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By Chinenye Anuforo
Leaders of various villages in Nawfia, Anambra State, have formally apologised to the Umuriam Obunese community over allegations linking its members to the 2000 assassination of Nawfia’s traditional ruler, HRH Igwe F.F.B.C. Nwankwo, Osuofia I.
The public apology, coordinated through the Ofo Umunri Unity Initiative (OUUI), is part of ongoing reconciliation efforts aimed at rebuilding trust and restoring unity between Nawfia and the Umuriam Obunese community after more than two decades of strained relations.
In a joint statement endorsed by chairmen of the various villages in Nawfia, the leaders acknowledged that members of the Umuriam Obunese community were wrongly accused following the assassination of the monarch on February 15, 2000.
According to the statement, the allegation triggered years of harassment, intimidation, arrests, and prosecution involving several indigenes of the community, including the traditional ruler of Umuriam Obunese, HRH Igwe Gabriel Anene Ikebudu, Okpalariam XII.
Other members of the community identified as having suffered during the period include Michael Nwufoh, Innocent Nwufoh, Remigius Mbadugha, Augustine Onuorah, John Okafor, Joseph Ifeagwu, and Emmanuel Ikebudu.
The village leaders noted that none of the accused persons from Umuriam Obunese was ultimately found guilty following the legal proceedings that ensued after the incident.
They further admitted that their failure at the time to publicly challenge the accusation contributed to the pain, stigma, and prolonged withdrawal of the Umuriam Obunese community from Nawfia affairs.
“Speaking for each of our villages in Nawfia, we tender an unreserved apology to Umuriam Obunese Community for the harm, suffering, and alienation caused by the wrongful accusation,” the statement read.
Describing the apology as part of a broader healing process, the leaders stressed the need to restore peaceful coexistence among communities sharing common ancestral ties.
“Nawfia consists of people bound together by a common ancestry and shared destiny that is rooted in Umunri heritage,” the statement added, urging all parties to embrace reconciliation, forgiveness, and unity in the interest of peace and progress.
The reconciliation process was facilitated by the Ofo Umunri Unity Initiative, described as a voluntary body of Nawfia indigenes committed to fostering dialogue and rebuilding relationships between affected communities.
The apology document was signed by chairmen representing several Nawfia villages, including Eziakpaka, Umuezunu, Uruoji, Iridana, Urukpaleri, Adagbe Mmimi, and Urualor/Uruejimofor.
