Osita Agwuna

Osita Agwuna (22 December 1921 – 2007) was a Nigerian activist who was deputy president of the Zikist Movement in 1947. He was among a group of young Zikist members who expressed militant criticism of colonial rule and urged concerted action to overcome colonialism. Agwuna later became known as the Eze of Enugu Ukwu, serving the town in that position for 5 decades.

Early and background Osita was born on 22 December 1921 in Enugu-Ukwu, Anambra State, Nigeria. His parents lived in Enugu-Ukwu, where his father, Christopher Chidebe Ndibe, served as a postmaster and his mother, Elizabeth Ofuchinyelu Ndibe, served as a headmistress.

Sedition trial and imprisonment Three days after delivering the speech, Agwuna was charged with sedition. He had anticipated that his speech and the Zikist Movement's publications could lead to arrests and government repression, which the movement believed could provoke wider nationalist action and draw public attention to the colonial government. The movement also expected that Nnamdi Azikiwe might be arrested, but this did not occur, and the movement's ideas had not yet gained widespread support across Nigeria. During his trial, Agwuna challenged the authority of the court, arguing that the judge lacked jurisdiction to try him because he was both an accuser and a judge. He was convicted and sentenced to one year in prison.