Enugu Community Engulfed in Crisis over Parallel New Yam Festival
Enugu Community Engulfed in Crisis over Parallel
New Yam Festival
Palpable fear has gripped the people of Ibagwa-Nike community in Enugu-East Local Government Area of Enugu State following disagreements between the community's traditional ruler, Igwe Emmanuel Ugwu and some villagers over the rightful group to organise this year's New Yam festival in the area.
While Igwe Ugwu reportedly marked the festival on August 16, another group led by a former Majority Leader of the State House of Assembly and Secretary of the Umuanekeode family in Ibagwa Nike, Hon. Maurice Ekete were said to have fixed another celebration for last Sunday but the exercise was reportedly aborted.
Checks revealed that trouble started when armed policemen invaded the village square, venue of the celebration, shooting sporadically apparently in a bid to scare the young men who trouped out in their numbers from going ahead with the festival.
The ensuing pandemonium made some villagers to take to their heels for fear of becoming victim of the power tussle in the area.
When contacted, Hon. Ekete who claimed to be in hiding in order to avert a possible arrest by the police who he said were acting on the orders of the traditional ruler despite an order of a High Court restraining them from interfering with the celebration of their New Yam festival lamented that the people were now living. He alleged that some villagers have suffered severe harassment and intimidation as a result of the crisis in the area over the community's traditional stool.
"We have an issue in my community. We slated our new yam festival on 30th August. As you are aware, we have problem with the Igwe and as such we have two festivals. He celebrated his own on August 16 while we chose 30th. But after holding his own, he has been using the police to harrass us. We are even more worried that despite an order which we obtained from a High Court on 27th, the police still flooded our celebration. They have now declared a man hunt on those involved in the festival.
"As I speak to you, I've gone into hiding because they are doing everything possible to arrest me over trumped up charges. Initially, they accused me of forging our Power of Attorney in connection with the issue of land; I was arrested and even arraigned in court but was granted bail,” he said.
Palpable fear has gripped the people of Ibagwa-Nike community in Enugu-East Local Government Area of Enugu State following disagreements between the community's traditional ruler, Igwe Emmanuel Ugwu and some villagers over the rightful group to organise this year's New Yam festival in the area.
While Igwe Ugwu reportedly marked the festival on August 16, another group led by a former Majority Leader of the State House of Assembly and Secretary of the Umuanekeode family in Ibagwa Nike, Hon. Maurice Ekete were said to have fixed another celebration for last Sunday but the exercise was reportedly aborted.
Checks revealed that trouble started when armed policemen invaded the village square, venue of the celebration, shooting sporadically apparently in a bid to scare the young men who trouped out in their numbers from going ahead with the festival.
The ensuing pandemonium made some villagers to take to their heels for fear of becoming victim of the power tussle in the area.
When contacted, Hon. Ekete who claimed to be in hiding in order to avert a possible arrest by the police who he said were acting on the orders of the traditional ruler despite an order of a High Court restraining them from interfering with the celebration of their New Yam festival lamented that the people were now living. He alleged that some villagers have suffered severe harassment and intimidation as a result of the crisis in the area over the community's traditional stool.
"We have an issue in my community. We slated our new yam festival on 30th August. As you are aware, we have problem with the Igwe and as such we have two festivals. He celebrated his own on August 16 while we chose 30th. But after holding his own, he has been using the police to harrass us. We are even more worried that despite an order which we obtained from a High Court on 27th, the police still flooded our celebration. They have now declared a man hunt on those involved in the festival.
"As I speak to you, I've gone into hiding because they are doing everything possible to arrest me over trumped up charges. Initially, they accused me of forging our Power of Attorney in connection with the issue of land; I was arrested and even arraigned in court but was granted bail,” he said.
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