A heated land dispute has erupted in Umuagwo community, in Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State, as indigenes of Umuelu village are accusing the government and some individuals of invading and forcefully acquiring their land. The disputed land located along Port Harcourt Road, Owerri, the state capital, has been a subject of controversy, with the community leaders claiming that it rightfully belongs to them.
According to Marcellinus Chukwu, a prominent leader in the area, the community was shocked to see unidentified persons surveying and bulldozing the land with heavily armed military and police men, shooting recklessly and scaring away villagers and other onlookers. Chukwu stressed that some portions of the land were bought by private estate developers who have been using them productively, and that the land was not in dispute as the Supreme Court did not mention it in its judgment.
However, the Commissioner of Lands, Survey and Physical Planning, Barr. Enyinna Onuegbu, has denied the allegations of invasion, saying that the government is following due process in acquiring the land. Onuegbu maintained that a perimeter survey has been made by the Surveyor General of the Ministry of Lands. He also stated that the natural owners of the land or private estate developers will be duly compensated.
The community leaders, including Oha Cyprian Izukamma Chukwu, Chief Onyenacho, and Chief Anokuru Joseph Lechi, have vowed to resist any move by the government or individuals to grab their land, warning Mgbuishi indigenes not to join forces with the Akpaelu’s family to encroach on their land. They urged the government to consider the interests of the natural owners of the land and estate developers who bought some portions of the land.
As the dispute rages, some of those who spoke to this reporter said, “we are waiting and watching to see how fairly the government will handle the land acquisition process. Will the community’s concerns be addressed, or will the dispute escalate into a full-blown crisis? One thing is certain, the fate of the Umuagwo community and the development of Imo State hangs in the balance.”
