* narrowly escape prison sentence
* conduct challenges Court’s integrity
*as he invaded court with musicians, dances, masqurades, and food –
From Chuks Collins, Awka
An Anambra State High Court sitting at Ogidi, Idemili Judicial Division, Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State, presided over by Hon Justice Chukwudi Nwankwo has saved the neck of the dethroned traditional ruler of Alor community in Idemili South Council of the State, Chief Mac-Anthony Chinedu Elibe Okonkwo from prison over contempt charge, for now.
The Honourable court dismissed the contempt charge preferred against him, noting that jailing him of the charge at this stage may be injurious to his pending substantive appeal.
Okonkwo was years ago (in February 2022) dethroned by the High Court and barred from acting as, or holding or presenting himself as or being addressed as a traditional ruler of Alor community. He was also barred not to perform any function as the traditional ruler of Alor, an order of which he was accused by the community of, hence dragged before the court for further orders and enforcement of same, and committal for flouting the orders of a court.
The contempt charge at the Court alleged that despite his dethronement was still going about parading himself as a traditional ruler, against a ruling of a High Court, which stopped him from discharging the functions of a traditional ruler.
But in its ruling Thursday, March 27, 2025, the court held that Okonkwo would not be committed to prison for contempt while his appeal is pending.
Justice Nwankwo averred that though a High Court ruled that the monarch should stop parading himself as traditional ruler of Alor, yet, he quickly filed an appeal when his motion for a stay of execution was denied.
The Alor People’s Convention (APC) -an umbrella body of Alor community had dragged Igwe Mac Anthony Okonkwo and the Regency Council to Anambra state High Court in Ogidi, challenging his purported selection/emergence. The organization had claimed he didn’t pass the diligent selection as it wasn’t the turn of his Umuokwu village. But that it was the turn of Uruezeani village.
The court having considered a plethora of written and oral evidence summarily dethroned and removed him.
He was consequently ordered not to act as, or present himself as or perform any function as the traditional ruler (Igwe of Alor community) any longer.
Okonkwo was reported as appealing the judgment when his “stay” application was denied having been filed too late when the community had already selected and installed a new monarch before his application came. The court held that the aim of the stay order he was seeking had been viciated, having already been completed based on the dethronement order.
So he approached the Court of Appeal, after which he was accused of continuing as a traditional ruler.
Dissatisfied, with the turn of events, the APC quickly went back to the High Court and filed contempt proceeding against the embattled Okonkwo.
Speaking with journalists shortly after the ruling, counsel to the traditional ruler, Chief Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, described the ruling as victory of truth, as well as victory that will bring peace to Alor community.
Also, Okonkwo, who was present in court, thanked God for the ruling; while saying that the victory belonged to Alor people.
The court’s position was that punishing him now would be injurious and prejudicial to his pending main appeal court process.
Okonkwo came to court with a special chair, food, and local ogene musicians and dancers to celebrate that he didn’t go to prison today.
A native of the community who gave his name simply as Chief Egbuna wondered the meaning of the wild celebration, “especially when it had nothing to do the judgment that dethroned him”.
Also, it cast a very big shadow on the integrity of the judgement where a defendant already armed himself with musicians, dance troupe and food for celebration of a matter that he stood an overwhelming chance of losing.
However, the pending substantive appeal continues.
