The Obegueze Amankanu Amurri Autonomous Community in Nkanu West Local Government Area, Enugu State, has urged the state government to take over several unused lands that have become hotspots for criminal activities in the community.
The community made this call during their general meeting, held at St. Anne’s Primary School, Obegueze Amankanu Amurri on Monday.
Addressing the press, the traditional ruler of the community, Igwe Linus Nwobodo, stated that some criminal elements in their community have started perpetrating all sorts of evil, such as kidnapping, robbery, land racketeering and other social vices, thereby portraying the community in bad light.
The monarch praised Governor Peter Mbah for his outstanding leadership in the state, adding that the Governor has shown his dedication to fulfilling all his campaign promises.
“We, as a community, have come together to put an end to some illegal activities perpetrated by some people just to give us a bad name. The recent happenings in our community, such as kidnapping, illegal sale of lands, and so on are not right because lands cannot be sold without proper verification of the owners.
“We, as a community, cannot partake in remunerations made from the purchase of illegally sold lands, and we have decided to ensure that thorough verifications are made to ascertain the true owners of any property before it is sold.
“We have a lot of unused lands in our community, and since every land is owned by the government, we also want the State Government to come and take some, especially those used by criminal elements as hideouts.
“We, as a community, are happy with the leadership of Barr. Peter Mbah, who has been doing his best to fulfill all his campaign promises. He is the ‘Oji Egbe Eje Agha’ that we know,” he said.
The monarch also called on the good people of Obegueze Amankanu Amurri to foster goodwill amongst themselves, as they can only progress when there is tranquility among them.
In his remarks, the President-General of the community, Victor Okechukwu, said the meeting became necessary due to the rising insecurity in the community, which, if not stopped, could bring calamity upon them.
Okechukwu also re-emphasised the decision of the community to end the Fulani invasion of their land, as many ungodly actions towards their people are often linked to them.
