LAND DISPUTE: ENUGWU UMUAWULU DEMANDS SUSPENSION OF IGWE JOEL EGWUONWU AS THEY PROTEST
By Felix Oti, Awka
The people of Enugwu Umuawulu in Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State on Monday staged a peaceful protest and demanded the suspension of their Traditional Ruler, Igwe Joel Egwuonwu, over an alleged land dispute.
The protest, which started from the Enugwu Town Hall, had in attendance youths, women, elderly men and aged people of the community.
The protesters carried placards with inscriptions such as: “Eight of our youths are facing criminal charges in High Court over false accusations”, “Gov. Soludo please suspend Igwe Joel Egwuonwu”, “Umuenu Quarter stop dragging Deputy Governor into this”, _“Igwe Joel Egwuonwu stop using Police to arrest Enugwu youths and tagging them terrorists, bandits”
Speaking to journalists, the President General of Enugwu Quarters General Assembly, Hon. Nzekwe Chidozie*, said the protest was necessitated by allegations from Umuenu village that Enugwu people were forcefully taking their land.
“That is false. Rather, they are the ones forcefully coming after our lands. Umuenu has a land dispute with Abo-Ani Awgbu community in Orumba North LGA, not with us in Enugwu Umuawulu, Awka South LGA. Our King is from Umuenu and that is why this case is lingering,” he said.
Also speaking, the Chairman of Infrastructure Development and Land Boundary Demarcation, Dr. Davidson Azubuike Nkala, said Enugwu village does not share any boundary with Umuenu.
“We have gone round and there is no boundary with Umuenu. Our boundary is at the maternity hospital at the Y-junction. The land they are claiming is over 3 miles away. You will pass Amaoye, Ugwukankwu, Amaokwe village, down to Iyienu stream and the Leprosy clinic built in 1945.
“The land in question is the Leprosy colony land close to Amaetiti and Ogbu. Our boundaries are with Abo-Ani Ogbu, Mmamu Forest Reserve and Amaetiti. For Umuenu to cross 3 miles to claim our land is an aberration,” he said.
Dr. Nkala recalled that in 2022, the Deputy Governor* was invited to demarcate the boundary between Enugwu and Awgbu, not Umuenu. He said Umuenu refused to attend the meeting.
“We wrote to the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters to call Igwe Joel Egwuonwu to order. Government told him to make peace but he refused. Now they come at night to arrest and detain our youths, charging them with kidnapping, manslaughter and attempted murder,” he alleged.
The former President General, Nze Peter Nweke Ezeonyali*, traced the crisis to 1972 alleging that the father of the present Igwe started a fight that divided Umuawulu.
“I told him this matter will bring two things to Umuawulu: two Traditional Rulers and an autonomous community. I am urging Gov. Soludo to intervene and retrieve his certificate of return. Last week, the Deputy Governor held an 8-hour meeting and advised him to stop intimidating his people with police and make peace. He refused,” Ezeonyali said.
The community appealed to Governor Chukwuma Soludo to urgently intervene to restore peace in Umuawulu.
