The President-General Umugwuakum, Attakwu/Akwuke Community, Enugu State, Nicholas Ogbodo, has debunked a media report that the Supreme Court judgement on a land dispute between two communities in the state was in favour of Etiti-Ngwo community .
In a statement in Abuja, Ogbodo wondered why Etiti-Ngwo Community would embark on creating false and misleading propaganda to cause confusion.
Ogbodo, who was reacting to claims by the legal Adviser of Etiti-Ngwo Community, M.C. Onoh, debunked the claim that Umugwuakum, Attakwu/Akwuke youths had destroyed the house of a certain Ngwo Indigene, erected on a land which he alleged to be part of the land adjudged by the Supreme Court of Nigeria in their favour.
He explained that the only judgement in the area was a judgment of the Court of Appeal, Enugu,over a small portion of land adjudged in favour of Etiti-Ngwo Community.
According to the community leader, the attention of the President-General of Umugwuakum, Attakwu/Akwuke Community, Nicholas Ogbodo has been drawn to the current on-going propaganda mounted by the legal Adviser of Etiti-Ngwo Community, M.C. Onoh, contained in the on-line medium, Dailygazettenig.com.M.C. Onoh had alleged, without proof, that Umugwuakum, Attakwu/Akwuke Youths had destroyed the house of a certain Ngwo Indigene, erected on a land which he alleged to be part of the land adjudged by the Supreme Court of Nigeria in their favour.
Ogbodo emphasized, “we boldly assert, without equivocation, that there is no judgment of the Supreme Court of Nigeria over land dispute between the two(2) communities.
“Therefore, the claim of M.C. Onoh is utterly false and misleading. Also, no youth of Umugwuakum, Attakwu/Akwuke Community was involved in the alleged brigandage.”
The Umugwuakum, Attakwu/Akwuke PG challenged Onoh to provide evidence of his claims of violence meted against them.
“ We challenge Onoh to come clean with his spurious allegation and lodge complaint to the Nigeria Police for investigation and prosecution of any person involved, if at all there was such brigandage,” the statement said.
He maintained that threat to their ancestral land was genocidal and was not acceptable.
“ We wish also to correct the misleading and false narrative that Supreme Court of Nigeria gave judgment in favour of Etiti-Ngwo over the land dispute between Etiti-Ngwo and Umugwuakum, Attakwu/Akwuke, when there is no judgment of Supreme Court existing between the parties,” he said.
Chief Ogbodo,however,emphasized that “Attakwu/Akwuke Community would never support violence as a law abiding people,” emphasising: “As a responsible and law- abiding community, we followed-up the Court of Appeal judgment and dragged Etiti-Ngwo Community before the Enugu State Boundary Commission, led by the Deputy Governor of Enugu state, Ossai for delineation of boundary between the lands of the two communities.”
The community leader urged parties to the conflict to exercise restraints and wait for the decision of the Boundary Commission, while advising the Etiti Ngwo Community to respect constituted authority.
Ogbodo stressed the need for parties to avoid sensational media propaganda aimed at causing mayhem and break down of law and order.
He said:”As there is a live complaint on boundary dispute between the Etiti-Ngwo and Umugwuakum, Attakwu/Akwuke Communities, civility demands that parties shall refrain from stoking fire in the dispute, maintain peace and order, and await the outcome of the decision of the Enugu State Boundary Commission, and Government.
“Therefore, Onoh’s resort to castigate both the Enugu State Boundary Commission and Enugu State Geographic Information Service is uncalled for, uncivil and disparaging not only to the two institutions of Enugu State, but also to the personages, who run the two out-fits, and mirrors the savagery and bellicosity of the leadership of Etiti-Egwo Community.
“Onoh and his Etiti-Ngwo Community are advised to show respect to constituted authorities in the State, and refrain from its past culture of thuggery and hooliganism, and learn civility and respect for neighbours and the Government of the day.”