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Eze Ndigbo coronation abroad embarrassing — FG

Published

2 months ago

April 11, 2026

The Federal Government has criticised those in the habit of crowning Eze Ndigbo in foreign countries, describing it as embarrassing and capable of causing diplomatic and communal tensions.

In a press statement signed by Special Assistant on Communication and New Media to the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Magnus Eze, on Thursday, April 9, the government said it is working with Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide and the South East Council of Traditional Rulers to abolish the practice outside Igboland.

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, while speaking at a meeting of Imeobi, the highest decision-making body of Ohanaeze, in Enugu, said the development has become a source of concern.

She explained that while Igbo associations in the diaspora often organise cultural activities to promote their heritage, the introduction of traditional rulership structures abroad has led to repeated conflicts within communities and with host countries.

She stated that people can express their culture without creating tension or appearing to challenge the authority of their host nations.

She said, “The situation has become a big embarrassment to government, Ndigbo, Nigerians and other foreigners in those countries where they have Eze Ndigbo.”

This comes following unrest in South Africa’s Eastern Cape over the controversial coronation of an Igbo leader as Eze Ndigbo in East London. The incident triggered protests which culminated in violence, destruction of property and clashes with security agencies.

Authorities in South Africa, including the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, reportedly declared the installation illegal, while local traditional institutions described it as a violation of established customs.

Ojukwu said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is already engaging through diplomatic channels to manage the fallout and prevent further escalation.

She added that Nigeria’s mission in South Africa had distanced itself from the coronation, describing it as a cultural event that was misinterpreted and not an officially recognised traditional institution.

The minister also recalled a similar incident in Ghana in July 2025, which led to tensions and threats against Nigerians living in the country. She said the situation was later brought under control after high-level diplomatic engagement with the government of Ghana, including a meeting with President John Mahama, who rejected xenophobia and reaffirmed regional cooperation under ECOWAS protocols. According to her, the intervention helped to protect Nigerians, whose lives, businesses and properties were at risk at the time.

Meanwhile, the leadership of Ohanaeze has formally adopted the position of South East traditional rulers, abolishing the Eze Ndigbo title in the diaspora.

President General of Ohanaeze, Senator Azuta Mbata, said the organisation would no longer recognise such titles outside Igboland and plans to communicate the decision to governments and embassies worldwide.

“Anybody who is being awarded that type of title anywhere outside of Igbo land is on his own. It’s unknown to the Igbo people and we will call upon all state governors, we’ll correspond to all embassies in the world informing them about the position of Ndigbo,” he said.

He added that sanctions would be introduced for violators, to be enforced through community structures across Igboland.

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News

Ndigbo will never move on from £20 compensation injustice — Aloy Ejimakor

Published

17 hours ago

June 13, 2026

Oluwagbenga Olaoye

Lawyer to Nnamdi Kanu, convicted leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB, Aloy Ejimakor, has said Ndigbo will “never move on” from the injustices suffered after the Nigerian Civil War, particularly the confiscation of properties and the £20 compensation policy.

Ejimakor made the statement in a post on X on Saturday, where he argued that many people wrongly believe the Igbo have forgotten the humiliation and injustice experienced after the war.

“It seems to me that some people believe that Ndigbo have moved on from the humiliation & injustice of confiscating their properties & handing them a mere £20 at the end of the Civil War. Well, hear this: Ndigbo will NEVER move on until these injustices (plus more) are redressed,” he wrote.

The lawyer did not specify what additional grievances he was referring to, but his comments come amid renewed debates over historical injustices, reconciliation, and the treatment of the South-East region since the end of the Civil War in 1970.

It was reports that after the war, many Igbo people who had bank deposits before the conflict were reportedly given a flat sum of £20 regardless of the amount previously held in their accounts, a policy that has remained a subject of controversy for decades.

Ejimakor is one of the lead lawyers representing Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of IPOB, who was recently convicted on terrorism-related charges brought by the Federal Government.

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News

VIDEO: Release Nnamdi Kanu or arrest Sheikh Gumi – Primate Ayodele to Nigeria Govt

Published

17 hours ago

June 13, 2026

Oluwagbenga Olaoye

Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, has called on the Federal Government to release detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu.

Speaking to his congregation in a video sighted by DAILY POST, Primate Ayodele said if the Nigerian Government continues to keep Nnamdi Kanu, it should also arrest Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi.

He said, “The Nigerian government should release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. Since you keep Kanu in prison, why can’t you keep Sheikh Gumi in prison too?

“You keep Nnamdi Kanu but Gumi is free. Then, how do you want to now manage the government.

“If Nnamdi Kanu is there, then go and take Gumi. Then Nigerians will believe that the government is serious. Protest will seize this Tinubu government,” he warned.

SEE THE VIDEO

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UN Secretary-General appoints Nigeria’s Eziakonwa as Special Adviser on Africa

Published

17 hours ago

June 13, 2026

Oluwagbenga Olaoye

United Nations Secretary General, António Guterres on Friday announced the appointment of Ahunna Eziakonwa of Nigeria as Special Adviser on Africa.

She succeeds Cristina Duarte of the Republic of Cabo Verde, to whom the Secretary General is grateful for her commitment and dedicated service to the Organisation.

Eziakonwa brings nearly three decades of United Nations (UN) leadership to her new role.

In her current role as UN Assistant Secretary General, Assistant Administrator and Director, Regional Bureau for Africa, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), she oversees the organisation’s support to 46 African countries in pursuing Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals, as well as the African Union’s Agenda 2063.

Since 2018, she has helped shape UNDP’s strategic approach to economic and political development across the continent.

Eziakonwa’s experience spans the full breadth of UN work in Africa.

She has served as UN Resident Coordinator, Humanitarian Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in three countries – Ethiopia, Uganda and Lesotho – where she coordinated humanitarian action, development strategy and political engagement.

As Chief of the Africa Section at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) in New York, she managed humanitarian operations across 15 African countries and held senior posts in Liberia and Sierra Leone during critical periods in those nations.

At UN Headquarters, she contributed to peacekeeping and political analysis and strategic communications pertaining to UN engagement in Africa, working with the UN Departments of Peacekeeping Operations, Political Affairs and Public Information.

Prior to joining the UN, she held positions in several African civil society organisations.

Eziakonwa holds a Master’s degree in International Affairs with a focus on African economic and political development from Columbia University, New York, USA, and a Bachelor of Arts in Pedagogy, English and Literary Studies from the University of Benin, Nigeria.

In addition to her native Igbo and English, she speaks fluent Yoruba and has a working knowledge of French.

NAN

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