Obi of Lagos: FOSAD Supports Southeast Traditional Rulers, Calls for Arrest of Individuals Parading as “Eze Ndigbo” Outside Igbo Land

Obi of Lagos: FOSAD Supports Southeast Traditional Rulers, Calls for Arrest of Individuals Parading as “Eze Ndigbo” Outside Igbo Land

By Aluta News
September 12, 2025

The Forum of South-East Academic Doctors (FOSAD) has expressed its full support for the recent position of Southeast traditional rulers condemning the unlawful practice of individuals styling themselves as “Eze Ndigbo” or “Obi” in cities outside Igbo land.

In a statement jointly signed by Dr. Stephen Nwala, President of FOSAD, and Dr. Uzor Ngoladi, Secretary General, the forum described the practice as a distortion of Igbo cultural heritage and a deliberate affront to the authority of legitimate traditional institutions in Igbo land.

According to the group, traditional rulership within the Igbo cultural space is deeply rooted in ancestral authority, community consent, and historical continuity. It therefore cannot be replicated or assumed arbitrarily by individuals in diaspora communities for personal gain, social status, or political influence.

“This trend of self-styled ‘Eze Ndigbo’ or ‘Obi of Ndigbo’ in Lagos, Abuja, Kano, and other parts of Nigeria is a clear misrepresentation of Igbo tradition,” the statement read. “Such practices not only confuse the younger generation but also diminish the dignity of authentic royal institutions in the Southeast.”

FOSAD urged the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies to enforce the resolutions of Igbo traditional rulers by arresting and prosecuting individuals who parade themselves under such false titles. It emphasized that respect for cultural institutions is essential for national harmony, and no ethnic group should permit distortions of its heritage outside its homeland.

The forum noted that while the Igbo community thrives in various parts of Nigeria and the world and contributes significantly to economic development, representation of Ndigbo in host communities should be through town unions, cultural associations, and duly constituted leadership structures, not through illegitimate coronations.

“True leadership among the Igbo in diaspora is earned through service, integrity, and accountability, not by purchasing titles or assuming crowns that do not exist outside Igbo land,” the forum stated.

FOSAD reaffirmed its commitment to protecting the cultural integrity of the Southeast and called on all Igbo sons and daughters to uphold the values of their forebears. It further appealed to state governments in the Southeast to continue working with royal fathers in preserving and promoting the dignity of authentic traditional institutions.

“The position of our revered traditional rulers is non-negotiable,” the statement concluded. “FOSAD stands firmly with them in preserving the sanctity of Igbo culture and calls on security agencies to put an immediate stop to this illegality.”