BY BONIFACE Okeke

The traditional ruler of Nwafia community in Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra state, Igwe Chijioke Nwankwo has urged the public to dismiss as fake any Court Order purporting as a stay of the Justice Promise Otti's Court order barring Chief Dan Obelle from parading as the monarch of the community.

Igwe Nwankwo stated that since after Justice Otti of the Awka High Court 3 set aside the certificate of recognition issued to Dan Obelle as traditional ruler of Nawfia by the immediate past administration of Chief Willie Obiano, and, made an order barring Chief Obelle from parading as monarch of the community, the latter had not served him or his lawyers any application filed in any Court urging the Court to make order to stay execution of the order.

The monarch even reminded the incumbent Governor Chukwuma Soludo's led administration that issuance of a certificate of recognition to Dan Obelle by the past administration was an abuse of the Court process because before the action, he was already in the Court challenging his dethronement from his traditional stool.

He added that since after Justice Otti barred Chief Obelle from parading as traditional ruler, the latter did not serve him or any of his lawyers any application before any Court of law seeking to stay execution of the order made by Justice Otti.

Igwe Nwankwo argued "Before any Court can entertain any application to set aside the Justice Otti's order or make an order for the stay of the execution, the application and brief of argument for such order have to be served on me or my lawyers. This is because I know that such an order cannot be obtained through Exparte application."

The monarch stated that from what his team of lawyers told him pertaining to what Dan Obelle's lawyer filed in Appeal Court so far "There's ABSOLUTELY no appeal howsoever because what they filed in the Appeal Court is notice of appeal," the monarch argued.

Igwe Nwankwo also pointed out that from the record of the notice of appeal filed at the Appeal Court, Dan Obelle was asking for the following three things: leave to file appeal, an injunction or alternatively, a stay of execution.

It would be recalled that Igwe Nwankwo was enthroned the traditional ruler of his community following the gruesome murder of his father, Igwe F. F. B. C. Nwankwo by suspected hired assassins in 2000 while he was in his palace watching the 9 O'clock NTA Network news.

Igwe Nwankwo was one of the 13 traditional rulers in the state who were suspended from their thrones by the then Obiano administration for accompanying the State-born billionaire oil mogul, Prince Arthur Eze on a courtesy visit to then President Muhammad Buhari at the presidential Villa, Abuja in 2022.

Igwe Nwankwo had gone to Court to challenge his dethronement arguing that the action was an infringement on his fundamental right of freedom of movement and association.

Well, seems like quite a royal legal saga in Nwafia. The traditional ruler, Igwe Chijioke Nwankwo, is making it clear that any court order claiming to stay Justice Promise Otti's order against Chief Dan Obelle should be treated as fake. The intricacies of legal proceedings and the nuances of the appeal are highlighted, suggesting a complex situation.