Dear Prof. Edward Ebere Eule, *RE: IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT*

Dear Prof. Edward Ebere Eule,

*RE: IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT*

The above subject refers.
This communication is necessitated by your recent public notice, which has generated widespread misinformation and disinformation within Azumini Autonomous Community and beyond. It has therefore become imperative to clarify the correct legal and administrative position, in the interest of peace, public order, the rule of law, and the good of the innocent general public.

1. *LACK OF LEGAL CAPACITY TO ACT OR SPEAK AS EZE OF AZUMINI AUTONOMOUS COMMUNITY.*

You presently lack the legitimacy, locus standi, and legal capacity to address yourself as the Eze and traditional ruler of Azumini Autonomous Community. Under extant law and established custom, Azumini does not currently have anyone legally occupying that position.

For Clarity and avoidance of any iota of doubt, the legitimacy of the Azumini traditional stool derives from two mandatory foundations to wit:
1. The Traditional Foundation, symbolised by the Ọfọ and completed through recognised customary rites; and
2. The Legal Foundation, symbolised by the Staff of Office, issued exclusively by the Governor of Abia State, pursuant to the relevant provisions of Abia State Traditional and Autonomous Communities (Amendment No.2) Law, 2018.
While the Ọfọ may remain a cultural symbol, legal recognition and authority flow solely from the Staff of Office. Without both elements co-existing, the Azumini kingship lacks validity.
You will recall that by a formal government declaration, dated 24th March, 2024, the Governor of Abia State, His Excellency, Dr. Alex Chioma Otti, withdrew your Staff of Office and Certificate of Recognition, thereby dethroning you. This is evidenced by the official letter of withdrawal issued by the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in a letter dated 24th March, 2024 and addressed to you.
Your dethronement by the Abia State Government came about after there were charges of malfeasance against you by concerned Azumini citizens. The charges included the misappropriation of public land, illegal sale of communal infrastructure and equipment, and the astounding diversion of public funds to private pockets. The state government established a Panel of inquiry to investigate the charges. In your arrogance, you refused to respond to all invitations by the panel to defend the charges against you. Upon your blunt refusal to honour all invitations by the Government Panel of Inquiry to put up your defence, the Panel conducted its investigations and determined that the charges against you were well-founded. Consequently, you were suspended from office for thirty (30) days on 21st February, 2024. In the suspension letter, you were required amongst other things, to meet with Azumini people to regain their trust and confidence in your rulership. But still in your arrogance, you refused and failed to comply with the directives stipulated in the Letter of suspension. Thus, on 24th March, 2024, the Governor of Abia State removed you as the Eze of Azumini Autonomous Community and took away your Staff of Office and Certificate of Recognition as a traditional ruler in Abia State.
To date, no Staff of Office has been reissued to you, and the Governor has not reversed that decision. Consequently, you do not possess the legal standing to address yourself as the traditional ruler of Azumini or to exercise any authority flowing from that office.

2. *Invalidity of Your Recent Announcements.*

Given your lack of legal recognition, all announcements recently made by you as a “Traditional Ruler” are null, void, misleading, and of no legal or customary effect whatsoever.
Azumini Autonomous Coomunity is presently validly and lawfully administered by the Azumini Interim Administrative Committee which derives its anthority jointly from:
• Nde Nwe Uhu (the High Chiefs/Head of the Villages);
• Council of Chiefs; and
• Azumini Na Oha (Azumini General Assembly).
These bodies represent the highest legitimate organs of the community governance pending the final resolution of the chieftaincy matter.

3. *Effect of the Pending Appeal and Preservation of Status Quo*

It is also necessary to clarify the legal implications of the pending appeal against the judgment of the High Court of Abia State.
The Abia State Government has duly filed a Notice of Appeal and a Motion for Stay of Execution against the High Court judgment. The Government further caused Records of Appeal to be transmitted to the Court of Appeal with Appeal Number CA/OW/354/25. The legal consequence of these steps taken by Abia State Government is the preservation of the status quo ante, pending the determination of the appeal by the Court of Appeal, Owerri Judicial Division.
The “status quo” in this matter is the Executive Action of 24th March, 2024, by which your Staff of Office was withdrawn, and you were dethroned. That executive action remains valid, subsisting, and unrevoked. No amount of fake announcements claiming that you remain Enyenwealị Azumini from wherever you may claim to be residing in the United States, embarrassingly making appointments that lack legitimacy and public support, and publishing same on your Facebook page, will change that stout fact.
Contrary to your assertion that the appeal is ineffective because it has not yet been heard, the law is firmly settled that an appeal becomes operative upon the filing of a Notice of Appeal, not upon the hearing of the appeal, as you wrongly stated.
For the avoidance of doubt, the Notice of Appeal was filed timeously. This position was expressly reiterated by the Abia State Government in its official correspondence to Azumini Autonomous Community through the Chairman of Azumini Interim Administrative Committee dated 6th November, 2025 which stated in part:
“…all actions towards enforcing or implementing the High Court judgment are legally suspended until the motion for stay of execution is determined…”

4. *Contempt of Court and Warning.*

Where an appeal is pending, all parties are legally bound to maintain the status quo and refrain from any act capable of altering the subject matter (res) of the dispute. Any such action constitutes contempt of court and attracts serious legal consequences.
By addressing yourself as the traditional ruler of Azumini and issuing public directives, you have acted in direct violation of the law, in contempt of the Court and appellate process, and in confrontation with the lawful authority of the Executive Governor of Abia State.
You are hereby formally advised to desist forthwith from:
• Parading yourself as traditional ruler of Azumini; and
• Issuing any statements, directives, or proclamations of any sort in that capacity, until the Court of Appeal finally determines the matter.

5. *Public Advisory and Community Stability.*

The people of Azumini are hereby urged to disregard entirely the contents of your recent publication and to remain focused on sustaining the peace, reforms, and developmental progress currently being enjoyed in the community.
For clarity, the 2026 Ikoro Festival remains as earlier announced and shall be organised and executed by the Azumini Interim Administrative Committee, all preparations having been duly concluded and publicly communicated.

6. *Security Implications*

Your recent communication can incite unrest and undermine the peace and security presently prevailing in Azumini. Such conduct may amount to incitement and a threat to public peace and order, which are criminally punishable under the law.
Should the need arise, relevant security agencies will be formally petitioned to take all necessary steps to preserve peace and protect lives and property within Azumini Autonomous Community.
It is instructive to note that absolute peace has prevailed in Azumini since your dethronement. Following your dethronement, community institutions including the youth wing, women wing, and Azumini Welfare Association have flourished, while incidents of land racketeering, arbitrary disposals of communal property, theft, and violence have significantly abated. Far from the spurious allegations you and your minions have made about the disposal of disused utility equipment in the community, there is ample evidence that the leadership have maintained corroborative accounting of all transactions while conducting its affairs with the full consultation of Azumini Na Ọha.
Azumini will not relapse into past instability.
God bless Azumini Ancient Kingdom.
God bless Abia State.
God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Signed:
*Azumini Interim Administrative Committee*

CC:
• The Executive Governor of Abia State
• Commissioner, Ministry of Local Government & Chieftaincy Affairs
• Commissioner of Police, Abia State Command
• Chairman, Ukwa East Local Government Area
• Area Commander, Nigeria Police Force, Akwete
• Divisional Police Officer, Nigeria Police Force, Ukwa East