The people of Amuri Ancient Kingdom in Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu State invoked the spirit of their ancestors on Tuesday to avenge the assassination of Oyibo Chukwu, the Labour Party candidate for Enugu East Senatorial District. Chukwu, a former chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association’s Oji‑River branch, was brutally killed on 22 February at Amechi Awkunanaw, Agbani, while returning from a campaign ahead of the 25 February election. Although his younger brother, Kelvin Chukwu, was later nominated by the Labour Party and won the senatorial seat, condemnation and a rain of curses continue to trail the murder.
Community leaders expressed dissatisfaction that no state government official, including Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, has publicly condemned the dastardly act. Security agencies, particularly the police, have attributed the killing to unknown gunmen and separatist agitation, but the family rejects this report, insisting the murder was politically motivated.
During a traditional ritual held at the community’s ancestral square, Chukwu’s kith and kin cursed those responsible for the assassination, their sponsors, and their immediate families. Natives of Amuri from the four constituent communities, led by the eldest men and two traditional rulers—Igwe Charles Nwoye and Igwe Fidelis Nsiegbu—gathered at the Obodo Okolo square as early as 9 a.m. A community leader said they spoke “with one voice to place curses and invoke the spirit of our forefathers and gods of the land to go after those behind the vicious killing of Chukwu.” In separate remarks, Igwe Nwoye and Igwe Nsiegbu affirmed their belief in natural justice and the philosophy of “live and let live,” urging their ancestors to arise and bring justice to the slain son. They prayed that anyone involved, directly or indirectly, young or old, would face the consequences, adding, “He who kills by sword must surely die by sword.”
Addressing journalists after the rituals, Kelvin Chukwu, now senator‑elect, thanked his kinsmen for the love and solidarity shown since the incident. He specifically praised the two monarchs and the kingdom’s elders, emphasizing that traditional rituals seeking natural justice have never failed the community when calamity strikes. “Our people’s actions today are important because they align with our tradition; it is our way of seeking justice through traditional means. The spirit of our ancestors will find the perpetrators and make them pay dearly for their wicked and barbaric act,” he said, noting that his family has yet to recover from the shock.
Dr. Ben Nwoye, crown prince of one of the communities and former chairman of the All Progressives Congress in Enugu State, also spoke. “Amuri is a great kingdom, and we are descendants of warriors. The gods of our ancestors guide everything we do. We are a spiritual people; we do not go to war without a just cause. Yet, because of the last election, the blood of an Amuri son was spilled. Today, we gather in our village square to invoke the spirit of our ancestors and demand justice for Barrister Oyibo Chukwu. We ask the gods of Amuri Ancient Kingdom to avenge us. Elders, both able‑bodied and those over a hundred years old, have come to call upon the warrior spirit to fight for us, so that all who conspired to eliminate Chukwu for political gain and their descendants receive the justice they deserve.”
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