Court orders sack Enugu monarch over forged certificate

An Enugu State High Court has sacked the traditional ruler of Umuogbugbuagu Autonomous Community, Ugwuoba, in Oji River Local Government Area of Enugu, Anayo Anochili over alleged forgery of school certificate.

Justice A.A. Nwobodo held that Anochili was not qualified in the first instance to contest for the traditional stool, having presented a questionable secondary school certificate.

A contestant to the throne, Nathan Nwanze Nwangwu, had dragged the embattled monarch to court, seeking to be declared the rightful person to occupy the traditional stool of the community.

Nwangwu had contended that at the time the election was held for stool in 2003, he was the only qualified candidate who indicated interest, but that his presentation to the government for recognition was truncated by Anochili.

Anochili, however, told the court that he was the candidate that polled the majority of lawful votes cast during the Igweship election, which made him the legible candidate to be presented with a letter of recognition by the state.

After reviewing their arguments, Justice Nwobodo held that the defendant “has since tendered his school certificate before this court as Exhibit 16. The said certificate is dated June 2004 and bears the name of Anochili Anayo C. born on February 1, 1979.

Meanwhile exhibit two filed by the 2nd defendant shows that he was born on the first day of September, 1965. Can it be said that the candidate for the Igwe stool in exhibit two and the owner of the school certificate exhibit 16 is the same person? My answer is in the negative.

“Now, even if for the purpose of argument, that they are the same person, the question is, was the 2nd defendant qualified to contest for the office of the Igwe of Umuogbugbuagu Autonomous Community as at the time he filled the form on 30th October, 2003? My answer is emphatic no.”