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Alleged Missing N150 Million: Anambra Youths Want Igwe Alex Edozieuno Arrested, Prosecuted

Displaying placards with various inscriptions, the youth and women
asked the monarch to produce the missing money to avoid further rage.

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Youths of Mkpu-Nando in the Anambra East Local Government Area of
Anambra State, on Tuesday, staged a protest against their monarch,
Igwe Alex Edozieuno, over the alleged misappropriation of N150m land
proceeds belonging to the community.

Displaying placards with various inscriptions, the youth and women
asked the monarch to produce the missing money to avoid further rage.

Some of the inscriptions on the placards read, ‘He must refund our
money’, ‘We don’t need this kind of monarch again’, ‘This Igwe should
be arrested and prosecuted’, ‘Governor Willie Obiano come and rescue’,
Punch reports.

They marched on the Ama Umuawulu village square and other roads in the
community, including the frontage of the monarch’s palace singing
uncomplimentary songs about the Igwe.

Security operatives, however, prevented the crowd of about 400
persons, from entering the monarch’s compound.

The leader of the protesters, Ifeanyi Iloakasia, a lawyer, said the
state government should order the monarch to refund the money to the
community.

He said the N150 million was the compensation the state government
paid to the community for acquiring land in the community.

“If the government fails to intervene and retrieve the money from
Igwe, we will not have any option but to resort to self-help.

“The monarch and the estate valuer are in an unholy alliance to rip
off the Mkpunando community and we will not allow this to happen in
our place.

“The total money paid to the community by the government was N150m,
while the commission was N15 million for the facilitators and till
date, we have not received anything from the Igwe,” Iloakasia
explained.

However, Edozieuno told Punch that the protesters were liars, adding
that he did not owe anybody or group.

According to him, the main issue for the protesters’ action was not
the money, but because he defeated the family of the initiators during
the kingship contest.

He said, “Since then, some of them have refused to give up. They know
that I am a rich man that I have no reason to touch their money. I
made money when I was 20 years old and bought my first car at that age
also. Their allegations hold no water.”