I am now homeless – Anambra monarch whose palace was burnt

The traditional ruler of the Isseke community in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State, Igwe Emmanuel Nnabuife, on Friday, said he had been rendered homeless after yet-to-be-identified assailants burnt down his palace.

Isseke is a border community that shares boundaries with Imo State, and the community has been reportedly notorious for insecurity in recent times believed to have been caused by the agitation for Biafra.

A community leader in the area and eyewitness, who identified himself simply as Okeke, said the incident happened on January 3, 2024.

He said, “What the Igwe Isseke and some members of his cabinet suffered on January 3, 2024, was a reflection of what Igboland has become.

“This is what the hoodlums always do to us for no justifiable reasons. They go after the Igwes and the indigenes of the town through burial ceremonies, traditional marriages, and weddings. For you to conduct a burial ceremony at Isseke community, they must demand N2m to N25m depending on your status.

But speaking with our correspondent, Igwe Nnabuife, though no life was lost, the assailants destroyed everything he had laboured for.

The monarch said, “It is true that my palace was burnt down by those boys and I have lost everything that I laboured all my life to achieve, and as it is now, I am homeless.

“Everything was razed down, but I thank God that no life was lost and nobody was harmed by those boys, and this is the way it is in my town, Isseke.”

When contacted, the Commissioner of Police in Anambra State, Aderemi Adeoye, said policemen had been deployed in search of the arsonists.

He said, “The situation in the area has been brought under control, and personnel of the command have been sent on the trail of the attackers. Investigations are still going on.”