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By Fred Akpewe
The recent arrest and interrogation of Prince Chukwunonso Nwoko, the self acclaimed monarch of Idumuje-Ugboko, by men of the Delta State Police Command, for alleged murder in the early hours of July 18th, 2020 signals the beginning of the journey to peace and justice in Idumuje-Ugboko.

Impartial analysts have always maintained that the resolution of the seemingly intractable crisis in Idumuje-Ugboko lies, not in the struggle for the throne, nor in the land acquisition for the Stars University but on the speedy execution of justice in the serial murder allegations hanging on the neck of Prince Chukwunonso Nwoko.

The arrest of Prince Nonso Nwoko further reinforced the belief that the throne of Idumuje-Ugboko was illegally sequestered and that its occupant defied the wishes of the people over whom he pretends to reign. Prince Nonso Nwoko’s interrogation for nine hours before he was released also demystified the assumed mystique of infallibility that surrounded the Idumuje-Ugboko Prince. As the sages say when a god begins to overreach himself, it is necessary to show him the wood with which it was carved.

The allegation of murder leveled against Prince Nonso Nwoko may not be unconnected with the alleged murder of Cyprian Kumiolu and Kennedy Iloh in cold blood on the 18th of May, 2017 at Idumuje-Ugboko. As if in a rehash of the 2017 saga, two persons from Idumuje-Ugboko were two weeks ago arrested for fresh murder. One of the suspects is said to have confessed, and has given vivid accounts of how Cyprian Kumiolu’s body was disposed off including the digging of his grave and the attendant oath taking. While the lawyers of the families of Cyprian Kumiolu and Kennedy Iloh have filed their petitions, it is instructive that details of the funding of the reign of terror in Idumuje-Ugboko in 2017 have started coming out. The bigger picture of the Idumuje-Ugboko crises reveals a comprehensive plot to annihilate every voice of dissent and to send fear to anybody who may wish to question the validity of Prince Nonso’s claim to the throne. The once sleepy town of Idumuje-Ugboko is still haunted by the mysterious death of Obi Albert Nwoko and his sudden but suspicious burial at night without according the deceased monarch all the traditional burial rites due to a king of his status.

With the commencement of forensic investigation by the Delta State Police Command ordered by the Commissioner of Police, on the murder allegations on Prince Chukwunonso Nwoko, it is evident that the culprits will soon be brought to book. From available information, the Delta State Police Command will stop at nothing to unravel the mysteries surrounding the serial murders including carrying out autopsies on the remains of the murdered persons. The development also promises that the elusive peace and justice will soon return to Idumuje-Ugboko after four years of intrigues, fears, accusation and counter-accusations.

With the arrest of Prince Nonso, it is now clear that the only person who was an impediment to his receiving a staff of office was himself and not another. The arrest further confirms that Prince Nonso’s claim to the throne is faulty, having “ascended” the throne without the necessary traditional rites and procedures that confers legitimacy on an Obi. A staff of office is a mark of trust and honour. With the recent development in Idumuje-Ugboko which casts aspersion on the integrity of Prince Chukwunonso Nwoko, it is doubtful if the Delta State Government would confer a staff of office on such a person. If eventually Prince Nonso is found guilty after Police investigations and convicted, it would certainly be an embarrassment to all those who tried to foist him on the Idumuje-Ugboko Kingdom as Monarch.

In the words of the late editor of Newswatch Magazine, Dele Giwa, “every evil done by man to man must be redressed, if not now but certainly later, for the victory of evil over good is but temporary”.
• Fred Akpewe is a public affairs commentator.