Anxiety in Enugu over land boundary tussles

An internal fragie peace pervades two Local Governments Areas in Enugu State over an alleged false claim by three traditional rulers of adjoining communities concerning the occupation, and ownership of four large hectare of lands which serve as boundaries to Agbor Obimo, Agbo Eziani, Ugbene Ajima and Nrobo communities both in Nsukka and Uzo-Uwani LGAs respectively of the state.

The traditional rulers of Ugbene-Ajima, Nrobo and Eziani communities had earlier disclosed in a daily tabloid that the four hectares of land belongs to the three communities, allegedly excluding Obimo community that served as custodian to Agbor Obimo and Agbo Eziani communities before the creation of Eziani autonomous community in the late 90’s.

Speaking to our correspondent on the boundaries that allegedly belonged to Agbor Obimo and Agbo Eziani communities, the President, Agbor Obimo General Assembly, Hon. Alex (Ozo) Ike Eze erstwhile member, House of Representatives that represented Nsukka/Igbo-etiti federal constituency and former chairman Nsukka Local Government council said that Obimo community is made of six quarters, which include Agbor, Ajuona, Akutara, Akpotoro, Enu-Agu and Ikwo-oka, adding that on the recent time Enu-Agu and Ejuona got autonomy, decided to change her name to Eziani autonomous community.

Hon. Eze explained that the entire land of Ezani belongs Agbo Obimo quarter community and the community has boundaries with Ugbene- Ajima, Nrobo, Okpuje, Edem, Nsukka and Nkologwu, pointing out that Agbor Obimo has no boundary problem with Ugbene-Ajima and Nrobo as there was an old boundary demarcation which both communities adhered to till recently when the three traditional rulers on their own decided otherwise to encroach on the boundaries, gazetted for over 30 decades ago.

He noted that there was an ancestral boundary in Nrobo community which demarcated Obimo and Nrobo, adding that the aged stones were laid by the ancestral fathers of the communities as boundary demarcation, measuring over five kilometres.

‘’In the recent times, those who lay false claims to the lands have started removing the stones to achieve their interior motives of ownership of the lands without having the knowledge that the areas was gazetted by the federal government for several decades ago and there was a map of the boundaries with the office of survey general of the federation” he explained.

“Recently, the traditional ruler of Eziani HRH IgweTony Ezema who hails from Ajuona, connived with the traditional rulers of Nrobo and Ugbene- Ajima to claim the lands which originally belonged to Agbor Obimo and Agbo Eziani , that the lands now belongs to the three communities that rushed to the newspapers and published falsehood which was unfounded in the history of Agbor Obimo and Agbo Eziani communities”, he said.

He stressed that Eziani autonomous community till date belongs to Obimo Ikwu-Awka electoral ward, adding that the councillor representing Obimo equally represents Eziani as both of them has understanding with one another.