The Nri community in Anambra State, believed to be the ancestral home of the Igbo, has threatened to jail the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, for allegedly invading the area and desecrating sacred places.
The community said it had concluded arrangements to drag the pro-Biafran agitator to court in that respect.
The traditional of Nri, Igwe Eze Obidiegwu Onyeso, said this on Thursday while chatting with newsmen in Awka, the Anambra State capital.
Speaking through his personal assistant, Chief Ifeanyi Onyeso, the monarch said Kanu and his IPOB’s ‘army of occupation’ invaded his community on July 18 with impunity, without recourse to obeisance to the palace.
The monarch said, “My people are highly angry about this misconduct of these intruders. Nri as an ancient kingdom and the cradle of Igbo people and her culture and tradition is highly revered among the Igbo.
He added, “On July18, 2017, a day before Kanu came to Nri, 12 youths came to the palace of Eze Nri requesting an appointment with the traditional ruler for Kanu.
“They were received and told to go and come back with a written letter so that they will get official reply from the palace since the delegation looked unusual, in that there was no titled person among them.
“At this point, they all left and what we saw the next day was Kanu invading Nri community with a huge crowd of his supporters; he went straight to the house of one subject to the traditional ruler of Nri.
“The feelers we later got, was that the subject claimed he had handed over the `Offo Nri’, (symbol of royalty) to Kanu, and even allowed Kanu to visit the historic “Ohianwehi forest” revered as “forest of life” by the Igbo tradition.
“This forest is believed to be the place the first burnt offering was offered by the Jewish Igbo ancestors when they migrated from Israel more than 2,000 years ago.
Onyeso noted that Nri people perceived Kanu’s conduct as a taboo because no visitor enters the community without first visiting the traditional ruler let alone going to a sacred place without the knowledge of the traditional ruler himself.
He regretted that Kanu and his supporters after visiting one Mbanefo returned to the palace entrance gate of HRM Eze Ugochukwu Onyeso, where they were banging at the gate trying to force the gate open.
“It was this unruly conduct that made the traditional ruler to telephone the security agents who responded promptly and dispersed Kanu and his supporters.
This act is an affront on the tradition and culture of Nri people and as such we resolved not to sweep the matter under the carpet.
“It is a taboo in Nri and equally against the Anambra State Traditional Rulers’ Council Law.
“The people of Nri and their traditional ruler are not against Nnamdi Kanu and his agitation, but what we cannot take is for Kanu to come and mess up the Nri culture and tradition under whatever motive.
“The community will drag him to court and make sure we jail him to serve as a deterrent to others,” Onyeso stated.
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