The High Court of Enugu State, Amagunze Judicial Division, has issued an interim injunction stopping Ozo Jerry Patrick Onuokaibe from organizing or celebrating the Mburubu New Yam Festival, originally planned for November 1, 2025.
The court order, issued under Suit No. HAMA/24/2025, followed an ex parte motion brought by High Chief Linus Ejimofor Igbudu and Chief Raphael Chukwu on behalf of Uhuegbe Village.
The applicants argued that Uhuegbe Village is the rightful custodian of the Mburubu throne and is traditionally entitled to produce the next Igwe.
They claimed that Mr. Onuokaibe’s self-declaration as Igwe-Elect and his attempt to host the festival amount to an unlawful assumption of authority and a breach of long-standing customs.
After considering submissions from the applicants’ counsel, Ike Ozor, Esq., Justice J.L.C. Okibe granted the interim injunction, stressing the importance of maintaining peace and order within the community pending the hearing of the substantive motion.
In his ruling, Justice Okibe ordered that:
“All parties, including the defendant, his agents, or any associated persons, are hereby restrained from organizing, promoting, or celebrating the purported Mburubu New Yam Festival under any guise on November 1, 2025, pending the determination of the Motion on Notice.”
This order follows an earlier judgment delivered on February 12, 2025, by Justice C.O. Ajah of the same court, which addressed the rightful heir to the Mburubu traditional stool.
In that ruling, Justice Ajah held that the Igweship of Mburubu Town is constitutionally reserved for candidates from Uhuegbe Village, as stipulated in the Mburubu Town Union Constitution.
The court further declared that Mr. Onuokaibe, a native of Umunafor Village (ranked fifth in the town’s traditional hierarchy), was neither constitutionally nor traditionally qualified to vie for the throne.
Justice Ajah described his claim to the Igweship as “illegitimate and contrary to the customs, traditions, and legal framework governing traditional leadership in Mburubu.”
The latest injunction, therefore, reinforces that earlier ruling which had already barred Mr. Onuokaibe from parading himself as the Igwe of Mburubu Community, declaring such actions null and void.
With this new court order, Mr. Onuokaibe is now legally prohibited from conducting any activity that may cause confusion or disrupt the peace of Mburubu Town.
In a statement following the ruling, the Mburubu Community Leadership urged the public to disregard any invitations to the purported festival, warning that participation could worsen tensions in the area.
The community clarified that the authentic Mburubu New Yam Festival, known locally as Igba Aju, had already been celebrated in August 2025.
