Amanuke Community boils, demands release of popular leader

Hundreds of people from Amanuke commu­nity in Awka North Lo­cal Government Area of Anambra State, Monday, protested against arrest and detention of Chief Dennis Ezebuilo, a pop­ular community leaders embroiled in chieftain­cy tussle of the commu­nity.

Dennis, it would be recalled, was remanded in the police custody by Justice Hyeladzira Aji­ya Nganjiwa of Awka Federal High Court following a case of im­personation of the Tra­ditional Ruler of Ama­nuke and related issues initiated against him by the Police.

The protesters bear­ing placards some of which read, “Leader­ship is not by force, Amanuke is one with one king,’ ‘Igwe Dennis Is our crowned king of Amanuke Eri,’ ‘Ama­nuke stands with Igwe Dennis Ezebuilo’,” de­scribed their leader as duly crowned tradition­al ruler by the commu­nity following extant laws of the land as against Chief Alphon­sus Ezebuilo, his cousin who was eventually cer­tified king by the state government.

Addressing the news­men, Chief Nweke Nwachukwu, said they would never accept Al­phonsus as Amanuke’s monarch until ‘Igwe’ Dennis is recognised or certified by govern­ment and allowed to dis­charge his duties on the throne.

Also speaking, Mrs. Maria Nwoye and a youth, Mr. Moses Akum expressed shock over ar­rest of Dennis, insisting that he was not imper­sonating but generally accepted and crowned by both the young and the elders of Amanuke kingdom.

The traditional ruler of Amanuke, HRH Al­phonsus Ezebuilo, had in an interview last week, said he sought justice from the court because he was crowned in 2014 by Amanuke peo­ple, and Anambra State Government duly certi­fied him as Igwe on July 12, 2015.