Court stops Igbo new yam festival in Kano

A High Court in Kano State presided by Justice Farouk Lawan Adamu has stopped Igbo indigenes in the state from celebration the New Yam Festival (Iwaji 2020) scheduled to hold today.

In Suit No: K/322/2020, the court also restrained one Ikechukwu Oliver Akpudo from organising, assembling people and celebrating any festival that had to do with Igbos living in Kano.

The court directed the Kano State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Habu Sani, to ensure Akpudo, other Igbos and the general public comply with the court order.

It ruled that order of interim injunction “is hereby retraining the defendant (Akpudo), whether by himself, through any of his agents, servants, successors or privies, from presiding over, supervising, convening, assembling, summoning, celebrating, organising and partaking in a New Yam Festival (Iwaji Festival 2020) scheduled to hold on Sunday, September 27.”

The court further stopped Akpudo from carrying out any event or other occasions whatsoever pertaining to Igbos in Kano State, pending hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice filed by Igwe Boniface. The court fixed October 7 for hearing.

The Igbo traditional ruler in Kano, Dr. Boniface Ibekwe Ide I, Ezedioranma IV, hailed the court’s verdict. The Igbo community in Kano also backed the court’s decision.

Boniface, who is also the President General of Igbo Traditional Rulers in the Diaspora, told reporters that the said Akpudo has been parading himself as the Igwe V of the Indigbo in Kano.

Boniface is also recognised by the Abdullahi Ganduje administration as the authentic traditional ruler of the Indigbo in Kano state.

He said the court had initially restrained him and asked him “to pay me N2 million, as damages, for disturbing me on the throne. He has not paid the money, yet he went ahead to invite people for an Igbo New Yam Festival.

“He also wrote letters to prominent Igbo personalities promising to give them chieftaincy titles during his purported invent. So, I and my cabinet members, as law abiding citizens, had to go to court to stop him.

“How can someone wakes up suddenly and begins to parade himself as my successor when I am still alive, still on the throne and performing my duties diligently as Eze Indigbo in Kano?” Boniface, who has been on the throne for 10 years, queried.

The Igbo monarch appealed to the Igbos in Kano to be calm, that the festival will be celebrated at an appropriate time in accordance with the Igbo tradition  (ThisDay)