‘Our Land Is Under Siege’: Anambra Community Protests Alleged Land Grabbing, Demands Soludo’s Intervention

By Deboy Udodirim | Awka

Tension escalated in Umuawulu, Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State, on Monday as hundreds of youths, women, elders and community leaders from Enugwu Quarter staged a peaceful protest over what they described as an alleged campaign of land grabbing, intimidation and unlawful arrests.

The protesters accused the Traditional Ruler of Umuawulu, Igwe Joel Egwuonwu, of allegedly backing the disputed land claims by Umuenu Quarter—a claim the monarch has not publicly responded to at the time of filing this report.

Bearing placards with bold inscriptions, the demonstrators called on Governor Prof. Chukwuma Soludo to urgently intervene and prevent what they described as a worsening crisis threatening peace in the community.

Some of the placards read:

• “Eight of our youths are facing criminal charges in the High Court over false accusations.”
• “Governor Soludo, please suspend Igwe Joel Egwuonwu.”
• “Umuenu Quarter, stop dragging the Deputy Governor into this matter.”
• “Igwe Joel Egwuonwu, stop using the Police to arrest Enugwu youths and label them terrorists and bandits.”

Addressing journalists during the protest, the President General of Enugwu Quarters General Assembly, Hon. Nzekwe Chidozie, dismissed allegations that Enugwu was attempting to seize Umuenu land, insisting that the reverse was the case.

“The allegation that Enugwu people are grabbing Umuenu land is completely false. Rather, they are the ones encroaching on our ancestral land. Umuenu’s boundary dispute is with Abo-Ani Awgbu in Orumba North Local Government Area, not with Enugwu Umuawulu in Awka South. We believe the matter has lingered because our traditional ruler comes from Umuenu,” Chidozie alleged.

Also speaking, Chairman of the Enugwu Infrastructure Development and Land Boundary Demarcation Committee, Dr. Azubuike Nkala, maintained that Enugwu and Umuenu do not share a common boundary.

“We have physically surveyed our village, and there is no point where Enugwu shares a boundary with Umuenu. The disputed land is over three miles away from Umuenu. Our recognized boundaries are with Abo-Ani Ogbu, the Mmamu Forest Reserve and Amaetiti—not Umuenu. Their claim is simply unfounded,” he said.

Dr. Nkala recalled that in 2022, the Deputy Governor initiated a boundary demarcation exercise involving Enugwu and Awgbu communities, alleging that Umuenu declined to participate.

He further claimed that repeated appeals to the state government to mediate the dispute had yielded little result.

“Government advised the traditional ruler to pursue peace, but that has not happened. Instead, our youths are allegedly being arrested at night, detained for days and charged with serious offences including kidnapping, manslaughter and attempted murder,” he alleged.

Adding historical context to the dispute, former President General of Enugwu Quarters, Nze Peter Nweke Ezeonyali, traced the roots of the crisis to events dating back to 1972.

“I warned long ago that this crisis could divide Umuawulu and eventually produce two traditional rulers and an autonomous community. This conflict has caused more pain than accidents involving vehicles or motorcycles in our town. We are appealing to Governor Soludo to intervene decisively and restore lasting peace,” Ezeonyali said.

The protesters urged Governor Soludo to urgently investigate the allegations, intervene in the lingering land dispute and facilitate a peaceful resolution to prevent further escalation.

At the time of this report, neither Igwe Joel Egwuonwu nor representatives of Umuenu Quarter had publicly responded to the allegations raised during the protest.