Leaders of the various villages in Nawfia, Anambra State, have issued a formal public apology to the Umuriam Obunese community over allegations made in connection with the year 2000 assassination of the traditional ruler of Nawfia, HRH Igwe F.F.B.C. Nwankwo, Osuofia I.

The apology, coordinated through the Ofo Umunri Unity Initiative (OUUI), forms part of ongoing reconciliation efforts aimed at rebuilding trust and restoring unity between the Nawfia and Umuriam Obunese communities after more than two decades of tension and division.

In a statement jointly 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. The allegation, they said, led to years of harassment, intimidation, arrests, and prosecution of several indigenes of the community, including the traditional ruler of the Umuriam Obunese community, HRH Igwe Gabriel Anene Ikebudu, Okpalariam XII.

Other members of the Umuriam Obunese community identified as having suffered during the period include Michael Nwufoh, Innocent Nwufoh, Remigius Mbadugha, Augustine Onuorah, John Okafor, Joseph Ifeagwu, and Emmanuel Ikebudu.

According to the statement, no member of the Umuriam Obunese community was ultimately found guilty at the conclusion of the legal proceedings that followed the incident.

The village leaders admitted that their failure at the time to publicly challenge the accusation contributed to the pain, stigma, and withdrawal of the Umuriam Obunese community from the affairs of Nawfia over the decades.

“Speaking for each of our villages in Nawfia, we tender an unreserved apology to the Umuriam Obunese community for the harm, suffering, and alienation caused by the wrongful accusation,” the statement read.

Umuriam Obunese General Assembly Tenders Formal Acceptance

Following the review of the Nawfia communities chairmen’s apology and retraction statement and the accompanying caveat/disclaimer, the Umuriam Obunese General Assembly has unanimously accepted the tone of the apology letter.

In an official acceptance letter signed by the President General, Chief Dr Gabriel U. Okonkwo, and Dr Amb. Franklin Okeke (who stood in for the Secretary General), the Umuriam Obunese General Assembly granted permission to proceed with the publication, while requesting that the full list of all the affected persons from Umuriam Obunese be explicitly included in the apology and retraction letter. Chief Dr Okonkwo expressed gratitude to the Ofo Umunri Unity Initiative for their unrelenting efforts toward bringing permanent peace to Nawfia as a whole.

Moving Forward in Unity

In alignment with this feedback, the final statement describes the apology and retraction statement from the Nawfia chairmen as part of a broader, mutually agreed effort to heal old wounds and restore peaceful coexistence among the communities linked by a shared Umunri ancestry.

“Nawfia consists of people bound together by a common ancestry and shared destiny that is rooted in Umunri heritage,” the statement added, while 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, a voluntary group of Nawfia indigenes committed to fostering dialogue and restoring relationships between the affected communities.

The apology document was signed by chairmen representing several Nawfia villages, including Eziakpaka, Umuezunu, Uruoji, Iridana, Urukpaleri, Adagbe Mmimi, and Urualor/Uruejimofor.