The lingering tussle over who occupies the vacant traditional stool in Mburubu Kingdom, in Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu State has taken a new dimension.
This is as a High Court sitting in the state has ordered Chief Jerry Patrick Onuokaibe to stop parading himself as the Igwe-elect of the community.
The order was sequel to a motion ex parte brought before Justice J.I.C Okibe by six plaintiffs through their lawyer, Barr Ike Ozor.
Justice Okibe ordered other defendants/respondents- Arch Chijioke Nwachukwu and Obinna Okonkwo, representing Mburubu General Assembly, their agents or any other person to stop claiming or parading Onuokaibe as the Igwe-elect of Mburubu Town pending the determination of the ex parte motion.
The plaintiffs had through a motion ex parte sought an order of interim injunction restraining the 3rd defendant (Onuokaibe), “from parading himself or holding out himself as the Igwe-elect of Mburubu Town and the 1 and 2 defendants or any other person or group from Mburubu Town from addressing or referring to the defendant as Igwe-elect of Mburub Town pending the determination of the motion on notice filed along with the application.”
In a ruling, the judge held that: “the motion ex parte is granted as prayed.
“That Order of Interim Injunction is hereby granted restraining the 3rd Defendant from parading himself or holding out himself as the Igwe-elect of Mburubu Town and the 1st and 2nd Defendants or any other person or group from Mburubu Town from addressing or referring to the Defendant as Igwe-elect of Mburubu Town pending the determination of motion on notice filed along with this application.”
The court adjourned the suit to March 22, 2024, for hearing.
