Tension in Anambra Community as Prominent Traditional Title Holder Is Gunned Down

By Praise Chinecherem

Tension has enveloped Nri community in Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State following the alleged assassination of a prominent traditional title holder, Oba Maduka Arubaluezeama, popularly known by his traditional title, Oba Muozuluaru.

Arubaluezeama was reportedly shot dead at about 7 p.m. last Tuesday while supervising workers at a building site in an estate near the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) office in Nise, a neighbouring community.

A source from the community said the killing had heightened fears among residents, with some linking it to the longstanding controversy surrounding the vacant traditional stool of Nri.

The traditional stool reportedly became vacant about eight years ago following the death of the former traditional ruler, Eze Obidiegwu Onyeso.

According to the source, “The estate where Oba Muozuluaru was building his house is also under dispute because other multimillionaires purchased plots of land there to build their houses.”

The source, however, said attention in the community had largely shifted to the controversy surrounding the traditional stool, citing a series of violent incidents allegedly connected to prominent figures in Nri.

“Most people are pointing fingers at the controversy around the Nri traditional stool because a gang of suspected cultists attacked Chief Sunday Alike and inflicted severe machete cuts on him as he was stepping out of Oba Muozuluaru’s house in the evening about three years ago,” the source alleged.

The source further recalled the assassination of the commander of the Nri Central Vigilante group, identified as Ogazi, who was reportedly killed in the evening last year.

“Many people are suspecting that the controversy around the traditional stool may be the cause of these unfortunate happenings,” the source added.

In another incident, members of the Nri Nze-na-Ozo traditional society were reportedly attacked several years ago while holding a meeting at Agbadani village hall. The source said the attack was also linked by some residents to the dispute over the traditional stool.

Meanwhile, the circumstances surrounding Arubaluezeama’s death have continued to generate concern in the community.

According to the source, the alleged assailants initially confronted the traditional title holder at the building site and warned him to leave the premises.

“When Oba Muozuluaru made to enter his car to drive out, one of the gang members pulled out a gun and shot him several times, first in the waist and later in the head,” the source alleged.

The source said the community was relying on the professional investigation of security agencies to identify and apprehend those responsible for the killing.

When contacted, the Anambra State Police Command spokesperson, Tochukwu Ikenga, said he was unaware of the reported murder.

Ikenga, however, promised to make inquiries and provide an update. As of the time of filing this report, he had yet to respond.

The motive for the killing remains unconfirmed, and the allegations linking the incident to the traditional stool controversy have not been independently established.

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