There is palpable tension in the Ishienu-Amofu community of Nkerefi in Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu state, following preparations to produce their traditional ruler after 9 years without a king.
Recall that in 2015, the first king of the newly created autonomous community, HRH, Igwe Peter Onuoha was gruesomely murdered by hoodlums, and the community has not had an Igwe since then.
Nine years after the ugly incident, the community is set to produce a new king which is expected to be on smooth grounds but unfortunately, an interested citizen who wishes to replace the late king from far away Israel in the Middle East is increasingly becoming an obstacle to the exercise that is supposed to usher in the long-awaited peace and happiness in the community.
The contender who is said to be a former Councilor who represented Nkerefi Ward 1 and later traveled to Israel through the 2019 Family Pilgrimage sponsored by the Enugu state government and absconded (never returned to date), Mr. Sunday Mbah aka SMC.
According to reports, Mr Mbah is alleged to have been involved in very questionable, dark, and dubious activities which made him flee to Israel through the 2019 pilgrimage.
He is currently contesting to replace the late king of the Ishienu-Amofu community of Nkerefi, HRH, Igwe Peter Onuoha.
The big problem now is that Mbah wants to become the Igwe of Ishienu Amofu Nkerefi, without physical interview or physical participation in the exercise. The contest has passed through two primaries in which participated in absentia and lost in both.
The community has requested, then demanded for him to return, to help fast-track the emergence of a new Igwe, but he has refused to return and has continued to issue threats that the exercise must wait for him until anytime he deems fit to return to Nigeria.
Although Mr. Sunday Mbah is not the only candidate interested in the office, which was zoned to Ishiuga village in the community, reports have it that he has been able to create gangs using criminal elements to attack the leadership of the community including trying to create a factional community platform called Ishienu-Amofu United Congress.
Specifically, the community has invited him for meetings after participating in two primary elections by proxy and lost but he has refused to show up. Due to his constant threats, the leadership of the community has been compelled to conduct primaries according to his request even when he has refused to show up, but each time, he has lost.
Information has it that some politicians and public office holders in Nkerefi are backing the Israeli fugitive due to fear or selfish political interest.
Recall that there have been records of killings in Nkerefi town, yet, these political officeholders have never taken any proactive approach to check the continual occurrence of such events.
There is fear now, whether with what is going on now, the community will later be able to produce an Igwe or remain in crisis as supposed criminal elements seem to be more powerful than the community leadership.
