Ohanaeze Bans “Eze Ndigbo” Title Outside Igboland, Warns of Sanctions

Dada Ahmed, Editor, The Reporters.

The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has taken a decisive step to protect the integrity of Igbo traditional institutions by banning the conferment and use of the title “Eze Ndigbo” outside Igboland, warning that violators will face sanctions to be determined by traditional authorities.

The landmark decision was announced on Thursday in Enugu by the President-General of the apex Igbo body, John Azuta-Mbata, during the group’s Imeobi/General Assembly meeting.

He said the resolution followed extensive consultations involving the Ohanaeze National Executive Committee and the leadership of the South East Council of Traditional Rulers.

Azuta-Mbata declared that any title of “Eze Ndigbo” conferred outside the South-East would no longer be recognised by the Igbo nation, stressing that such practices are alien to Igbo tradition. “Anybody who is conferred with such a title outside Igboland is on his own.

It is unknown to the Igbo people,” he stated firmly.

He added that the organisation would formally communicate its position to state governments and diplomatic missions across the world, noting that enforcement would be carried out through established community structures, including town unions and local leadership. Consultations are also ongoing with traditional rulers to determine appropriate sanctions for defaulters.

Beyond the chieftaincy issue, Ohanaeze also expressed deep concern over the continued detention of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, describing his imprisonment as “tantamount to the jailing of the entire Igbo nation.”

In her remarks, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, backed the ban and called for strict enforcement.

She warned that the proliferation of self-styled “Eze Ndigbo” titles in the diaspora has triggered diplomatic and communal tensions in countries such as Ghana and South Africa, sometimes endangering the lives and property of Nigerians abroad.

Odumegwu-Ojukwu noted that flamboyant displays of unauthorised kingship often provoke hostility in host communities and undermine the reputation of law-abiding Nigerians.

She described the trend as a cultural crisis that threatens identity, cohesion, and peaceful coexistence.

Also lending his voice, the Chairman of the South East Council of Traditional Rulers, Emmanuel Okeke, lamented that the actions of some individuals had portrayed the Igbo as troublesome in foreign lands.

He urged Igbos in the diaspora to desist from using wealth to create conflict under the guise of traditional titles, pledging the council’s support in enforcing the new directive.

The ban is widely seen as a bold move by Ohanaeze to restore order, preserve cultural authenticity, and safeguard the global image of the Igbo people.
With agency report.
With agency report.