By Tony Okafor, Awka
The traditional ruler of Nawfia, HRH Igwe Chijioke Nwankwo, has cautioned indigenes of the community against attending a meeting scheduled for Saturday, July 4, 2026, to amend what he described as an “illegal constitution.”
In a public notice dated July 3, 2026, the monarch alleged that the constitution proposed for amendment lacked legal backing and remained the subject of pending litigation.
According to the notice, the constitution “is an absolute illegality” and is connected with ongoing court cases, including Suit Nos. A/200/2013 and A/275/2014, as well as Appeal No. AW/43/2017.
The notice further claimed that the matter remained before courts of competent jurisdiction.
The monarch also alleged that nine out of the 10 villages in Nawfia had rejected the constitution in writing, with only Uruorji Village reportedly supporting it.
He further contended that the constitution did not bear his signature as required under Section 12 of the Anambra Traditional Rulers’ Law, 2007.
The notice stated that “somebody is desperate to be Eze/Igwe Nawfia at all cost,” warning that those behind what it described as illegal actions could face legal consequences.
“We will not hesitate to jail some people. Remember orders can be reviewed at any time if there’s serious miscarriage of justice. We will at some point meet these illegal imposters with whatever they present,” the notice quoted the monarch as saying.
Igwe Nwankwo therefore advised members of the community to stay away from the planned meeting.
“You are advised not to attend any purported meeting about illegal constitution amendment on 4th July, 2026,” the notice read.
Efforts to obtain the reaction of the organisers of the proposed meeting or other parties mentioned in the notice were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report. Their response could not be immediately obtained.
Igwe Chijioke Nwankwo was crowned the traditional ruler of Nawfia in 2000 following the brutal murder of his father, Igwe FFBC Nwankwo, by yet-to-be-identified assailants.
Our correspondent gathered that the Nawfia throne has recently been the subject of multiple claims, leading to a flurry of litigation over the community’s traditional leadership.
