pretext, Charles Emenogha Aduaka from Ikenga Nteje was presented to the Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Community Affairs and to the Department of State Security (DSS) for screening and vetting. “We vehemently oppose and categorically state that we have not mandated anybody to write such letter. Anyone or anybody who has done so is a deceiver, a forger and an interloper. He should be arrested and prosecuted. Ikenga Nteje has had its turn through HRH Igwe Rowland Madukolu Odegbo. HRH Odegbo was not removed, dethroned nor had his certificate of recognition withdrawn by the governor as recognized traditional ruler of Nteje under Section 10 of the Traditional Rulers’ Law of Anambra State 2007. Ikenga Nteje is not permitted by the Nteje Development Union’s (NDU),rules to take the turn of Ifite Nteje.

“Igweship stool in Nteje is constitutionally rotational. Any matter concerning it must be handled in accordance with its provision. Anything that needs to be altered or changed must be by an amendment. No such amendment has been made. Therefore, any oral or written letter or agreement contrary to the rotational provision of NDU Constitution is null, void and of no effect.

“Part II of Section 4 (d) Traditional Rulers’ Law of Anambra state 2007 states that, “the governor shall not recognize any person as a traditional ruler of a town or community unless the governor is satisfied that such person is not a full-time public servant in the public service of the state. Charles Emenogha Aduaka is from Ikenga Nteje. He was not qualified to participate during the Ikenga period of Igweship selection because he was a full-time public servant working under the National Electricity Power Authority (NEPA) now Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, (EEDC). “Moreover, Part X Article 4 of the NDU Constitution states as follows: – (a). At this internal state of selection, a period of one month is given to a quarter to select an Igwe and present him to the people of Nteje. (b). Selection of an Igwe by a quarter shall be done in the best traditional manner, custom and usage.

“Charles Emenogha Aduaka did not participate in the internal arrangement to produce Igwe Aborgu II of Ikenga Nteje extraction. He did not obtain the application form neither was he screened by the Selection Committee of Ikenga Nteje. Three persons who became candidates after screening under Ikenga internal arrangement were Chief Rowland Odegbo, Chief Ikechukwu Okechukwu and Chief Peter Uyanwa. In their election: (1). Chief Ikechukwu Okechukwu scored 2 votes (2). Chief Peter Uyanwa scored 6 votes (3). Chief Rowland Odegbo scored 16 votes. Charles Emenogha Aduaka was not part of the election. He was not qualified ab initio.

“On 12/7/2010, Charles Emenogha Aduaka commenced a civil action against HRH Igwe Rowland Madukolu Odegbo in Suit No. OT/35/2010. On 18/6/2018 he obtained an Interlocutory order restraining HRH Igwe Rowland Madukolu Odegbo from parading, holding himself in any manner whatsoever as a traditional ruler, Igwe Aborgu II of Nteje, pending the hearing and determination of the Suit. HRH appealed against the ruling, from the Court of Appeal to the Supreme Court. The Appeal in the Supreme Court was not concluded before his demise on 2/11/2021. Charles Emenogha Aduaka’s Counsel Okwudili Anozie Esq with Boo Philips for Respondents / Applicants withdrew the Appeal in the Supreme Court and the same was struck out.

“Meanwhile, the substantive suit of HRH Igwe Rowland Madukolu Odegbo’s selection, presentation and recognition has not started. These main issues were left by Charles Emenogha Aduaka in the High Court of Otuocha Judicial Division, Otuocha. He was chasing the shadows of interlocutory orders. He did not get any judgment in his favour. Neither was Rowland Madukolu Odegbo removed as Traditional Ruler of Nteje.  “On all the aforementioned facts, we humbly demand to know the justification behind the presentation of Charles Emenogha Aduaka by the Commissioner of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Community Affairs to the Department of State Security (DSS) for screening and vetting for the post of Aborgu III of Nteje. Part II of Section 3,4,5 and 6 of the Traditional Rulers’ Law of Anambra State 2007 stipulates the procedure for such presentation.

“The commissioner did not follow or abide by any of these statutory provisions. He is implicitly in a hurry to carry out a hatchet job. The outcome of the screening and vetting therefore will amount to nothing. The mere fact that Charles Emenogha Aduaka took HRH Igwe Rowland Madukolu Odegbo to court is not automatic ticket for his qualification to the throne. None of the courts gave any judgment, order, ruling or pronouncement that the Igweship stool of Aborgu II of Nteje should be given to Charles Emenogha Aduaka. We therefore, with utmost humility, seek the timely intervention of the Governor of Anambra State on the following:

• Stop immediately the looming crisis that may lead to the destruction of lives and properties in Ifite and Nteje as a whole.
• Stop the potential fight and bickering between Ifite and Ikenga Nteje that may lead to bloodshed and loss of lives.
• Restrain Charles Emenogha Aduaka from contesting or participating in election of Igwe Aborgu III of Nteje or anybody from Ezi Nteje or Ikenga Nteje.
• Stop, cancel and disregard the screening and vetting exercise conducted in favour of Charles Emenogha Aduaka.
• Approve and declare that it is the turn of Ifite Nteje to produce the Traditional Ruler of Nteje.
• Provide a conducive environment for peaceful, free and fair conduct of election of Aborgu III of Nteje.
• Mandate the Commissioner of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Community Affairs or any other officer of the State Government to monitor the election of the Traditional Ruler of Nteje.
• Engage the Special Adviser on Security Affairs to the Governor of Anambra State and the Anambra Vigilante Group (AVG) to protect the candidates, the electorates and the result of the election of the Igwe Aborgu III of Nteje”.

Ifite is battle-ready as Igwe succession dispute, insecurity top the Press Conference Agenda

“By means of the briefing, the Ifite elders and the people seek the notice and quick intervention of Anambra State Government. Ifite wants all tiers of governments in Nigeria and indeed the security agencies to understand that Ifite Nteje is facing imminent explosion if there are no immediate interventions. The villagers claimed that they, “can no longer endure denial of right to kingship of Nteje and relentless violence in which many youths of the villages have been murdered, maimed and properties of unquantifiable sum destroyed by agents and proxies of anti-Ifite elements and those who invaded the farmlands and appropriated them”. Some of the villagers who spoke to the journalists claimed that, “the unnecessary controversies over the Igwe were tactics of keeping Ifite disorganised and distracted to avoid imminent actions against scandalous auctioning of the village land by the scammers”. The concerned Ifite indigenes noted with dismay the way the villagers have been “relentlessly terrorised either by the violence of proxies of those who are repressing Ifite or by the Police”.

The roots of the brewing crisis in Ifite Nteje

According to an account made available to Stadt, “things started falling apart, visibly, around 2013 when ill-disposed members of Ifite were inspired by external elements and/or motley scammers to embark on fraudulent land deals. The vast Ifite farm lands were invaded by armies of unprincipled investors”. The allegedly, “corrupt investors were sealing undone deals from faceless land scammers. There were attempts at clear conquest of due processes in the regulations concerning land, yet the land grabbers proceeded. The whole deals were chaotic, imprudent and unsustainable. There were valid objections and vigorous reactions against the illegalities by Ifite people”.

“Violence started and spread as reactions to, and became measures of stampede on all those who raised alarm over the invasions and the abnormal land deals. The violence was to stampede the critics and opponents of the imprudent business into submission. Houses were destroyed, properties worth millions were wrecked, many were either wounded or killed and others who cannot withstand the atrocities went into exiles, thus Ifite was substantially deserted to the frolics of the dare devils. There was a reign of terror, a deliberate campaign of violence, unilateral wars against the forces of good and virtues of the villagers. Parts of the abominable acts of horrendous violence included: murdering, beating, humiliating and/or flogging of elders of the communities that spoke against the Alu. There were stories of “some elders of Ifite who were forced to take oaths of secrecy under active threats of machete cuts. The objectives of the oaths included consent to the abhorrent land deals, concealments of the conspirators and brotherhood in the crimes etc. The elders that stood on the way of the waves of the evils never lived longer to narrate their ordeals as many died as direct results of the brute-like tortures. Threats of imminent violence, fear of maltreatment, rape were used to scatter the villagers and drive them away from their homes. The violence, the destructions of lives and properties were used by the felons to compromise or face out opposition to the conspiracy”.

Stadt gathered that all brands of “violence were parts of terror tactics by the land thieves and the collaborators to compromise the commitment of those protesting the manner in which the ancestral land belonging to Ifite were secretly and criminally auctioned”. According to the source, “between 2017 and 2022 the following Ifite youths were allegedly murdered either by the land thieves or the proxies: Chinweze Ibefuna (Amansii Village), Sunday Obika (Agwa Village), Udoka Charles Obi (Akamanato Village), Chukwuma Ezeana (Orukabia), Oluebube Aniukwu (Akamanato Village), Paul Amuoku (Amakpu Agwa) and Edwin Ogboh (Amaokpo Orukabia Village). Still in the mortuaries are the corpses of the victims. The Ifite youths were murdered in cold blood because of their uncompromising stance against the evil men that invaded the land. These corpses in the mortuary are waiting for justice”.

The Police and local authorities failed Ifite Nteje.

Stadt learnt that, “Ifite Nteje parades the best and the brightest in Nteje but the virtues of right reasoning and actions of the well-meaning indigenes were no match to the fire-powers of the unfaithful indigenes who were co-opted, corrupted and armed by men and women of evil”. And that “these fickle sons and daughters of Ifite, literally, sold their consciences and became potent tools to those who were determined to enslave them and their kinsmen. By means of active violence, those who ‘grandeur’ in the enslavement of their kinsmen than in their dignity and honour continued to overrun Ifite without intervention by the civil and security authorities in Anambra state”. “The police and all manners of corrupt security agents continued to feed fat on the villagers by means of the millions of naira’s worth of illegal payments by relatives of the victims of false charges. Nteje town as a whole is suffering and Ifite is crushed. Those behind the invasions and the auctioning of the land in Ifite are leaving no stone unturned to the ensure that the town remains destabilised as a means of preventing organised action against their objectionable crimes”.

Stadt was told that, “recently there was Nteje Town Union election, and that the alleged thieves through conspiracies and deliberate violence imposed their candidates, and in the corrupt processes made their proxies winners”. According to a respondent who wanted to be identified as Chidi from Egbegwu, Ezi Nteje, “today, the President General of Nteje Development Union (NDU) acts like a traitorous errand runner-in-Chief for an unscrupulous boss”. And Mazi Nwalioba from Umuazi said, “I concurred with the statement that the NDU President Nnamdi Ilodiuba in compliance with the instructions from someone called Omelora does everything to create disorder in Nteje and to ensure that the town remains continually subverted”.

Nnamdi Fabian Uwadiegwu Obi, an alleged mastermind of crisis in Ifite narrates how Nnamdi Ilodiuba, the  President General NDU testified against Ifite Nteje and saved him from being punished for the alleged crimes.

A vast majority of those responding to Stadt said they believed that “the emergence of Nnamdi Ilodiuba as Nteje President General was another unfortunate tragedy in Nteje. Ilodiuba is corrupt, confused, untrustworthy and self-undermined. Like one with rope on his neck, he has shown willingness to obey the commands of anti-Ifite elements and those determined to ruin Nteje. The climax of the absurdities were traitorous moves by the Ilodiuba to deny Ifite Nteje the right to produce the next Igwe Nteje as stipulated by Nteje constitution. The President General in the efforts to please his bosses conspired and faked the consent of Ifite people to transfer the right of Ifite to Kingship of the town to one Charles Aduaka from Ikenga”. Ifenco said, “to confirm that Ilodiuba is hazardous, the Anambra State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs Collins Nwabunne in a visit to Ifite told us in Amaokpo Orukabi that he was deceived by the PG Mr. Nnamdi Ilodiuba in submitting Charles Aduaka’s name to DSS for screening as the new Igwe elect for Nteje”.

Ifenco further stated that “now Ubili villagers are protesting because the Ilodiuba went to Police and took on bail the evil elements or the intolerable people in the village that created lots of problems for them. These people were handed over to the police for their various roles in destabilisation of Ubili. It was the Ubili community that asked that the criminals be detained by the Police but Nnamdi Ilodiuba went and released them”.

For those Stadt interacted with in Ifite, “the actions of Ilodiuba of recent were weighty embarrassment to Nteje as a whole”. A respondent known as Akajiuba presented to Stadt a letter of protest presented to the NDU President requesting explanations of the actions and utterances the villagers interpreted to be anti-Ifite. The protest letter reads: NDU President General Sir,

“Ifite Nteje is worried, seeks clarity on your actions and positions on various Ifite challenges.

It is a known fact that the Ifite Nteje community just like other communities in Nteje, played a vital role in your emergence as the PG of Nteje Aborgu. Prominent sons and daughters of Ifite Nteje have been working towards the development of our beloved town, at least for a change and see to the success of your administration. Today we felt stabbed at the back and shall not allow it to continue unchecked.

The people of Ifite have not only been unhappy but deeply shocked by your actions and positions on various severe challenges confronting the 5 villages. Today, Ifite seemed denuded and dragged around on the dusts of insecurity. As the Chief Security Officer of the Town, we have severally called on you for leadership and intervention but the responses from you have in the most part discouraging and inconsistent. Your actions and body language gave us reasons to believe that you are implicitly part and parcel of the Ifite problems.

You may not be pleased to learn that you are now seen as a tool deployed by anti- Ifite elements to get the villages destabilised and by extension to ground Nteje. We, the representatives from Agwa, Akamanato, Amasii, Orukabi and Umuejiofor were mandated by the elders and the people of Ifite to ask for clarifications of the following confusing actions by you”.

Insecurity    

“Ifite people have been in a deadly battle against anti-Ifite elements using proxies to introduce and spread violence in the villages. The violence is for the purposes of destabilising the villages and keeping them disunited. It is both surprising and painful that these agents of evil publicly boast of the support the Nteje President General gives them. There were several reported cases of fatal attacks by these groups which you not only belittled but incriminated the victims. We accepted that the violence pre-dated your regime but the difference is that these violent proxies became Sacred Cows under your leadership”.

“In the NDU 2023 general meeting, during Nteje Alommuo, the havoc by these ‘mindless’ youths were raised and the deliberations ended in the proscription of the platform INDU the group uses. Regrettably, you have secretly started using the youths for self-project and publicly endorsing the platform and the leadership of the infamous groups. As delegates, we therefore want you to:

Explain to us why, you presented yourself as a guarantee against prosecution of Mr. Nnamdi Uwadiegwu Obi whom you know and acknowledged as a hazardous public enemy number 1 in Ifite and indeed Nteje? In a Court, you used your position as NDU President General to testify against credible evidences of his many terrible crimes against Ifite people. The crimes included many murder charges. You told the Court that the criminal was a leader of Ifite and a victim of an unjust gang-up. After shielding him from prosecution he went home happy and unrepentant. The truth is that we were surprised that before the competent court of jurisdiction, you claimed that Nnamdi Uwadiegwu Obi is the chairman of INDU just to take him on bail for the criminal charges brought against him.

Ifite Nteje is worried that as a President General of NDU, you exonerated a prime murder suspect and did nothing to comfort the families of the victims. You have not shown interest in the obligation to dignify the victims whose corpses were abandoned in various mortuaries.

1.Explain to us why as PG Nteje you are collecting and receiving for self-interest various forms of development fees illegitimately from Ifite Nteje? Regrettably, you deployed the same groups of disloyal youths for the dirty jobs. These youths are the people accused of wilful destruction of properties, robberies and mass murder in Nteje. The youths were the ones fraudulently selling Ifite land and scamming the victims. Collection of levies from land grabbers when you are fully aware that the Anambra state government white paper states that no parcel of land was sold in Ifite Nteje and that government demolition of illegal structures on the same land is ongoing is deceitful.

2.Ifite demands explanation on why as PG Nteje you choose to recognise, relate and work with, and for disloyal Ifite people instead of the Elders of Ifite who are today the legitimate authority and mandated to administer the quarter after the dissolution of Mr. Peter Muokwugwo led executive in Ifite?

3.Explain to us why by your actions and pronouncements you made and confirmed Nnamdi Uwadiegwu Obi leader of Ifite Nteje. We the Ifite people considered these actions of yours as one of the many strategies for the destabilisation of Ifite because you are aware Nnamdi Uwadiegwu Obi lacks the qualifications for leadership as stated in Nteje constitution. The defunct Ifite Nteje development Union (INDU) constitution re-echoed the positions on age limits on issues of the community leadership. Ikpuisi is the determinant, but your candidate Nnamdi Uwadiegwu has not attained the age so where are your grounds? By this action, you single handedly violated the Nteje constitution which stated that one must come of age “IKPU ISI OGBO” before the person will be eligible to handle any sensitive position in Nteje community.

 The Igwe Selection Controversy

1.Explain to us why as PG Nteje you wrote a letter to the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs denouncing and proposing to stop Ifite Nteje from conducting Igwe Aborgu the III selection which the Nteje Constitution empowered it to do. To discredit the genuine process, you described it as illegal and a conduct capable of causing breach of law and order in Ifite Nteje.

2.Explain to us why as PG Nteje you conspired with proxies of anti-Ifite elements to send letters to DSS and Anambra state government authorities requesting recognition and endorsement of Charles Aduaka as the Aborgu III against Ifite and the provisions of Nteje constitution.

3.More recently, Hon. Jideofor Nnebo was presumably assassinated to instal confusion in Ifite Nteje Igwe election and as the CSO you have not done enough to denounce the tragedy. You have been supportive of Ifite efforts for Igwe but surprisingly you turned against plan and today you are vigorously working to undermine Ifite as it proceeds to endorse a candidate. Explain to us the reasons behind the reverse of your postures.

“As delegates, we demand satisfactory responses and/or explanations to the above issues of concern as we are under unavoidable obligations to report back to the elders and the people of Ifite. Thanks a lot for the attention”. The letter was signed by the delegates from the five villages making up Ifite Nteje.

                                       

Stadt was told that Mr. Ilodiuba was yet to give Ndi Ifite responses to the issues the delegated raised. In addition to the above, there were so many other disparaging things people said about the NDU President, Nnamdi Ilodiuba during the conference. The allegations included being an ally of those determined to destabilise Ifite and in Nteje in general. He was also accused conniving with and patronising Ifite youths accused of violence and fraudulent sale of Ifite land. Even the Anambra State Commissioner for Chieftaincy Affairs said he was misled by Ilodiuba, and as a result he submitted Charles Aduaka’s name as a prospective candidate for Igwe Nteje. Stadt noted that some of the allegations also appeared in the Ifite Elders’ letter to Ilodiuba seeking the explanations. On allegations against Nnamdi Ilodiuba, Stadt relied on statements, videos and documentary evidences most of which were in public spaces.

Meanwhile, when a member of the Stadt crew called him for responses against the damaging allegations, Mr. Ilodiuba insisted that caller must disclose who gave him his phone number. The caller informed him that, the essence of the call was to get his views in respect of the negative statements made by Ifite people against him. The caller told him it was a duty and also justice to provide him this opportunity of presenting his own side of the story. In spite of the appeals Mr. Ilodiuba showed disinclination to speak against any of the allegations. He said good evening to the caller and ended the call.

 The axis of disharmony in Ifite Nteje

For most of the people interviewed during the Press Conference Mr. Mike Nwakalor was, allegedly, the source of courage for the crude urchins and the criminals that invaded Ifite to occupy, disperse the people and claim the farm land.  Adinmma from Orukabi alleged that, “the support by the Abuja based Umuefi man was the impetus for the raw and lawless persons in Ifite villages to decree regimes of anarchy, violence and terror. The felons were emboldened by protections allegedly provided them by Nwakalor. He purportedly, provides the logistics and the Police protections to the criminals that are destabilising not only Ifite but Nteje as a whole”.

Stadt was told that “the man’s enduring interest in Ifite land was the reason why he allegedly became hell bent in harming or crushing anyone who opposes his proxies’ criminal sale of the Ifite land”. The allegations were heavy and unfortunate, even when the respondents have no evidences to prove the connections between Mr. Nwakalor and the various crisis in Ifite they demonstrated assurance of the veracities of the damaging assumptions. Some showed videos and audio messages where the felons boasted of the power of Mr. Nwakalor (Wowo) to shield them.

In some of the video clips, the felons can be heard singing that (literally), “whoever has Wowo Asigwe (Mike Nwakalor) is free and untouchable”. Stadt learnt that those responsible for the Ifite crisis were all well known, they move freely and show no remorse. From our sources the trouble makers were ‘common’ villagers, living in the Ifite villages, interact and tell stories of their exploits. They were the same in every way with the others in the community except when they have been offered something to motivate them for sordid errands. Achunike, an Ifite indigene said “they boast of Wowo’s support after every exploit to dissuade reprisal. They are used to the believe that Wowo is too close to presidency and that Prof. Charles Soludo the Governor of Anambra State is his close friend and comes to Wowo’s house”. Achunike quoted one of the boys as saying, “the governor was in the wedding of Wowo’s daughter. That shows they were close”.

    The categorical statements by elders, people of Ifite during the conference

1. “The people of Ifite Nteje are by this conference raised objections to the way the five villages of Ifite are plundered by rogue elements. The people are abundantly convinced that the careless plots to deny Ifite its turn to produce Igwe Nteje was to thwart the order and stability it could bring to Nteje. The order and stability have the potentials to bring the atmospheres capable of exposing the principal land scammers using violent proxies. Exposing and dealing with the agents of violence and instability are the genuine means of guaranteeing peace in Nteje.
2. The people emphatically stated that the leadership of Ifite has not been transferred to any group. Any claim contrary to this position was false and deceptive. The villagers insisted that Ifite Development Union (INDU) as it is today is improperly constituted and therefore devoid of any authority to deal with Ifite question legitimately. Moreso, the body was since disbanded and outlawed by the Nteje Development Union. In Ifite the only recognisable authority now is Ojiana and Ifite Elders Forum. The Elders’ involvement in the leadership of Ifite remains a measure to counter growing dissent from the treacherous. It is to install stability.
3. Ifite of people noted that the alleged Power of Attorney was fake because no one was given the right over Ifite land. The Power of Attorney narratives were inconsistent with facts. They were pretexts for the criminals that brought land thieves to Ifite Nteje. The sales of Ifite land have been further invalidated by the Anambra State Government. There was a White Paper in this respect.
4. Ifite Nteje land is not communal and there was no court judgement which pronounced or declared it communal. The following were major actors in the felonious sale of Ifite land and the criminal violence to repress oppositions to the scam. Ikechukwu Erikife, Bar Ngoesina Okechukwu, Nnamdi Uwadiegwu Obi and Michael Nwoye Chidebe, (Bobby).
5. Nteje Igweship, now, belongs to Ifite Nteje because it is rotational. Nteje Constitution made it rotational and Ifite is determined to take her turn.
6. Ifite Nteje people, Elders or Ojiana did not appointed any proxy group(s) or person(s) as Land Management Committee nor issued anybody with irrevocable Power of Attorney Certificate nor mandated any one, group(s) or person(s) to sell any Ifite Nteje land.
7. The group of persons parading themselves as INDU executives are fake because they are all Nteje land grabbers, criminals and murder suspects.
8. There was never a time Ifite Nteje Elders, Ojiana or collective Ifite people organized an election to produce the people parading themselves as Ifite Nteje executives. These land grabbers and the proxies are credible threats to Ifite Nteje and must be contained to avoid greater catastrophe in Nteje.

Attempts to unravel some of allegations

Puzzled by the trending opinion that Mr. Mike Nwakalor popularly called Wowo, Omelora was behind the problems of Nteje, Stadt newspaper decided to seek the opinion and confirmations of the allegations. In an introduction to the chat Stadt said to Nwakalor, “recently Ifite Nteje people organised a Press Conference. The core objective of the Press Conference by Ifite indigenes was to seek an intervention of Anambra state government in Igweship controversy and in stopping violence in Ifite Nteje. Some of the speakers at the conference said that the criminal groups terrorising and fraudulently selling the community land were protected by you and that you used your connections with the Police and Courts to encourage and provide logistics for their criminal activities. Are these allegations true? What are your versions of the story? Stadt, furthermore, explained to Mr. Nwakalor that the essence of the call/contact with him was to balance damaging statements made by his people against him. Stadt told him that it was fair and just to provide him this opportunity of presenting his own side of the story. A chat with Mr. Nwakalor was revealing.

 Stadt: We are trying to get in touch with you concerning a Press Conference that was addressed by Ifite Nteje Community. There were lots of allegations laid against you, although, the Press Conference was mainly to seek Anambra State Governor’s attention in stopping crisis in Ifite community, but you and few others were mentioned in the Press Conference. And for us we don’t just conclude that what the people said were true except we hear from you. So, I don’t know whether you are aware of the Press Conference.

Mr. Nwakalor: Which press conference?

Stadt: A Press Conference calling attention to violence and instability in Ifite Nteje Community

Mr. Nwakalor: I am from Nteje but I’m not from Ifite.

Stadt: Yes, but your name was mentioned as an instigator of the crisis.

Mr. Nwakalor: As what?

Stadt: As Mr. Mike Nwakalor involved indirectly in Ifite problems. Are you not the one bearing the name Mike Nwakalor, Sir?

Mr. Nwakalor: It’s my name.

Stadt: So, the allegations against you were that you provided logistics and encouraged the crisis in Ifite community through proxies and that you have connections with the Police and the Courts, and because of that, you contribute to instability in Ifite Nteje. So, it is better to hear from your side whether the allegations were true or false.

Mr. Nwakalor: Anyway, thank you very much. If there is one person who has worked for that community to progress, it is myself. Is it the people I have given scholarship? Is it people I have secured job for in both Military, Paramilitary and Federal Civil Service or State Civil Service or what? Or even political offices Nteje people have held in the past?  None of them (the accusers) contributed time, money as much as I have done for the good of Nteje. What will I benefit if Nteje is overtaken by crisis? It is only a stupid person that will encourage crisis and make it impossible for anybody to enter Nteje. I made sure that even up to when they overwhelmed the police, the military had to come in and took the principal people. After detaining them, they charged them to court and some of them are still awaiting trial now.

So, what have I not done for the town? I just see it as an insult for anybody to mention my name in a thing like this. The NTA girl who mentioned my name, I have reported to the DG of NTA and by the expiration of the seven days, if I don’t see the apology, I will take them up for libel and possibly other things I will do to her. Because, number one, she doesn’t know me, number two, she is not from that community, number three, we have three separate quarters that made up the town and each quarter has an autonomous government. So, if a section is having problem, before you connect anybody from the other side, you must have evidence of the person’s involvement in the problem.

It’s just now like, because people have misunderstanding, somebody will just go to press or say he is doing Press Conference. Leave Press Conference, let him face his people. If you are a leader and you are accepted within your immediate community, you wield your influence to make sure that, there will be no crisis in your immediate community. So, I don’t believe that somebody will encourage violence, go to history, anybody that encourages violence, eventually, the violence consumes the person.

Stadt: But what do you think was responsible for the damaging allegations against you in the Press Conference?

Nwakalor: The only thing that we have in common with Ifite is Chieftaincy Affairs that connects the whole town. The Ezi where I came from, the Ikenga and Ifite, we have one stool and the stool for one reason or the other had a problem. The problem is born out of ignorance, as far as I am concerned, if a town brought out somebody as their traditional ruler, and eventually, the government because it thinks that it will put another person rather than the person the town brought, then the town went to court and the court nullified the election and asked him not to parade himself as Igwe as far back as 2010. He went to appeal and eventually, the case stayed in appeal for about six years, eventually appeal concurred with the court of first instance. The guy went to Supreme Court. He was in Supreme Court and died. Some people from the other quarters now say that the other quarter has taken their own turn. I and majority of the people said no.

In Anambra State, Ngige was governor for three years. When the court said Ngige was not the governor, Peter Obi started afresh and he continued his tenure for eight years. Nobody told him that the central has done three years, because as far as the law is concerned, that three years was not existing. That is the law. So, that is the problem that the people do not want to believe saying that because the person has been there for about ten years that quarter has taken their turn. And it is my position and what I believe and advocate for is the court has spoken, up to three courts. We can’t go back, whether you like the face of the person or not, you must respect the law.

You may not be happy with the pronouncement of court today, tomorrow, when you have issue, you run to the same court. May his soul rest in peace, Lamode, when he was in EFCC, he was not respecting court orders. When he was to be removed and be probed, he went to court and the judge asked him, Mr. Lamode, you are the person who is pleading for this.’ He said, ‘Yes.’ ‘Are you not the same Lamode who does not obey the court order? And today, you are in need, you want the court order?’

So, my brother, as far as I am concerned, you know when people are ambitious, they will go all out to canvass for what is not existing. But as far as I am concerned, clear conscience fears no accusation.

Stadt: How about the issue of fraudulent sale of the community land? They were also trying to link you to it?

Mr. Nwakalor: My brother, I challenge you, if there is any place anybody said I sold a piece of land to him or a piece of land was sold to me, call me a bastard. The land I have by the Express Road Nteje, I bought it from second class people who bought it originally from the people with C of O about fifteen years back, not even today. The land is after Nteje Police Station. So, I have no interest in their land today, yesterday, or tomorrow. I don’t need any land at Nteje.

Stadt: But do you have any relationship with those who are selling the land?

Mr. Nwakalor: Almost everybody at Nteje, all of us are brothers and sisters. So, you can’t deny anybody neither would you accept anybody to be your friend. As far as we are from that town, we are brothers and sisters. Everybody has his own business to transact and everybody, each person does what he/she does for a living. I am a Federal Contractor, specialising in military contract, both the Police and the Army, Air Force and the Navy. And I am in real estate. So, what kind of money will Nteje land give? Does it have value? As far as I am concerned, Nteje is my town but our land doesn’t have value for today. Plot of land is probably two million or three million. If I do business where a plot of land is about eighty million, hundred million, one fifty million, will I waste my time with two or three million? I don’t have time for that.

Stadt: Thank you so much for your response, Sir. What will you advise as parts of a solution to this problem as a major stake holder in Nteje?

Mr. Nwakalor: To me, they (Ifite) have a government and what we call Ojiana in their village. People should come down. It is a local problem, sort out their problems, not when you go one side, you victimize some less privileged people, you sell their land because people can hear your voice and you start crying wolf. Are you crying wolf for whom? So, all of them who are going to Press, let them use that time they have for going to the press to call their people together and know who they have offended and be able to reconcile themselves.  Because, if you are from another part of the town coming to call them together now, they will start saying that maybe you have ulterior motive.  So, they have personalities there, only that there are bad people in that community who do not have meaningful means of livelihood. So, if you pick any of them, let him tell you what he is doing for a living. Where is his physical office? I have visible means of livelihood. I have office in Abuja. I have office in Lagos. I have office in Kano and I have office in Port Harcourt, I have office in Calabar.

As of today, more than five hundred people work for me. So, the people are jobless and they are trying to cover their iniquities by mentioning people’s names. As far as I am concerned, it does not concern me. What they do, selling their land, that’s their business. The land is owned village by village. We have about how many local wards there, about thirteen or fourteen local wards, and they own it ward by ward. So, if anybody crosses to the other people’s own by any pretext, it is wrong.

Stadt: Okay. Thanks for much Mr. Nwakalor for your willingness and openness.

Dealing with the issues raised by Mr. Nwakalor

Stadt confirmed some elements of truth in some statements made by Mr. Nwakalor. He offered scholarship and secured jobs. He is philanthropic, he built standard civic centre for meetings in Amuda and his village Umuefi becomes bee hive of activities whenever he comes around. He has significant influence, and an opinion leader.

On how such a character should be subject of vast disparagement one of our respondents simply called Chukwukelu from Umuefi opined that “at some point the man became oppressive and irrational turning the good wishes people had for him upside down. Those he offered political positions become his new cash cows to the point that it was no longer a thing of discretion to receive from him any sort of favour. The situation became worsened by the quality of people that gather around him. Furthermore, he has not outrightly spoken against those who openly claimed he encouraged them to do the evils they did. And it is unsustainable to claim that he is not aware that his integrity has been meaningfully down profiled”.

It was, therefore, a fact that our respondents did not disapprove the suggestion that Mr. Nwakalor does find jobs and help pay schools fees but Chukwukelu claims that “he caged Nteje using his many connections and influences. The project funds and other allocations meant for Nteje were all expropriated by Nwakalor for personal interest and he gives away little of these enormous funds to the downtrodden in various forms of duplicitous charity agenda”. Another respondent said that “Wowo takes your right and returns a little of it to you in various forms of charity gestures”.

In one of the many trending audios on Mike Nwakalor, one Barr. Ngoesina Okechukwu (Ngo) an indigene of Ifite who claimed to have been a close associate and a former proxy to Nwakalor in series of lengthy audio messages dismissed the scholarship offers and jobs procurements by Nwakalor calling them charade. The self-imposed job of laundering Mr. Nwakalor in public was a surprise to many who perceived Barr. Ngoesina as an active tentacle of Nwakalor. The two people Stadt spoke with seemed inclined to concur with the vituperations of the former associate of Wowo who appeared to have been offended by the boss.

However, Mazi Ejimofor interviewed by Stadt was substantially sceptical about Ngoesina’s recent anti-Nwakalor saying that “Ngoesina was an active participant in some of the misdeeds Nwakalor was accused of. Besides, Ngoesina played repugnant roles in the felonious sale of Ifite land. The fact that he seemed one of those expropriating the constitutional right of Ifite to Igwe to Charles Aduaka exaggerated the distrust.  For these folks Ngoesina’s “laundering agenda does not worth the attention and therefore deserved to be discountenanced”.

For Ikengwu Nzube, an Ifite indigene, “Ngo’s public laundering of Nwakalor seemed a failed plot to distract Ifite people because the protests by him against Igwe from Ifite was in favour of the strategic interest of Nwakalor. His repentance can only come if he totally embraces Ifite agenda in the fight against his former allies, the enemies of Ifite Nteje”

According to Nzube, “Nwakalor may have given jobs and offered scholarships probably to the relatives of those he uses. This is natural because the favours of these nature inspire the devotion or commitment of his foot soldiers, the favours robotise them. This notion is also explained in the context in which the song, ‘onye nwelu Wowo nwelu Madu’ was made”. Onyebuchi standing on the protocols set by Ngoesina noted that, “no one became better after reception of offers from Nwakalor”.

On the claim by Nwakalor that he was a Federal Contractor, specializing in the Military, Police, Air Force and the Navy contracts in addition to real estate investments. And that he has no interest in a relative valueless village land, Ngoesina responded that Mr. Nwakalor (Wowo) was not being truthful insisting that “he must take off his hands from the lands belonging to Ifite that is being sold and hand money given to him which he uses to make trouble. Look at a youth from Umuevi, he spent five years plus in prison, from 2018 for what he knows nothing about. It is actually Wowo that laid the allegation on him because of land”. Ngoesina said “he (Wowo) has been making use of the proceeds from Ifite land for over ten years”.

On the Aborgu III Stool, Stadt learnt it was incorrect for Nwakalor to say that Ifite was not yet entitled to produce Igwe Nteje because Ikenga has not properly taken her turn. Nwakalor said that the controversy surrounding the Igwe was, “born out of ignorance”, as far as he was concerned saying, “if a town brought out somebody as their traditional ruler, and eventually, the government because it thinks that it will put another person rather than the person the town brought, then the town went to court and the court nullified the election and asked him not to parade himself as Igwe as far back as 2010”. To some in Ifite, the statement accredited to Nwakalor was misleading. Arguing that if the Odegbo’s Igwe was nullified why was the Certificate of Recognition not removed from him as evidence that was dethroned? And why was there no election for replacement?

Again, if Mr. Aduaka won the case against Odegbo in the court why was Aduaka not crowned after the sack of Odegbo? Onuorah presented a video clip to a Stadt crew where Anambra State Governor Charles Soludo emphasised that the state recognises as valid Igwe anyone with certificate of recognition. Barr. P.I. Obichukwu, said Odegbo remained the Igwe Aborgu II. According to him, “the Igweship was not nullified by any court of competent jurisdiction. What happened was that “Charles Emenogha Aduaka commenced a civil action against HRH Igwe Rowland Madukolu Odegbo in Suit No OT/35/2010”.

On 18/6/2018 he obtained “an Interlocutory order restraining HRH Igwe Rowland Madukolu Odegbo from parading, holding himself in any manner whatsoever as traditional ruler, Igwe Aborgu II of Nteje, pending the hearing and determination of the Suit”. HRH appealed against the ruling, from the Court of Appeal to the Supreme Court”. The Appeal in the Supreme Court was not concluded before his demise on 2/11/2021. Charles Emenogha Aduaka’s Counsel Okwudili Anozie Esq with Boo Philips for Respondents / Applicants withdrew the Appeal in the Supreme Court and the same was struck out”.

Meanwhile, “the Substantive suit of HRH Igwe Rowland Madukolu Odegbo’s selection, presentation and recognition has not been started. These main issues were left by Charles Emenogha Aduaka in the High Court of Otuocha Judicial Division, Otuocha”.

To the Press during the conference Barr. P.I. Obichukwu explained that the efforts of his committee to elect a prospective candidate for Igwe of Nteje of Ifite extraction was constitutionally empowered because it was the turn of Ifite. “Ikenga Nteje has taken their turn through HRH Igwe Rowland Madukolu Odegbo. He was not removed, dethroned nor was his Certificate of Recognition withdrawn by the Governor as recognized Traditional Ruler of Nteje under Section 10 of the Traditional Rulers Law of Anambra State 2007. Ikenga Nteje is not permitted by the NDU to take the turn of Ifite Nteje”. What represented the core argument of Ifite in favour of her position was that it cannot be a problem of Ifite that Ikenga was unable to manage the chance she was given to produce Igwe Aborgu II.

The position of Nwakalor seemed a script played by all kicking against Ifite as she proceeds to produce a candidate for adoption as Igwe Aborgu III. It must be stated that those working against Ifite are so few and their positions so weak and unsustainable.

As a contribution to the argument, Dr. Emma Ezeagbo wrote, “recall that Nteje has been in disarray for years because of the Igwe tussle. It provided the enabling avenue for party politics (that never favoured Nteje in general). Today we are on it again. Always remember that we are all landlords. Check the syllogistic argumentation of the Elderly ONE on why it is the turn of Ifite Nteje. Thus, it is becoming clearer on daily basis that the Igweship Stool belongs to Ifite Nteje as the essential Nteje Elders gather to make their position known to all. Dr. Ezeagbo said, as Onye Nteje (myself), I am not in doubt that Ikenga Nteje has taken her own turn. It is now the turn of Ifite Nteje to give us Igwe Aborgu III. Therefore, let all well-meaning Nteje people help to resist any attempt to manipulate this issue thereby creating trouble and polarising Nteje further. On Ifite (Igwe Aborgu III), we stand unless Nigerian Supreme Court says otherwise. Do not be tempted to disagree on the Elders’ stand. Some of us may have been approached but stand with Nteje”.

In an audio message that has gone viral, Prince Walter Osita Nnaemeka, an heir to the late Samuel Anene Nnaemeka, the Aborgu I cautioned Nnamdi Ilodiuba, the President General NDU to allow due processes in the enthronement of the next Aborgu III. According to Prince Walter, Nteje people in America are whole heartedly standing on the constitution mandating Ifite Nteje to select the next Igwe Nteje. He appealed to the PG to avoid subversion of the process in order not to drag Nteje into avoidable crisis. He said it belongs to Ifite Nteje in any capacity and in every situation to give Nteje a candidate for the Crown, Aborgu III.

 Ojiana Nteje General Assembly stands resolutely with Ifite

The arguments from a faction of Ifite Ojiana supporting the denial of Ifite the constitutional right to Aborgu III on the pretexts that it was not consulted had very little sympathy from Ojiana Nteje General Assembly. In a meeting organised to deal exclusively with the Ifite question, the meeting reminded the faction led by one Mr. Ikefune Egwuatu (Oronza) that the authority in Ifite Nteje resides on the elders of Ifite who have the overriding mandate to administer the community. The members of Oronza faction include: Mr. Chukwudozie Nwankwo, (Chiezie), Mr. Uvakanna Aleh, Mr. Agueze Oduche. Stadt source alleged that these are supporters of Nnamdi Uwadiegwu Obi.

The faction was reminded that Ojiana was an errand runner and not the authority itself and therefore it was insufficient for it to work against the Ifite because the self-interest was not prioritised. Stadt gathered that the faction was severally invited to the meetings on the issues of Igwe by the main Ifite Ojiana but it refused to attend because the faction was loyal to the groups vowing against Ifite on Igwe question. A member of the legitimate Ojiana told the meeting about the series of efforts it has made to bring the erring group to the fold but met with frustrations. The faction loyal to sinister groups have once invaded them through violent thugs, the speaker said.

In a statement, the meeting ruled that the right of Ifite to the next Igwe was not negotiable and that it has taken a stand in favour of Ifite. Ojiana Nteje was unequivocal in the destabilising roles of the Ifite faction. The group was further scolded for a scandalous desecration of Red Cap, a sacred symbol of authority esteemed across the nation. Recall, a meeting was convoked by Ifite Ojiana but because it was uncomfortable with the agenda of the meeting, the faction sent thugs loyal to them to disrupt the gathering. At first, they forcefully removed the Red Caps from the elders namely Uchefuna Ezinwa and Nweke Ezeji and commanded that the red caps be used to clean their shoes and after the elders were instructed to scatter under threats of gun violence, allegedly. “The abominable attacks on the elders were demonstrations of the levels to which life in Ifite was down-graded. The sense of safety has gone and the community denuded by irrational groups that have been transformed to predators, beasts feeding on their kinds”, Uderike remarked.

Nteje Oldest Man cautions the trouble makers

In his own reaction, the leader of Ifite community and the eldest man in Nteje, Mazi Onyekwe Akwuba called on the Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, to use his good office to intervene in the crisis that has a potential to further destabilize Nteje that is already denuded by avoidable violence. Akwuba said that “some powerful people in the town want to overturn the long-existing zoning arrangement of the kingship stool in Nteje”. And appealed to “the governor and other relevant authorities to ensure that the long-existing zoning arrangements in the selection and enthronement of Aborgu Nteje were maintained”. The centenarian unequivocally insisted, “it was the turn of Ifite to come forward for the next Igwe”.

Speaking at a press conference called by the Ifite Nteje community recently, the centenarian contended that “going by the zoning arrangement, it was the right of Ifite-Nteje to produce the next monarch of the town as the other two quarters, Ezi and Ikenga Nteje have produced monarchs in the past”. He made this passionate appeal at the crowded press conference, which was well attended by elders of the community, women groups, youths as well as the stakeholders of the community.

Mazi Akwuba stated that the appeal for intervention was against the backdrop of moves by a member from Ikenga-Nteje village, the quarter that produced the last monarch of the town, the late Roland Odegbo, to hijack the selection process to make himself the new monarch of the community. The centenarian and other Ifite stakeholders present maintained it was the turn of Ifite-Nteje to produce the next monarch. And appealed to Governor Soludo to disregard any move or gestures to truncate the people’s wish, as doing such will cause confusion and enthronement of anarchy in the entire town. Mazi Akwuba said, “I want Governor Soludo to listen to me as what I am telling him is the whole truth about Nteje kingship. In our town, we don’t have a problem on who is to emerge. We have three zoning quarters that produce monarchs in succession plans. We have Ezi-Nteje, they have taken their turn through the late HRH Samuel Nnaemeka (Aborgu I). Our last monarch, HRM Roland Odegbo Aborgu II who passed on recently came from Ikenga, so it is the turn of Ifite-Nteje now to produce the Igwe according to Nteje succession plans. This arrangement is as it is in our town’s constitution and nobody should truncate it.”

Chairman Ifite Elders’ Forum, Mazi Ughamadu Amakom, and the Assistant Chairman Uchefuna Ezinwa, took turns in narrating the Nteje kingship story. The elders explained that “Ifite Nteje has been peaceful until it became invaded by land scammers. The ongoing efforts to instal confusion in Ifite were manifestly the works of the land thieves doing everything through treacherous Ifite indigenes to undermine the community”.

They accused the people they described “as self-serving individuals as the enemies of Nteje progress and peaceful existence”. The elders said, “these anti-Ifite people were determined to hijack not only the land of Ifite but the right of the community to produce the next Igwe”. They, however, insisted that “these disgruntled individuals must not succeed. The true position is that it is the rightful turn of Ifite-Nteje to produce the next monarch as every right-thinking indigene of the community understands it”. In their opinion, those stirring Ifite to spark crisis “were agents of land grabbers who have infiltrated the community” and used the opportunity to warn “land grabbers to steer clear of the village as our lands are not for sale”.

The major concerns of Ndi Ifite Nteje

The resolutions crisis of insecurity and controversies surrounding the invasion and scandalous auctioning of Ifite Nteje land were predominant issues of headaches to Ifite. However, the Igwe Stool conversation has substantially assumed a centre stage due the intensity of the flaming emotions. Many of the people that spoke to the press claimed they became interested in the issues “due to the flagrant impunity of the traitorous determined to unjustly take the right away from Ifite. They carelessly woke Ifite from the stupors of irresponsibility”, Ifeacho said. He added, “Ifite has been forced to wake up to the reality of things falling apart uncontrollably”.

On the Igwe debate, Barr. Dave Enuah noted that the intervention of the Anambra State Governor Prof. Charles Soludo was necessary. He called on the Governor to come to the aid of Ifite Nteje. He said “Soludo knows everything about Nteje”. He attended Roland Odegbo’s last Ofala. “So, if Prof Charles Soludo who is the Executive Governor closes his ears and eyes to say that he does not know what is happening in Ifite Nteje. If otherwise goes on, it will bring chaos in Nteje as a whole and it will not be in the interest of Ifite Nteje. So, I am calling on him to intervene, look into the file through the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affair and see that Odegbo from Ikenga Nteje has taken the turn. It is now the turn of Ifite Nteje and the Igweship Committee has done their work and presented all the issues before him”.

Giving the accounts on the states of preparedness of the Ifite to present a prospective Igwe Aborgu III of Ifite Nteje extraction, Barr. P. I. Obichukwu the chairman of Ifite Igwe selection/election committee said that committee has screened eight persons. According to Obichukwu, “we have done everything. We have fixed the date for the election. The election would have been held if not for the sudden death of a brother of one of our aspirants. He got murdered two days before the election. That was why we suspended the election. If not, we would have had our election and then produced our Igwe”.

Obichukwu said “there is a procedure which the constitution provides. It is an internal procedure. The quarter whose responsibilities it is organises and supervises the processes. You sell the forms. The people who are aspiring will buy the form and then from there, after screening and elections, one person will be produced from that quarter. That quarter will now take that one person to the community. If after accepting that person, the community will now take that person to the local government. Then the local government will now take that person to the state government. That is how it is done”. Udechukwu noted, “it is something that everybody now knows. But we have the challenges of people wanting to dominate us and take away what belongs to us”.

Moving further he explained, there are three quarters in Nteje. The first quarter is Ezi Nteje. They have had their share of the Igweship. Then the second quarter which is Ikenga, they also had their share and it is now the turn of Ifite. The fact that somebody took some other person to court is not an automatic ticket that if that person dies, that the throne now becomes your own. It is not an automatic ticket. There are ways we do certain things. And the way it is done, it is written clearly in the constitution and the constitution has stated it that after this people, it will be the next people.

The thing is rotational. The constitution has made it rotational and they have done it. Those others have done their own. Ikenga has done their own. It is now our turn to do our own. Do you understand me? So, it is our turn. Wherever you take it, it is still our turn. That is why this committee, the Igweship election committee was set up. The committee has finished its job if not for the death of one the brothers of one of our aspirants. If not, we could have conducted our election on the 27^th day of April.

We could have conducted our election and because of this we suspended it. it was after the suspension of that election that all these issues started to come up. When they came up, we now discovered that somebody, they call him Charles Aduaka who is …. From one thing to the other to say that he is going to be the Igwe of Nteje. And the previous Igwe of Nteje came from Ikenga and this Charles also came from Ikenga. So, how can it be? They have had their turn. They have had their share. We have done everything they supposed to have as Igwe. Now, it is the turn of Ifite and Ifite is going to have it and that I why we want to see and to tell the public it is the turn of Ifite. And Ifite is ready and willing and able to produce that Igwe and that is why we are here to tell everybody, for you people to carry it along to say that this thing now belongs to Ifite Nteje.

 On the land controversy

On the land controversy, Barr. Obichukwu said, “I have obtained the judgment. Any land of Ifite Nteje that is being sold illegally is null and void. Whatever land that has been sold illegally is null and void. So, what it means is that those of them who feel that they bought land and that they bought it legally should find out whether their own is legal or not. That is one thing”. Obichukwu noted, that the Ifite land is in question is not a communal land. That this land is owned by different villages. And each of these villages has their own piece of land. So, those who claimed they bought land in Ifite should find out whether the people that sold the land to them were the legitimate owners and with the right to sell. This is because there are protocols in this respect. Note, before you sell a portion of land, that is the law of this country, before you sell a portion of land in the community, in the hinterland, the eldest will always be there, and then the principal members of that family, of those kindred, of that village, of that community must be part of the deal. That is the way portions of land are sold in the communities.

“That is the thing. That is the way it is done. Nobody can just wake up as an individual, as a group of people and say, he is given the power of attorney to sell ten hectares, twenty hectares and so on. It is not acceptable. Unless you can prove actually that it is the elders that gave you that kind of power to do that. Once you cannot prove it, it means that whosoever has bought land from you did not buy anything and you have no right to sell. That is why we say in law that you don’t give out what you don’t have. That is the issue about land”.

In a media chat during the Conference Ichie Barr. Dave Enuah, Legal Practitioner, based in Port Harcourt an Ifite indigene and an Igwe candidate queried the thoughtlessness in the idea of children vending off the father’s land when the father is still alive without the knowledge and consent of the father? It is scandalous that elders of Ifite are here gathered over unfortunate controversies surrounding clandestine auctioning of community land on the pretext that the sellers have what they described as Power of Attorney.

Nnamdi Uwadiegwu Obi the person accused of various crimes in Ifite is seen demonstrating invincibility as he is applauded by own gang.

The ‘Power of Attorney’ whatever it is, is not a power to sell Ifite Nteje land. The power of attorney should be to oversee Ifite Nteje land. Making sure there is no encroachment. But capitalizing on power of attorney for the magnitude of scam involving the land is imprudent and scandalous.  “It is very wrong. It is not done where a little boy will sell the family land where the elders in the family do not know about it. That is why we are here”.

The fraudulent sale of land origin of the crisis

The immediate past Ifite community leader, Mazi Peter Muokwugwo traced the origin of the progressively developing problem in Ifite to a unilateral and scandalous sale of the community land by Ikechukwu Erikife. According to the former Ifite Nteje Development Union (INDU) Chairman, Erikife “gave himself the Power of Attorney to sell the land in Ifite. Afterwards he coopted his Nephew Ngoesina Okechukwu Egedi and they all teamed up in selling the land in Ifite, secretly from the forest till it got leaked when people from the Ogbo Rod Onitsha came to buy some piece of land belonging to Agwa”.

The former community leader said, when Erikife was confronted by the community, he said the Power of Attorney over Ifite land was given to him by one Egedi. The story surrounding the Power of Attorney was as infuriating as it was strange. However, no does community thing this way”. “Nobody is aware and the people he claimed that gave him the power of attorney were no more alive and there is no evidence that the lands are being sold for Ifite because there was no account meant for Ifite that the proceeds are being paid in, and there was no consent regarding selling the land until the youths found out and had a revolution in 2014. Erikife and his team ran away”. Since the mess with the land Ifite community has never been the same, it has never had peace and stability. The community became a pendulum swinging from one crisis of leadership to another until the land scammers explored violence. The violence is interpreted as a tool of disuniting and dispersing the people to prevent united actions against identifiable enemies in the community. The efforts by my administration to stabilize and manage the emerging crisis were made futile by the increasing rebelliousness of the proxies of those determined to run the community aground. The resort to criminality became the last option for the traitors led by their leader as the court indicted him of wrong doing and he went for an appeal. The case is still ongoing. So, this is where the crisis in Ifite originated.

My tenure as the Chairman Ifite Community ended abruptly. My team was threatened and we were scattered by the violence orchestrated by those working hard to destroy Ifite. My Vice Chairman and the Secretary literally died in exile. Some of those murdered in Ifite are still mortuaries. Part of the unpleasant experiences of what happened to Ifite is that today our farms were allegedly sold, we have difficulty getting a land we can farm on. They mounted military men along our path to the farm. They are now building hotels all around Nteje, people that are jobless are now driving cars worth twenty million naira. We are tired, but God knows all.

The land thieves also are the ones sparking problems in Nteje they have their hands on the issue of Kingship. They conspired to give our right to Igwe Nteje to one Charles Aduaka. Ifite is tormented. The brewing crisis in Ifite was the reason why the leadership of the community was taken over by Ifite elders led by Mazi Onyekwe Akwuba. He is the head of the entire Nteje currently, he carries on along with the elders to organize Ifite. Whatever is happening now is through the elders. They also set up a committee to recover our lands. They are responsible for every functioning group working currently to manage the problems in Ifite until the Igwe emerges.

Ifite Land Management Committee is fake

The invasion of Ifite land remains a primary vexatious issue in the community. Recently a group led by Chief Paul Egwuatu organised a protest to further raise the issues. The protesters called on the Anambra state governor “to implement the report of the White Paper of the panel of inquiry set up by the state government to investigate land grabbing activities that had allegedly caused loss of lives and destruction of properties in the community”. The protesters also urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission “to make public the report of the investigation the state government mandated it to carry out on the sale of community lands by some individuals who claimed to be ‘Land Management Committee in the community’.

The protesters carried placards with various inscriptions such as “no more land grabbing of Ifite Nteje land,” “Governor Soludo, come to our rescue, implement the report of the Panel of Inquiry white paper,” and “EFCC, make public the report of your investigations on Ifite Nteje fraudulent land sales,” among other inscriptions. The protesters advised those claiming to have bought land from the said “illegal” land committee to go back to them for a refund.

In his speech, the organiser of the protest Chief Egwuatu, said that the community lands are not for sale, adding that youths do not sell land when their elders have not approved. Egwuatu said, “Ifite Nteje community has not appointed or elected anybody or group of people to act as Land Management Committee, neither has it given anybody ‘Power of Attorney,’ like some people are claiming to have been given, to manage the Ifite Nteje lands”. “The state government instituted a Panel of Inquiry in 2019 after a land related crisis that led to loss of lives and destruction of properties, but the report is being sat on for reasons one cannot explain. We call on the governor to implement the White Paper report”.

Egwuatu noted that “the non-implementation of the Panel of Inquiry White Paper many years after the panel sat has emboldened some youths from Ifite Nteje to continue to sell community land to developers without the consent of the elders of the community, thereby causing more problems”. According to Egwuatu, “the people who imposed themselves on the community as Land Management Committee have been illegally selling our lands, building houses and hotels with the money they made from the fraudulent land sales. The developers who patronise them know that what they are doing is illegal”.

 

“They connived with the so-called Land Management Committee, made up of just three people to arrest and intimidate our elders and youths who challenged their illegal and unilateral sale of our land. The law enforcement agents are their accomplices, but we will continue to resist the intimidation.” According to Uderike, “the confusion is much and confounding. It is paradoxical that Egwuatu protests along with his loyalists. Egwuatu’s group and the land scammers are indistinguishable because they work for the same boss and are united by the same objectives, the destabilisation of Ifite”.

In a response to the protests by one of the groups of purported land grabbers, Mazi Udensi said the so call members of the Divine Heaven Amalgamated Landlords Association, Ifite-Nteje in Oyi Local Government Area of Anambra State that protested evacuation of their properties from the farms they occupied illegally and forcefully were absolute jokers. The protestation was void because they have no ground and needs to be warned to stop harassing and frustrating Ifite people. What is going on the occupied farms is the Anambra State Government in action. The land grabbers should stop victimising Ifite youths. The government was the one implementing the resolution of White Paper Panel that declared the activities of those occupying Ifite land illegal and has started demolition of whatever that is on the land”.

Mazi said, “the crisis in Ifite community is caused by them and the disloyal Ifite indigenes they use as proxies. The evil-minded group must have been the one arming the youths that are terrorising Ifite community. They must be told that it was not the vulnerable villagers that were asking them to leave the occupied Ifite land it was the state government”.

Let them stop terrorising Ifite. Months ago, there were notices given to all claiming to have purchased land in Ifite to bring the papers for verification. The notices were announced in all the media stations in Anambra. None of these people claiming the Ifite land came for the verification. It was at the end of the notices that ran for weeks that the state government took an action to dislodge the claims as forged.  The notices were complimented by continuous jingles that Ifite land is not for sale and the general public were also cautioned not initiate any transaction with a group calling itself Ifite Land Management that it has no legitimacy.

“It is therefore factual that the claims of a land transaction and payments from 2019 by Chief Patrick Maduegbuna were unknown to Ifite people and cannot be substantiated. Responsible associations do not deal with criminals and expect the deals to hold”. Udensi continued that, “there was nothing like certificate revocation because there was no legality in the transactions, they had with Ifite thieves. The question is if the land documents they said they had are okay or right why were they reluctant to present them for verification the state government mandated the Ifite community to carry out? It was the state government that was reclaiming the land for the sake of peace in the state. The claim that the community was requesting for another payment was an absolute fabrication. The community did not sell land to them let them follow those they gave money for refund. Ifite land is not for sale.

“You did not buy the land correctly go and recover your money. The logical thing to do is to recover your money if the sellers are cancelling the deal. The Ikechukwu Erikife giving you the hope that things are alright is, allegedly, a fugitive in Nteje. The Ifite community is shouting to those with functioning ear and sound mind that Ifite land is not for sale. Erikife and co cannot be the right people as long as Ifite land is concerned, the land is owned family by family and village by village. The Ifite-Nteje land management committee is a body unknown to Ifite and the alleged Power of Attorney is fake and inadmissible in the forum of well-meaning Ifite people”. Stadt team following the story learnt that there were about 70 associations trapped in the imprudent land deals that have crumbled.

“These land grabbers, often posing under false pretenses, exploit legal ambiguities and corrupt networks to unlawfully seize land from rightful owners. The growing menace threatens to undermine property rights, destabilise communities and erode public trust in governance. As stakeholders’ cries reach a crescendo, they warn that the unchecked actions of these individuals could lead to a loss of faith in the legal system and create an atmosphere of fear and insecurity among landowners. The state authorities should take decisive action, enforce strict regulations and hold offenders accountable to prevent the issue from becoming an insurmountable crisis”. (Sun)

In a related development, a former legislator in Anambra State, Mr Anthony Okafor insisted that protecting the rights of citizens and maintaining social order must be a top priority to ensure the long-term stability and prosperity of the state. He revealed that land in some communities in the state was becoming a scarce commodity, adding that so many powerful people were swooping on people’s land without the government checking the trend. Okafor urged the state Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, to act on the findings of any White Paper resulting from panels of inquiry established by the state government. These inquiries were set up to investigate land grabbing activities that have reportedly led to loss of life and property destruction in various parts of the state”. (Sun)

“Addressing the ongoing communal conflicts in the state, Okafor called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to release the findings of any investigations into land issues in Anambra State. He emphasized that making these reports public could help facilitate resolutions between the disputing communities and promote peace. He observed that certain influential individuals, posing as members of the Land Management Committee in the state, exploit this position to manipulate members of conflicting communities. These individuals use the situation to extort and illegally seize land, taking advantage of the disputes for their own gain”. (Sun)

The tormenting experiences in the struggle for Ifite – Hon. Brownson Ginikanwa

In a search for some Ifite indigenes that played relevant roles in the battles to prevent Ifite from senseless plunderers, Stadt got access to Chief Hon. Ifeanyichukwu Brownson Ginikanwa. Hon Brawnson Ginikanwa is from Okeleze family in Umu Anugwa, Akamanato, Ifite Nteje. Reacting to Stadt crew’s questions, the honourable said:

I may start by appreciating the initiative to access me on the crucial Ifite subject as a part of the Press Conference event. I had tormenting experiences with the way Ifite Nteje was turned upside down, undermined by a handful traitorous indigenes. My efforts therefore were to ensure that Ifite Nteje was not completely ruined according to the master plans of those I may describe as agents of darkness. With a few but patriotic Ifite indigenes we were set and willing to ensure that Ifite is genuinely safeguarded from the plunderers, and ensuring as much as we can that the patrimony was not carted away by the organised fraudsters. We were single handedly mobilised against those bent in selling off Ifite farm lands. My involvement in the efforts to checkmate the reckless irresponsibility of the disloyal was the sole reason why I became an unavoidable target of lethal treatments. There were orchestrated actions to compromise my commitments against the tribulations in the land.

At various times I was a victim of all manners of physical assaults, unlawful detentions and mental tortured all in an attempt to crack my resolve to fight the evil agents and the associates that invaded to take over Ifite Nteje land. However, I was not alone in the excruciating treatment. I mean there are other Ifite people who suffered terribly and some died in the hands of the merciless crooks. To their astonishment they found out that the more they punish me the more I denounced the evil and the doers.

I escaped lethal hoodlums several times. But all these were attempts meant to stop me from speaking out. At a point in my struggles against the criminals in Ifite, it became clearer to me that my participation in the efforts to save Ifite is spiritual. It is then that I realized that I have never been alone. I understood absolutely that I was not the one sending myself, I am being led by a force beyond my resistance.  It was apparently a destiny in action. Many severe accusations against me included kidnapping of one Simon. I was exonerated when it became obvious that the Simon went and hid himself. Regrettably for him, he was discovered by people, and forced to come out of his hiding place. It was on the strength of this development that I was acquitted of all charges in the case.

I was once accused of acquiring and possessing arms for the purposes of robbery, violence and targeted killings. On the basis of this fiction, I was taken to ‘Abattoir’ in Abuja where I was detained for three months and later returned to Anambra. One Kamubili Nwadudu and myself were subsequently transferred to Awaiting Trial (ATN), where we stayed for five months in spite of the efforts of our people to bail us. After the periods of incarceration, we were released.  The complainant from Akamanato worked in conspiracy with one Barr. from Iruatu. They were at the same time the ones leading teams of scammers that clandestinely auctioned Ifite land with neither the knowledge nor consents of the people and elders who are the custodians of land in Ifite and indeed in Nteje. The Barr. claimed to be the Secretary Nteje Land Management Committee, while Akamanato man arrogated to himself the Chairman, Akamanato Ifite Nteje. The duo do not have what it takes to do the havoc they are doing without active supports from the like minds across Nteje.

The painful experiences in the contest against the evil in the land were significantly enriching notwithstanding the nerve cracking anguishes. I have learnt that it is well with the truthful. Nothing happens to the innocent as long as he or she remains steadfast in doing what is just in pursuit of justice.  I become a witness to the fact that the just is always triumphant at the end, no matter the might of the evil doers. It will take a day to narrate my ordeal, including all manners of accidents I was involved in and survived. There was a time they plotted to assassinate me on the way as I was being taken to the Police station. However, along the way the Policemen involved in the conspiracy sparked destabilising hot arguments that derailed their original plans to get me eliminated, instead I was taken to their station.

So, I encourage everyone to stand for the truth with firm resolution. We know that it is not easy but it is beneficial to say the truth at whatever price. This was my experience and at the same time my admonition. The evil people go every length to suppress the truthful but the God who loves the truthful also saves them and renders the machinations of the despicable unproductive.

The havocs in Ifite Nteje were done predominantly by disloyal Ifite youths, and they do not lack logistics from the other evil colleagues in Nteje. In an absolute reckless immunity they destroy, maim and kill the innocent. There are at least three corpses in the mortuary at the moment of which Nnamdi Uwadiegwu and Co are prime suspects in the murders. The dead were gruesomely murdered. The same murderers went to the house of Chinedu Okolo from Amakpu Agwa and took him away. Up till today, no one knows if he is still alive or dead. When the primary suspect, Nnamdi Uwadiegwu, was asked he said it was the police that was involved. He said that the Police from Abattoir and IRT arrested him. Investigations were made and letters written but IRT denied making such arrest in Nteje.

The gangsters crashing Nteje were made invincible by the logistical supports they get and they seemed vastly motivated. The ringleader and the impossible fellow was recently released on bail based on testimonies of Nteje Town Union President General, Mr. Nnamdi Ilodiuba. In a statement to the High Court Otuocha Court 3, Ilodiuba in soliciting bail for the alleged traitor exonerated him of any guilt. The NDU President told the High Court in Otuocha where Nnamdi Uwadiegwu was standing trial for armed robbery that the lad was conspired against and that he was the leader of Ifite Nteje community. The infuriating statements allegedly made by the Nteje PG to shelve Mr. Uwadiegwu from prosecutions were to a vast majority of Nteje people both scandalous and abominable.

Jubilant and grateful the unrepentant narrated the drama that led to his temporal escape from chastisement and was applauded in a gathering of the gangs. It is cyclical that as often as he and the co-travellers were arrested, they were swiftly released on bail by the sponsors. It is therefore not controvertible that those plundering Ifite and indeed Nteje are not likely to be deterred because they have willing and able sponsors. A very common expression among the gangs is “whoever is connected to Owowo Asigwe is secured”. The sponsors of the progressively evolving calamity in Nteje operate through proxies and the links between them and the irresponsible people they use are easily predictable. If these people who have become cancerous viruses in Nteje are arrested, their supporters/sponsors rapidly release them. They have police contacts. They have judiciary contacts. The contacts support these youths to sell Ifite Nteje land. They allegedly equip them with guns, bullets and machetes. They kill those who speak out and arrest those who escape like they are doing to me. So, there is enough evidence that what is happening in Ifite Nteje is sponsored by outsiders, especially by some groups of people in Ezi Nteje and their godfathers who shield and protect them all the time.

What Ifite Nteje will do if stopped from presenting the candidate for Aborgu III is easily predictable. If Ifite is denied the constitutional entitlement, it means Ifite is logically told she does not belong to Nteje family. Since the history of Nteje, Ezi Nteje and Ikenga Nteje do not allow Ifite Nteje, the youngest, to lead them. In Town Union Government, there was a time Nteje had Nteje Progressive Union (NPU), Ezi Nteje ruled followed by Ikenga. Before Ifite could get a chance to rule, the Union was disorganized and re-started afresh.

At a point in Nteje, there was Joint Age Grade known as JAGA. The group was formed for the purposes of Nteje administration. Ezi Nteje headed and governed the town through the organ, Ikenga Nteje did successfully, however, when it became the turn of Ifite JAGA was disbanded and there was a new start under another umbrella. When Nteje Development Union (NDU) was invented, Ezi Nteje ruled, Ikenga ruled, when it became the turn of Ifite to rule, confusion was invoked, and the tussle for who becomes the Igwe Aborgu II was prioritised. Eventually, the Ifite headship of NDU was disabled by a faction installed by anti-Ifite elements.

Ifite had an election and produced Barr. Dave Enuah as the Nteje Development Union President. He was legitimately introduced to the relevant Nteje and state authorities and he followed the protocols according to rules of office. He was enrolled and become recognised by Association of Town Union Presidents in Anambra state as representing Nteje community. After about two months, a group of people sprang up from Ifite Nteje, sponsored by Ezi Nteje, conducted an election and produced another President General, Mr. Ikechukwu Erikife. Ifite then was forced to accommodate two NDU President General, the counterfeit and the original. These represented a classical attempt at the destabilisation of Ifite Nteje led NDU Government. The fracas continued until Ifite tenure ended. When it came to Ezi Nteje, they produced one person, Nnamdi Ilodiuba.

My stand on Igwe Aborgu III

When Nteje declared Igweship stool non hereditary, Igwe Okuefune family was no longer permitted retain the Igweship, the position became rotational constitutionally. Okuefune is from Ezi Nteje but Nteje said that Ezi Nteje should chose because they are the first. They picked and provided S. A. Nnaemeka. He ruled as Aborgu I until he passed on. Ikenga conducted an election and produced Late Roland Madukolu Odegbo. He ruled Nteje for twelve years as Igwe Aborgu II, celebrating Ofala and signing legal documents and now that he passed on it is naturally the turn of Ifite. The intensely embarrassing question is why are people ganging-up to deny Ifite the constitutionally embedded right to the next Igwe Nteje? The proponents of the infamous argument insisted that Ikenga must rule again that Roland Odegbo Aborgu II was not Igwe enough because there were controversies between him and  Charles Aduaka. As bizarre as the logics are the proxies of anti-Ifite elements the origins of the objections have cued in utilising the objections as another ploy for continued evil projects in Ifite.

May I conclude by saying that if Ifite is denied this Igwe, we will not fight. We will not take up machetes. But my advice to Ifite is opt for an autonomous community. Let Ikenga and Ezi alone become Nteje. Ifite is equal to the task, Ifite is capable.

Ifite is the stronghold of Nteje, academically, socially and otherwise. In the history of Nteje, the first indigenous lawyer of Nteje is from Ifite, Barr Charles Amasiana. The First Civil Engineer in Nteje is from Ifite, Engr. Michael Chikendu. The First Electrical Engineer in Nteje who became the First Eastern Zonal Manager of NEPA, Engr. A. P. Ozuah is from Ifite. The first Rev. Fr. Nteje produced is from Ifite Nteje, Rev. Fr. Enuah. Fr. Enuah is the first Monsignor of Nteje descent. The first Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Nteje produced is from Ifite. The first Nteje indigene to travel abroad is from Ifite.

As much a lot has changed in the configurations of who is who in Nteje. The ground is gradually and progressively levelling to the extent that Ifite no longer monopolizes prominences in Nteje, significantly, as in the foundation laying periods of modernism. Appropriate foundations of progress were determinedly laid by Ifite for so much achievements in the whole of Nteje town. What is particularly, significant is that Ifite is still leading Nteje. On financial capacity, Ifite indigenes are wealthiest in Nteje cumulatively. The number of rich people in Ifite is more than putting Ezi and Ikenga Nteje together. Ifite has done nothing to deserve the way it is disparaged by a number of crude elements in Nteje.

Nothing is missing in Ifite. So, Ifite is equipped she is capable of giving Nteje the qualitative and quantitative development she needs. Nteje is in need of stability, peace and harmony. If you give me Brownson Ginikanwa, Igwe Nteje, I will serve Nteje very well. In conclusion, we the indigenes of Ifite Nteje love ourselves very well. We are progressive and united. For example, indigenes of Ezi Nteje do not know that Ifite Nteje has five sub villages. They call us Ifite Nteje.

Ifite Nteje will forgive everyone who has wronged her if the wrong doer shows remorse and asks to be forgiven with all his or her heart. Some have asked for forgiveness and they have been forgiven and they are now together in a journey with Ifite to run over the evil ones. To err is human. To forgive is divine.

Mr. Uwadiegwu is yet to deny allegations against him

Accusations against Mr. Fabian Nnamdi Uwadiegwu Obi were many and substantial. Stadt made various efforts to speak with him. At first, he picked the call and dropped it after our crew introduced himself. However, when he was called again, he promised a response to the allegations but this time he will be the one to call. On the basis of the promise the crew waited for days but he did not call. At this point he was called again. Below is a chat that ended without refutation of any of the allegations

Stadt: Good morning, Sir.

Fabian Uwadiegwu: Good Morning

Stadt: Sorry for the inconveniences, we are compiling a report and we had interviews with several other people in your community and we felt we should have your side so that we can have a balanced report. That is why I have been giving you sleepless nights, but it seemed you are not interested in giving us your own side of the story.

Fabian Uwadiegwu: is not that I’m not interested but you see, you disclosed your identity the first time you called, but for sure I don’t want to be giving out information this way on phone calls, because I’m not sure even though you disclosed your identity, I’m not that sure of who I’m discussing with. So, it is better this thing be done face to face

Stadt: exactly, I understand your feeling but because of technology we no longer insist on face to face chats because sometimes there are implications and logistics that compound them. Technology made it simple for us all in a thing like this. So, most times we do it on phone now so that the issues of I have to transport you, I have to feed you, I have to entertain you will no longer be there. So, you hardly see people calling for phone interview when they are not journalists. Because there is nothing to again by doing so. Kidnappers do not kidnap voice. So, I was expecting to hear from your side so that the allegations that have been leveled against you can be addressed by you. This call is to seek clarifications or your opinions, whether the allegations are not true or not. This is an opportunity for you to say something that will clear the air.

Fabian Uwadiegwu: Ok

Stadt: The issue is that, Ifite Nteje wants government to stop violence in the community. That was the main reason for that conference, but in doing that they said some deaths occurred among the youths because of the violence they said that they traced to the problems of community land sold illegally. The accused you of being behind the violence. Your name was mentioned in the crisis in Nteje. So, we said, we must hear from you before we conclude. That is all, it is not so much.

Fabian Uwadiegwu: “laugh” it is ok but you should understand my own angle. That not withstanding it is obvious that a lot of death has occurred because of ehh, in short oga I don’t like this…

Stadt: but will you be comfortable to hear that people are blaming you for the crisis in your community?

Fabian Uwadiegwu:  Ok see what will happen, you are in the office now?

Stadt: yes, I’m in the office

Fabian Uwadiegwu:  Ok give me like one hour let me know what I will say, if you don’t call me, I will call you

Stadt: ok

Days passed he did not call, and every other effort to speak with Mr. Uwadiegwu failed. Stadt is certain that Mr. Uwadiegwu understood that the essence of the call was to get his views in respect of negative statements made by his community against him. Stadt told him that it was fair and just to provide him this opportunity of presenting his own side of the story.

3 billion Naira Worth of Ifite Land was sold by Fraudsters- Igwe Nteje

HRH Igwe, late Roland Odegbo, Aborgu II in a testimony under oath on a Panel for recovery of Ifite Nteje lamented the frustrating situation in Ifite. He said that he too was a victim of the contemptible cabal using proxies to selloff Ifite land. In an introduction to the testimony, he said. “I am the king of Nteje, I am from Ikenga. Most of you here are from Ifite-Nteje, Ifite is the last village in Nteje while Ezi-Nteje being the first followed by Ikenga. Ifite has the richest people, the most educated people and the most influential people in the whole Nteje but their problem is caused by sized logic, the influential people kept quiet and things keep going bad in their place”. Ikenga where I came from “don’t have much land. Ikenga has their own land, when you are entering Nteje from the Oyi Local Government Secretariat. If you are coming into Nteje to Umueri by the right is Ikenga. The land extended to Achala-Agu and to Nando”.

Ifite-Nteje land extended to “Umunya, Nkwelle-Ezunaka and to some parts of Nsugbe, Ifite has a very vast land. What has been happening in Nteje is that for the past ten years a group of cabals, some people who I don’t know how they came about, claimed they were Land Management Committee of Ifite, what that mean is that they constituted themselves to keep selling the lands in Ifite, the sell them in whole and whichever way they want”. According HRH Aborgu II, “they have sold lands worth over three billion naira; they have done all sort of things and nobody was challenging them from Ifite. As a person from Ikenga I can’t go to Ifite to fight over land issue. I don’t have any land in Ifite, I never bought and I don’t want to have”.

Ifite is made up of five villages, it situates in “the place they built Nengo-bridge Ifite heading towards Umunya all those lands are theirs. I have looked in, and there is no Scholarship Fund created to give free education to the people in that community, there is no Hospital built for the Health Care of the community and there is no Common Purse for the money from the lands sold. It is just the few people that are not up to five in the Land Management Committee that shared the proceeds from the lands sold”.

Igwe Odegbo told the Panel that some of the land sellers “have three to five story buildings in Nteje, Awka and Asaba and none of them have any meaningful source of livelihood. According to what I heard, what they do is, keep aside thirty percent from the land proceeds, these they give to Chief Mike Nwakalor, Wowo, through his surrogate in Nteje they call Okue or Okuefuna also called Atiku”. Igwe said, “the fund is what they used to arrest and take anybody that challenged their lands dealings to Abuja. In the process of taking people to Police cell one ACP Kolo that was in SAS (Awkuzu) is now in Abuja currently said some people have died in detention while they were in Abuja. I don’t know the relationship between the Police Station in Abuja and the one that is in Nteje, some people have died in the process and if you sign an undertaken you will return and they people that have returned are no more talking”.

According to Aborgu II, “now there is a conspiracy of silence and it has become a problem in our community. They money is what they used to fight the Igwe. Since I became the Igwe, ten years ago I have been in courts, I have won the first and second cases, when we go to appeal and supreme court, they don’t wait for the court to decide. They have their vigilante, they have their youths, they have constituted every bad person in Maza-Maza in Lagos. If you are “agbero” anywhere and you return, they will pay you a salary, they will give you about two or three hundred thousand naira to lay building foundation at your home, some they gave old vehicles, they now become lords”.

“When they pick people, they take them to shrine and make them swear an oath that they will agree to whatever they said. Since they have done that if you go to the Police to report to the DPO he will tell you to put it in writing, that he is investigating, we have lost one or two DPO, I was the one that wrote to the governor to remove the last one that he is not a good person. Because what the youths do was carrying placards and start saying, Odegbo you must go, Odegbo you will go to the law court, Odegbo, Obiano is uninstalling you by force, Odegbo you have looted our money, you ate eighty million naira of Nteje, all the money they gave Kings to give to their people Odegbo doesn’t give Nteje. Thank God, kings are here, if there is any money, they gave you to give to your people you say it so that my people will know if they gave me but if they didn’t give you let me know if they give separately”.

So that is why I am here to tell you all what is happening in Nteje, one man alone is doing all these things, his name is Chief M.A Nwakalor Omelora Nteje. Wowo is his nick name, he hires all this youths, those that were killed, he hired the people that killed them. That is why I am standing on oath and on record as Igwe in my full capacity to tell you the truth because they can come and pick me up one day in my house, these youths terrify us in Nteje.