“Your Self Acclaimed Title of Eze Ndigbo is Not Recognised By Lagos Govt”

“Your Self Acclaimed Title of Eze-Ndigbo Is Not Recognized By Lagos Govt”‘

By Felix Kuyinu

A Lagos State civil servant, Raulat Ibrahim, has claimed that the title of the Eze-Ndigbo held by one Frederick Nwajagu is not affirmed by the Lagos State Government.

Ibrahim moved to counter the ‘self-proclamed title’ at the Lagos State High Court, Ikeja on Thursday.

Alongside the Director of Public Prosecution, DPP, Babajide Martins, Ibrahim hinted that the arraigned Nwajagu did not follow the due process of getting the title and as such has committed an offense having paraded himself as the title holder.

Nwajagu, standing trial on a nine-count charge bordering on an attempt to commit acts of terrorism, financing terrorism, participating in terrorism and meeting to support a proscribed entity was also said to have been previously apprehended by the operatives of the Department of State Services, (DSS), over an alleged threat to invite members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB)to Lagos to secure properties of Igbo people in the state.

Ibrahim said at the court : “I am a civil servant at the Ministry of Local Governments, Chieftaincy Affairs and Rural Developments. I was employed in October 2001 and made Assistant Director in 2015.

“My schedule of duties include, upgrading of Baale/chiefs or Oba either from part 3 to part 2. Creation of stool, monthly meetings with the Obas and the Lagos State Council of Chiefs and Obas. Preparing allowance of Obas, conflict resolutions and lastly stakeholders meetings.

“The processing for stool designation is from the Local Government. Relevant documents will be forwarded such as the minute of the ruling house, minute of the selectors, then minute of the chieftaincy committee in the local government.

“The bio data of the chieftain, the Curriculum Vitae, the picture of the chieftain and a certain amount of money which the chieftain will pay to the Local Government.

“Payment of moving from part 3 to part 2 then we start the processing from our ministry, we then forward the document to ministry of justice for clearance then we send it for Governor’s approval, and ratification of the executive members. Then we prepare the letter.

“For the Obas, the local government will forward the requirement letter to our ministry then we send it to Ministry of Justice, then they forward it to Lagos State Standing Tribunal Enquiry for Chieftaincy Matters, the Standing Tribunal publishes the name in a national newspaper, interested parties will join the tribunal.

“After it has been resolved, the file will be sent back to our ministry for further processing. Then we start all over again to the ministry of justice to governors office etc. Then the ministry will now issue letter of approval. On the installation day, certificate will be sent by the Governor for approval, then the ministry will install the Oba.

“The letter of approval will be signed by the permanent secretary of the ministry. There is no installation for Chief. It’s the letter that shows his recognition as a chief in Lagos state.”

The Civil Servant further stated that the procedure is governed by the Obas and Chiefs law of Lagos State 2015, adding that there is no Oba or recognised Chief in Ajao Estate.

When asked about what it means under the law if a person self proclams himself or parading himself as a Chief in Ajao estate, and the law and procedure in getting such title, Ibrahim said : “It means the person did not follow the due process and it’s not recognised by law and therefore, not recognised by Lagos State.”

The court stated that the defendant had a certificate of title when he was arrested by police, an expression which was countered by Ibrahim saying : No sir, we don’t issue such. This is not a certificate signed by the governor? It’s not issued by Lagos State. Since the chief did not follow this procedure, he will be charged to court.

When asked if Defendant paraded himself as Elegushi of Ikate land, Ibrahim said ” he did not parade himself as Elegushi nor Baale of Addo. He did not parade himself as any of the recognised chiefs.”

Quizzed on whether she investigated the certificate paraded by the defendant, Ibrahim said “I’m seeing the defendant for the first time, I have never investigated him. The police or Department of State Services (DSS) report on this case was not copied to our department.

“The Permanent Secretary gave me instruction on this matter. A file containing a mail was sent from the Perm Sec to our Director of Chieftaincy then it was sent to me on December 19, 2023, and we appeared in court in January. We didn’t have the administrative file of the Eze-Ndigbo, then we sent to Director Legal in archives.

“The director then said I will appear in court because we don’t have such processed file as he is not our chief. I am conversant with the recognised chief in Lagos State and Eze Ndigbo is not one of them”.

The Lagos State Government had in suit No: LD/21505C/2023 alleged that the Defendant’s acts contravened Section 403(2) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

The state noted that the offences also contravened Sections 12(a) (c), 18, 21, and 29 of the Terrorism (Prevention & Prohibition) Act, 2022.

The case suit was adjourned till January 29, 2024 for continuation of trial.