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Nawfia chieftaincy, others : Judge, lawyer kick over disobedience of court orders



A judge of the Anambra state High Court, Justice Peace Otti, has threatened to stop sitting because of flagrant disobedience of court orders by the police and the Anambra State Government

Visibly angry when she entered the ourt hall on Thursday, Justice Otti of the High Court 3, Awka Judicial Division told lawyers and litigants that she just came to announce to them that she had decided to stop sitting until proper explanations would be given to her why orders made by her court were not being obeyed.

Otti said she made an order recently against further arrest of some litigants in a matter in her court, but some police operatives from the Force Headquarters, Abuja, came at about 8pm, arrested the litigants and whisked them away to Abuja, citing "conducts likely to cause a breach of peace".

"I only came to inform you that I have decided to stop sitting because it is a waste of time for me to continue sitting when the orders made by the court is not being obeyed.

She said,"This court made an order barring further arrest of some litigants in a matter before this court pending the determination of the substantive case but some police officers came from Abuja without any court Order, and, abducted these litigants and took them to Abuja and said that they arrested them for "conduct likely to cause a breach of peace.

"I have decided not to sit again until the commissioner of police(in Anambra state, CP Aderemi Adeoye) comes and explains to the court why the police that is supposed to enforce the orders of the court are disobeying the Court Orders.

"Nigeria has just become very lawless, and, I am no longer ready to be wasting my time coming here to sit, and, make orders that will not be obeyed."

Justice Otti later after persuasions from some senior lawyers in the court, had to hear the case instituted by the traditional ruler of Nwafia community in Njikoka local government area, Igwe Chijioke Nwankwo challenging his dethronement.

Justice Otti had on June 21, 2022 made an order setting aside the certificate of recognition issued to Chief Dan Obelle as the monarch of the community by the immediate past administration of Chief Willie Obiano, and, later, made another order barring Chief Dan Obelle from parading as either "Eze/Igwe of Nwafia" pending the determination of Igwe Nwankwo's suit.

Nwankwo in the suit named the Anambra state government, Attorney General of Anambra state and the Anambra state Traditional Rulers Council as defendants.

Contrary to the orders of Justice Otti, the Anambra state government had been according Chief Obelle recognition as the monarch of Nawfia.

Obelle even marked "Igu Aro" ritual early this year during which he conferred traditional titles on 40 persons .

Igwe Nwankwo's legal counsel, Chief C. J. Okoli Akirika accused the state governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo of encouraging the disobedience to the order of the court by the continued recognition of Chief Obelle as Nawfia's monarch by the government despite the order of the Court.

"There is no court order staying execution of the order, and, there is no appeal against the order of the Court", Okoli Akirika stated.

Meanwhile, Soludo's deputy chief of staff and director of protocol, Mr. Chinedu Nwoye who hails from Nawfia in an interview insisted that he would continue to accord Obelle recognition as the traditional ruler of their community because he(Obelle) is the person the state government recognises.

"I am an official of the Anambra state government, so, as a government official, I am recognising Dan Obelle as traditional ruler of Nwafia because he is the person the state government recognises", Nwoye stated.

A source at the Government House, Awka, however, revealed that the Nawfia Igweship tussle had pitched the commissioner for local government, community and chieftaincy affairs, Hon. Tony Collins Nwabunwanne against Soludo's deputy chief of staff and director of protocol, Mr. Chinedu Nwoye as Nwabunwanne according to sources was not happy that Nwoye was using his closeness to Soludo to encourage lawlessness in affairs of his ministry