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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Crime & Justice

Land dispute: Obey S’Court judgment, Anambra community tells dep gov

From The Punch · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified In the courts
  • Indigenes of Umuenu village in Anambra State are protesting an alleged attempt by the Deputy Governor to overturn a Supreme Court ruling on a disputed ancestral land.
  • The community insists the land belongs to them, accusing a neighboring village of bearing false witness and powerful forces of trying to influence the deputy governor to divide their property.
  • Protesters are demanding that the Supreme Court judgment, which affirmed Umuenu's ownership of the land since 1973, be obeyed and are rejecting any attempts to share their ancestral land.

Indigenes of Umuenu village in Anambra State have staged a protest, rejecting the Deputy Governor's alleged move to overturn a Supreme Court ruling concerning their ancestral land. The community accuses the neighboring Enugwu Quarter of fabricating claims and influencing state officials to divide the land, which they assert has belonged to Umuenu since 1973.

Enugwu Quarter leave our ancestral land alone

— ProtestersInscription on a placard during the peaceful protest in Umuenu village.

Led by Benneth Mbolu, the President-General of Umuenu Quarter, protesters marched with placards demanding that Deputy Governor Dr. Onyedikachukwu Ibezim obey the Supreme Court judgment and cease interfering in the dispute. Mbolu stated that the deputy governor invited them for a mediation that appeared biased, suggesting an intention to share the land, which Umuenu vehemently opposes.

Agu Udo/Agu Ofu land belong to us alone

— ProtestersInscription on a placard during the peaceful protest in Umuenu village.

"Enugwu Quarter leave our ancestral land alone," read one placard, while another insisted, "Anambra deputy governor, Dr Onyedikachukwu Ibezim, obey Supreme Court judgment." The community claims that Enugwu Quarter began causing trouble over the land in 2020, despite the 1973 Supreme Court ruling affirming Umuenu's ownership of the disputed 'Agu Umuoma and Agu Umuofuu' areas.

Anambra deputy governor, Dr Onyedikachukwu Ibezim, obey Supreme Court judgment

— ProtestersInscription on a placard during the peaceful protest in Umuenu village.

Adding to the tension, Umuenu villagers allege that members of Enugwu Quarter have been involved in violent acts, including the machete attack that led to the death of a former village president last year. They are concerned that powerful individuals are manipulating the deputy governor, who also chairs the State Boundary Committee, to disregard the established legal ownership and potentially divide their ancestral property.

Umuawulu is made up of three quarters; Umuenu, Enugwu and Agbana quarters. We had challenges of boundary with our neighbouring community, Awgbu in 1927. The matter lingered until 1973 when Supreme Court ruled that the disputed land – ‘Agu Umuoma and Agu Umuofuu’ were owned by Umuenu Quarter.

— Benneth MboluPresident-General of Umuenu Quarter, explaining the history of the land dispute and the Supreme Court's 1973 ruling.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Punch. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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