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• Alleged 99-year lease of ancestral land in Akpawfu threatens fresh communal peace
From Jude Chinedu, Enugu
Tension is mounting in Akpawfu, a community in Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu State.
Members of the Umu Anigbiyovo Oyiwode clan have raised the alarm over an alleged plan to lease a vast stretch of their ancestral land for 99 years without their consent.
The development has exposed deep divisions within the community, with some stakeholders warning that the move, if not halted, could trigger fresh unrest in a town still emerging from a recent communal conflict.
At the centre of the dispute is a proposed lease of about 300 hectares of land located at Ohuakpaka, said to be part of a larger expanse jointly owned by two kindred groups, Umu Anigbiyovo Oyiwode and Ani Oyiwode. The ownership structure, according to community leaders, was affirmed by the Supreme Court in 2008 after a protracted legal battle.
While proponents of the arrangement insist it is a development-driven initiative designed to attract investment and create jobs, opponents argue that the process has been opaque and exclusionary, raising fears of dispossession and a breach of longstanding communal norms.
The simmering tension spilled into the open on Tuesday, April 21, 2026 when members of the Anigbiyovo Oyiwode clan converged on the disputed land in Ohuakpaka, voicing their opposition to what they described as an attempt to alienate communal property through the back door.
Speaking at the gathering, Nwaforeze Nnamani of the Umu Anigbiyovo Oyiwode family said the protest was aimed at drawing the attention of government authorities and the wider public to what he termed a looming injustice.
“What we are doing here today is to show the government that those who want to sell our communal land are wrong, and we don’t want it to be like that. We, Anigbiyovo Oyiwode and Ani Oyiwode, own the land together. They are planning to sell it, but we don’t want that. Any land owned communally must be sold or leased communally.
“Before such land is sold, the two parties will have to sit together to discuss so that there will be justice. We have owned this land for hundreds of years. Our ancestors owned this land, but some people now want to use their wealth and influence to sell it.
“Umuani Oyiwo are the people who want to sell this land. The person leading them is Rev. Fr. Dr. Tobechukwu Nnamani from Egudene here. We are saying no. This land is not for individuals to dispose of as they like.”
Youth leaders in the community anchored their opposition on the 2008 Supreme Court judgement, which they said unequivocally affirmed the joint ownership of all communal lands in Akpawfu by the two families.
Desmond Nnaji, Youth Secretary of Umu Anegbe Iyovo Aniwodo, said any attempt to proceed with a lease arrangement without the consent of both parties would be unlawful and provocative.
“This land and other lands in Akpawfu have already gone to the Supreme Court of Nigeria, and a verdict was passed in 2008. After that judgement, it was made clear that this is communal land. The Supreme Court said that every land in Akpawfu is owned by the two families—Umuanegbeoyiwodo and Ani Oyiwo.
“The Enugu State Government is aware, the Federal Government is aware. So how can a few people now decide to bring in Chinese investors and others from Anambra State and start making arrangements without carrying everyone along?
“As a family, we are saying clearly that we are not part of this arrangement. And if this continues, it may plunge Akpawfu into another round of crisis. It is just a few years since we had violence here. We don’t want to go back to that.
“We want the whole world to hear our voice. The people propagating this should desist. If anything must be sold or leased, both families must sit down and agree. The land they are talking about is over 300 hectares. That is not a small land.”
Beyond legal concerns, community leaders expressed anxiety over the social consequences of the proposed lease, particularly the possibility of displacement of residents already occupying parts of the land.
Fidelis Arum, National Vice President of the clan, disclosed that he was among those invited to a meeting where the proposal was discussed but declined to endorse it.
“I am from Egudene Akpawfu. I was among those called for a meeting where they said they were planning to lease our land known as Ohuakpaka and Ugbo. They said some investors, from China and from Anambra, needed about 300 hectares of land for a 99-year lease.
“We had that meeting in the palace of Igwe Christopher Nnamani. But I told them clearly that we were not going to sign anything because they had already written the document before bringing it to us. That is not consultation—that is imposition.
“The priest who is championing it initially refused to produce the document. When he finally did, we saw that the content was not acceptable. We were not carried along.
“You cannot lease 300 hectares of land that includes places like Ohuakpaka where people are already living. If you do that, very soon they will begin to drive our people away and even destroy their houses.
“We don’t want to sell our land. Even within their own family, many people are not in support. Our traditional ruler himself said that no document should be signed until proper consultations are done.
“If they go ahead with this, there will be an eruption. Akpawfu is just recovering from a serious communal conflict that claimed lives. We cannot allow another one.”
Echoing similar concerns, Secretary-General of the clan, Ikechukwu Udenweze, warned that bypassing established communal structures could destabilise the fragile peace in the area.
“Actually, some people are manufacturing this crisis, and we are vehemently saying no. We are just coming out of a crisis that made many indigenes leave this town. As they are returning, some people are already bringing another plan that will scare people away again.
“This is communal land. Sometime ago, a family claimed it belonged to them alone, and we contested it in court. The matter went up to the Supreme Court, which ruled that the land belongs to the two families.
“But now, despite that judgement, some people are still doing things under the carpet. We are not happy about it.
“We are saying let the world hear us, Trying to brew another crisis here will be very dangerous for the fragile peace we are enjoying. Planning to sell or lease this land without consultation is an invitation to crisis.
“We have written to all relevant authorities—the Attorney General, the Commissioner for Justice, the police, the DSS. We are appealing to Governor Peter Mbah to intervene. He has been doing good work here, and we don’t want anything to destroy that progress.”
Women in the community also voiced strong opposition, framing the issue around livelihood and intergenerational survival.
Speaking on behalf of women, Ifesinachi Ogbodo questioned the rationale behind the proposed lease.
“The land is not even enough for our children, talk more of selling it. It is when you have enough that you start talking about selling. That is not our situation here.
“Where will our children live? Are we going to live in the bush or on trees? Will our children inherit land in other communities? This is the land we use to farm and feed our families. We have nowhere else. Tell those people that our land is not for sale.”
In a bid to forestall any transaction, the community, through its solicitors, Oyiwode Chambers, has written to Goalmarksuperjet International Limited, the company allegedly linked to the proposed project.
In the letter dated February 12, 2026, and copied to the DSS, the Inspector General of Police and The Attorney General of the Federation, the lawyers warned the firm against entering into any agreement concerning the land, describing such a move as risky and potentially unlawful.
They maintained that the land remains communal property and that no valid consent has been granted for its lease or sale.
Documents obtained by Sunday Sun indicate that the proposed arrangement centres on the establishment of a cement manufacturing plant within the community.
The draft Memorandum of Understanding outlines a framework in which the community would contribute land as equity in exchange for a minority stake in the company, alongside commitments to job creation, infrastructure development, scholarships, healthcare services, and other corporate social responsibility initiatives.
However, the inclusion of a 99-year lease clause has emerged as a major point of contention, with opponents arguing that it effectively amounts to ceding control of the land for nearly a century.
Responding to the allegations, Rev. Fr. Tobe Nnamani denied claims that the land was being sold or leased, insisting that discussions were preliminary and aimed at exploring development opportunities.
“The issue is that some people came and they wanted to use our land to build a factory. We held meetings three times, and all the seven villages agreed that they were going to allow these people to come.
“No land has been sold. This discussion has ended, and the company has even moved to another location. People should stop spreading misinformation.”
Similarly, the traditional ruler of the community, Igwe Christopher Nnamani, distanced himself from the controversy. “I have nothing to do with any land deal. Let anyone with proof come forward,” Igwe Nnamani stated.
