Rivers High Court Affirms HRH Appolus Chu as Paramount Ruler of Nchia Community

Mary Nnah

A Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt has affirmed HRH, Chief Appolus Chu as the duly elected Paramount Ruler of Nchia Community  (Oneh-Eh Nchia) by the customs and traditions of Eleme Kingdom as applicable to Nchia Community of Eleme. The Court also affirmed that his appointment and enthronement on  April 24, 2020, is valid and subsisting.

In a suit number PHC/403/CS/2000 brought against Chief Bebe Okpabi by HRH, Dr. Appolus Chu in the case for the stool of the substantive Oneh-Eh Nchia X of Eleme Kingdom, the Presiding Judge, Justice Adophus Enebeli observed that the people of Nchia had chosen King Appolus Chu as the Oneh-Eh Nchia X of Eleme Kingdom and that the choice of the people stands.

The court, in the judgment dated March 27, 2023, held that Dr. Appolus Chu is the substantive Oneh-Eh Nchia X and restrained HRH Okpabi from further parading himself as the Oneh-Eh Nchia X.

According to the judge, “It is declared for the avoidance of doubt that it is within the province or prerogative of the governor of Rivers State to accord recognition to any claimant to a government-recognised chieftaincy stool under the Rivers State Traditional Rulers Law No 4 of 2015.

“That the defendant is to stick to his Rivers State Government recognised stool of Oneh Eh-Eta Ogale, the recognised chieftaincy stool he presently occupies and is at this moment restrained either by himself, his servants or holding out and projecting himself as the Oneh-Eh Nchia X.”