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Christopher ejiofor

safety inspector working at East Midlands Airport has returned to his birthplace in Nigeria - to be crowned a KING.

Christopher Ejiofor, 63, from Littleover near Derby, fled the West African county in 1970 after a brutal civil war.

He had been a military adviser for General Odumegwu Odjukwu - who finished on the losing side of the country's civil war from 1967 to 1970.

He was imprisoned and had to escape with his wife Christine, now 62, while under fire from enemy troops, first to Gabon and then to Britain.

But on Saturday Mr Ejiofor returned to his home country with his family to be crowned elected King of Igwe and given the name 'Ezekwesili' - meaning worthy to be king.

The father-of-four has moved his entire family from their semi-detatched house in Derby to a Nigerian mansion to rule his 100,000 subjects.

He will be crowned in a traditional Nigerian ceremony greeted by thousands of his subjects where he will hold an eight foot tall sceptre and sit on a huge oak throne adorned with cherubs.

Mr Ejiofor said the ceremony would be a traditional Nigerian coronation. He said: ‘A Nigerian coronation is not like a British coronation - it is more like a big party.

‘I will accept the crown and sceptre and then I will be officially declared King by the Bishop of Enugu.

‘There will be a day of celebration with music and dancing right through the night.

‘I have visited Nigeria to see if I can make a difference over there but now have the opportunity to make real change.

‘The province has huge natural resources and is a beautiful place to live, it just needs the structure to exploit these resources.

‘Over the years, people have fled to Europe in search of a better chance in life - I want to give them that chance in their homeland.’