20-year-old Nduka Ezeagwuna, crowned the new Monarch of Issele-Uku, Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta

A twenty-year old Chemical Engineering student of the University of Ibadan, Nduka Ezeagwuna, has been crowned the new Monarch of Issele-Uku, Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta, State replacing his late father who had been the Obi of the town.

It was gathered that the 300-level undergraduate has already been coronated by the community's kingmakers, even though the full ritual of his formal ascension to the throne is yet to be performed by stakeholders in the community.

Sources in the community revealed that the Onishe of Issele-Uku, a retired judge, Justice Azomani, performed the traditional rites of sitting the young monarch on the throne, while awaiting the full coronation ceremony.

The new king can be said to be the second youngest king to be crowned in the state, following in the heels of the record holder, the Dein of Agbor, His Royal Majesty, Benjamin Ikenchuku Keagborekuzi 1, who was crowned in 1979 at the age of two years and four months.

His late father, King Henry Ezeagwuna, had set in motion activities to mark his birthday, which was to take place this August 28, before his sudden death last Saturday.

The Obi, who died in an auto crash alongside Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan's aide, Sunny Ofili, over the weekend, was said to have started distributing invitation cards for the birthday ceremony before event of the tragic accident occurred.

It was also learnt that the major market in the town will remain closed for 21 days, according to the tradition of the people to mourn the death of the late Monarch.

The king, who was driving at the time, was said to have rammed into a truck laden with gravel, along the Otulu junction on the Benin-Asaba-Onitsha expressway.

The impact of the crash which occurred at about 2 pm was so fatal that the truck lost four of its rear tyres, while the SUV's tyre screeches are still visible on the tarmac.

Eyewitnesses reveal that the late Monarch alongside the passenger he was travelling with died instantly, since the vehicle caught fire when the crash happened.