Land Dispute: Umuawulu Community Petitions Anambra AG, Seeks Release of Case File

By Praise Chinecherem

Members of Umuenu Quarters in Umuawulu, Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State, have petitioned the state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Tobechukwu Nweke, over an alleged land dispute and attacks they say are threatening their ancestral land, homes and means of livelihood.

The community is also asking the Attorney-General to release and review the case file in a criminal matter involving eight defendants, insisting that the prosecution should be allowed to proceed in the interest of justice.

The petition, signed by the community’s counsel, Hyacinth Moghalu, a member of the Nigerian Bar Association, Anambra State Branch, was delivered to the Attorney-General’s office on July 6, 2026. A copy was made available to journalists in Awka on September 11, 2026.

The petition concerns Charge No. A/81C/2024, The State v. Ifeanyichukwu Nwogbo & 7 Others, which, according to the petitioners, is pending before High Court No. 1, Awka Judicial Division, Anambra State.

The petitioners alleged that members of Enugwu Village, Umuawulu, had repeatedly trespassed on land they identify as “Agu Ofu”, which they claim belongs to Umuenu Quarters.

They urged the Attorney-General to consider what they described as the “true facts” of the dispute before reaching any legal conclusion on the review of the case file.

According to the petition, the dispute over the land dates back decades.

The petitioners claimed that in 1928, members of Abo Ani community in Awgbu, Orumba North Local Government Area, allegedly trespassed on the land and laid claim to it.

They said Umuenu subsequently instituted Suit No. 65/28 before the Mbalinofu Native Court sitting in Awka and obtained judgment in their favour. The petition further stated that an appeal to the District Officer was dismissed and the Native Court judgment affirmed.

The petitioners alleged that another dispute arose in 2020 when members of Enugwu Village, Umuawulu, allegedly entered the same land and committed acts of trespass, including seizing farming implements and uprooting yam seedlings.

According to the petition, the matter was taken before the traditional ruler of Umuawulu, who constituted a five-man committee to investigate the ownership dispute.

The petitioners claimed the committee heard both sides and eventually ruled that the land belonged to Umuenu community.

They further alleged that on June 19, 2024, the dispute escalated when members of Enugwu Village allegedly attacked Umuenu residents who were farming on the land.

The petition stated that the alleged attackers were armed with dangerous weapons and that several people sustained injuries.

One of the complainants, the late Humphrey Obi, was allegedly among those injured during the incident.

The petition claimed that Obi sustained serious injuries, including machete cuts, and subsequently died from complications arising from the injuries.

“He died as a result of the complications arising from the injuries,” the petition stated, adding that a photograph showing Obi receiving treatment was attached to the submission.

Following the alleged attack, the petition said the police arrested the eight defendants and eventually charged them to court.

However, the petitioners alleged that the defendants and their supporters subsequently sought to frustrate the prosecution.

The petition also alleged that the then Attorney-General recalled the case file for review after receiving complaints concerning the matter.

According to the petition, the review was subsequently held in abeyance after the Umuawulu Progress Union constituted a mediation panel to resolve the underlying land dispute.

The panel, chaired by legal practitioner Chief Azubuike Anazor, allegedly heard the parties and concluded that the disputed land belonged to Umuenu Village.

The petitioners said the mediation panel also advised members of Enugwu Village to desist from further trespass on the land.

They further claimed that after the alleged refusal of Enugwu Village to accept the mediation report, the former Attorney-General approved the continuation of the prosecution and issued a fiat to H.N.C. Ogbalu, Esq., to prosecute the case on behalf of the state.

The petitioners are now raising concern over what they described as the second recall of the case file for review.

They are therefore asking the present Attorney-General to consider the judgments, committee findings and mediation report cited in their petition before making a decision on the case.

“It is in respect of all the above that our clients have consulted our services retained to bring the above true situation of facts to knowledge, so that you will have the benefit of the full facts to enable you to arrive at proper conclusion in the legal review now undertaken by your office,” the petition stated.

The Umuenu community, alongside Esther Obi, widow of the late Humphrey Obi, is appealing to the Attorney-General to ensure that the case file is properly reviewed and that the judicial process is allowed to take its course.

The allegations contained in the petition have not been independently verified, and the defendants’ response to the claims was not contained in the document made available to journalists.