- The Traditional Ruler of Nawfia His Royal Highness, Igwe Chijioke Nwankwo, the Osufia II of Nawfia
By Our South East Editor
ANAMBRA, Nigeria – The Traditional Ruler of Nawfia Community in Nawfia in Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra State, His Royal Highness Igwe Chijioke Nwankwo, the Osufia II of Nawfia, has blamed the lingering crisis in the town on the Office of the Attorney General of Anambra State.
According to him, the Attorney General failed to provide the governor with proper legal advice on matters concerning Nawfia.
He also called on the people of the community to unite in order to appease the spirit of his late father, Igwe F. B. C.
Nwankwo, the Osufia I of Nawfia, whom he said was unjustly murdered. He insisted that genuine peace would continue to elude the community until this spiritual and traditional obligation is fulfilled.
Igwe Nwankwo made the remarks while reacting to the killing of four youths at Afor Nawfia Market on Saturday by suspected cultists.
He argued that no community in history—whether in the Bible or anywhere else—has ever enjoyed peace after the killing of its king without proper appeasement and reconciliation.
“I know what to do. All I need is unity among my people so we can move Nawfia forward. The spirit of my father is haunting those who killed him, and until it is finally settled, peace will remain elusive,” he stated.
The monarch recalled that the wave of killings and unrest in Nawfia began in 2020 after former Governor Willie Obiano suspended and subsequently removed him from office “simply because he travelled to Abuja.”
He emphasized that he has been the legitimate traditional ruler of Nawfia for 25 years, since 2001. He explained that the court case was never about how he became Igwe but about the legality of his removal.
He noted that a competent court reinstated him in June 2022, yet some individuals who believe themselves “above the law” have continued to ignore the judgment.
According to him, the current turmoil in Nawfia stems from the involvement of individuals “without pedigree, background, or character” in the traditional and administrative affairs of the town.
“This is what happens when you bring people without pedigree or character to run a system. The incident could have been prevented if the system was functioning. This is not the first time—people were killed in September 2025, their eyes plucked out, their bodies dumped in Nawfia. We cannot keep quiet while the blood of our people is being shed,” he warned.
He maintained that the town is unstable and will remain so until the people of Nawfia unite behind him to address the spiritual burden surrounding his father’s death.
The Igwe again blamed the Office of the Attorney General of Anambra State for part of the lingering problem, alleging that the Attorney General refused to properly advise the governor on the legal status of the Nawfia traditional stool.
He reiterated that the court reinstated him in June 2022 but that some individuals continue to defy the ruling. According to him, efforts to meet the governor have been blocked by people who do not want the truth about Nawfia to reach the state government.
“With every sense of responsibility, I say that the trouble in Nawfia is caused by the Office of the Attorney General of Anambra State. I challenge anyone to dispute this—let them challenge me so I can open the entire can of worms. I have kept quiet for too long. They want me to reopen the case of my father’s assassination. Murder has no time limit,” he declared.
The monarch said he has had to seek protection from security agencies, including the DSS, because those fighting him are dragging him from one court to another, and he fears suffering the same fate as his father.
He maintained that the town loves him and that only a few individuals—many of whom he personally conferred with chieftaincy titles—are responsible for the ongoing unrest.
Igwe Nwankwo said he has officially notified both the police and the governor that no one else should parade himself as the traditional ruler of Nawfia, adding that the person currently doing so has no legal backing.
He stated that it is the responsibility of the Attorney General to properly advise the governor on the legal standing of the Nawfia traditional stool.
He described the conduct of some individuals in the town as “regressing from animistic tendencies to outright jungle behaviour.”
The traditional ruler also noted that he previously curtailed cult activity at Afor Nawfia Market—which he described as once being a den of cultism—although he acknowledged that crime cannot be completely eradicated from any society.
He reaffirmed that he has been Igwe since 29 December 2001, and that on 15 November 2002, the late Governor Mbadinauju issued him a certificate on the recommendation of Dr. Fred Nnamdi, then Special Adviser to the Governor on Chieftaincy Matters.
“I saw the DSS report to the governor. It stated that 95% of Nawfia people are behind me. I also saw the report of the then Local Government Chairman, who was present when I was crowned. The issue before the court is not about my coronation but whether Obiano was right to suspend me and withdraw my certificate under Sections 10, 16, and 24 of the Anambra State Traditional Rulers Law,” he explained.
He said his father made enormous sacrifices for Nawfia, and that every family in the community benefitted from his contributions, yet he was repaid with murder.
He further stated that he never sought the throne but was chosen by the community, which documented its decision and asked him to return to Nigeria to assume the position.
According to him, for Nawfia to experience lasting peace, the community must unite to appease his father’s spirit because “no community kills its king and enjoys peace.”
