A chieftaincy dispute in Umuogbo-Agu Autonomous Community, Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area, Enugu State, has taken a new turn after the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) confirmed that Mr. Obiora Simon Ngwu, one of the main players in the conflict, was fired from the school in 2012.
According to documents acquired from ESUT, Ngwu, a former university employee, was fired due to his purported involvement in an admission-related irregularity.
Charles Ugwu of Ugwu & Associates received an official letter dated January 26, 2026, from Mr. Ambrose Ugwu, the Office of the Registrar of ESUT, with the confirmation. According to the letter, the information was made public in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act.
The paper states that on January 26, 1982, Ngwu worked in the University Library as a Library Assistant on Grade Level 4, Step 01. However, after an admission-related scam was investigated, his tenure was terminated on September 13, 2012. Over 500 students were illegally admitted as a result of the incident, according to the university, and they were later ejected when the issue was discovered.
The revelation coincides with a continuing legal dispute over the Umuogbo-Agu Autonomous Community’s Igwe stool.
Chief Sylvester Ali, one of the heirs, has accused some community leaders of drafting the community’s constitution in order to sway the choice of a traditional ruler in the lawsuit. In a sworn deposition before the Enugu State High Court in Enugu-Ezike, Ali—who asserts that he is the community’s legitimately elected Igwe-elect—made the accusation.
Ichie Alphonsus Okoro and Ichie Simeon Okoro, on behalf of the Umuonoda-Eze Clan, filed the lawsuit (Suit No. EZ/10/2025) against Ngwu and other parties.
Umuokpuye, Umuowaa, Umuaana, and Umunasa are the four traditional quarters that make up Umuogbo-Agu, according to a declaration by Ali, a community leader from Umunasa quarter. These quarters rotate leadership posts in accordance with an established constitution.
He claimed that some groups created a supposedly modified constitution without the general assembly’s consent by working with others outside the community. He said that the paper included the names and signatures of deceased people, changed important clauses, and barred some quarters from future leadership rotation.
“The general assembly never discussed or approved the document,” Ali said.
He insisted that the community had not held a legitimate Igwe election and that none of the competing claims had come to power through processes recognized by the constitution. He called on the court to step in and cautioned that any attempt to elect an Igwe-elect outside of the established procedure could jeopardize communal harmony.
Our correspondent’s checks verified that the case is still ongoing before the High Court.
In an interview with Vanguard, Ali reaffirmed his assertion that he was the only Igwe-elect chosen by the community and said that some indigenous people residing overseas were fueling the problem.
The constitution makes it quite evident that my quarter, Umunasa, has the responsibility of producing the next Igwe. My family, my neighborhood, and the larger community all helped me. “I had no opponent,” he declared.
Regarding the likelihood of peace, Ali stated that prior to disagreements over a purportedly falsified constitution, the community had presented its concerns to Deacon Okey Ogbodo, the Commissioner for Rural Development and Chieftaincy Matters.
Citing the ongoing legal proceedings, Ngwu declined to comment on the accusations when contacted.
“The courts have already heard these cases. Until the lawsuits are resolved, I will not discuss problems brought up by my opponents with the media,” he declared.
