Nwifuru Pushes for Death Penalty as Slain Ebonyi Monarch is Laid to Rest

​ABAKALIKI — Shocked by the tragic killing of a prominent traditional ruler, Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, has forwarded an executive bill to the State House of Assembly seeking to classify kidnapping as a capital offence punishable by death by hanging, with zero options for alternative sentencing.

​Governor Nwifuru made this declaration during the funeral rites of the late monarch of the Ndufu-Alike autonomous community in Ikwo Local Government Area, HRH Eze Francis Igwe. The late royal father—who was the father of the immediate past Deputy Governor of the State, Eric Igwe—was abducted on March 1 while en route to church and brutally murdered by his captors just a day later.

​Addressing mourners at the ceremony, which was officiated by the Assemblies of God Church, an emotional Nwifuru decried the alarming erosion of moral values among contemporary youth. He expressed deep apprehension over the behavioral tendencies of younger generations, warning that treating community elders and leaders with disrespect undermines societal stability and the future of leadership.

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​”I am concerned because, with some of their attitudinal dispositions, there seems to be no future for our youths,” Nwifuru stated. “We have sent a bill to the House of Assembly to make kidnapping attract the death sentence by hanging in the state, with no other option. This should serve as a deterrent to those planning a kidnap, whether for political reasons or otherwise.”

​Pledging swift justice, the governor vowed to ensure the full weight of the law is brought down upon those apprehended in connection with the monarch’s assassination, stressing that the incident must remain the last of its kind in Ikwo and across the entire state.

​Eulogizing the late traditional ruler, political heavyweights including former governors Sam Egwu and Martin Elechi, alongside former Senate President Anyim Pius Anyim, remembered him as an astute parliamentarian, seasoned administrator, and dedicated peacemaker who championed community development.

​In his response, the deceased’s eldest son, Eric Igwe, thanked sympathizers for standing with the family, noting that his father’s final wish was for Governor Nwifuru to successfully secure a second term in office.