Tension in Enugu community over land tussle

There is serious tension in Ibeagwa-Nike Community in Enugu East Local Government Area of Enugu State over land dispute between three communities which are laying claims to ownership over one parcel of land in the area.

Already, the Umuanekode people have alerted the public about imminent break down of law and order over the disputed land which was initially between them and Ibagwa Nike Community before the Edem-Nike Community was allegedly procured to claim ownership of same Akparata land. Ugwuanyi Gov. Ugwuanyi Chairman of Umuanekode Community, Mr Ikechukwu Ngwu, who briefed newsmen over the looming crises in the area, also accused the local police in the affected area of allegedly taking sides in the matter despite a court order restraining the disputing communities from entering the land. In a statement entitled, “Potential Security Breach in Ibagwa Nike Community,” read to newsmen Tuesday evening, Ngwu said, “We are complaining to the press of a potential security threat in Ibeagwa-Nike community.

 “There is a land dispute that is in court before Justice A. A. Nwobodo, and ever since then, both parties (Umuanekode and Ibagwa Nike Communities), have continued to maintain peace because the court issued an injunctive order restraining both parties from the land. “But Now, (the traditional ruler of Ibagwa Nike) Igwe Emma Ugwu seeing that he cannot access the land, engaged the services of a small neighbouring community called Edem-Nike, which began to claim that the Akparata land is theirs. Akparata is a portion of the land where the court injunctive order was given. “We had quietly gone to Edem community to tell them that you are in our land, the Umuanekode family land; that they should please leave the land.

 “The military men stationed in our community to keep peace were approached to alert them of the matter. We also wrote a petition to the Commissioner of Police, Enugu State, alerting him of the danger, in allowing his men to accompany people who are trespassing in our land that is also sub-judice in court. “The Commissioner of Police acknowledged our petition but as we speak, the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, of Unity Police station Ibagwa Nike, claimed that he is under instruction from the Commissioner of Police to continue to give policemen to the Edem people who are trespassers, to access the land. “So, what we are saying is, if the land genuinely belongs to Edem, why the haste? Why the hurry in developing the land?

Why do you need policemen to access your land? “We went to them, and they agreed that we will go and determine the boundary. They didn’t wait for boundary demarcation and they encroached into the land again, using bulldozers and caterpillars to destroy our crops in the land. “We are alerting the general public that they should be warry of anybody, be it from Edem Nike or Igwe Emma Ugwu, who is asking them to buy land at where they have designated as Wisdom/Great Edem Nike Layout. “This layout does not exist, it is Umuanekeode land.We are alerting members of the general public that you are just going to be swindled of your hard-earned money. “We learnt they are collecting money from people in a land that is encumbered in court. “We also want to call the Commissioner of Police Enugu state to please direct the DPO Unity Police station, Ibeagwa-Nike, who has consistently maintained a biased position in the crisis in Ibeagwa-Nike … call him to order.

 “If they have swindled you of your money already in the so called Wisdom/Great Edem Nike Layout, please rush now and go back and collect your money because the land in question is in court; it does not belong to Edem Nike as their own land is separate. They left their land and went into our own land.” The Enugu State Police Commissioner, Emmanuel Ojukwu, told newsmen in a telephone interview that he could not immediately remember the particular case under reference, pointing out that he had several cases of land disputes in the state before him. According to him, he had to make reference to his records before he could recall the particular case in point.