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From Jude Chinedu, Enugu
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Tension gripped parts of Enugu yesterday as members of the Etiti Ngwo community staged a peaceful protest over a lingering land dispute, accusing government officials of colluding with a rival community to undermine court judgments and intimidate residents.
The protesters, who marched with placards and petitions, decried what they described as persistent harassment over a disputed land said to be located at Agu Ovolo, Isiama and Ebemi. They insisted that the land rightfully belongs to Etiti Ngwo, citing previous court rulings in their favour.
Addressing journalists during the protest, the President General of the community, Engr. Daniel Eze, said the people had been in “quiet and peaceable possession” of the land for years before the dispute escalated.
“The community had taken the matter to court, and the Court of Appeal had ruled in their favour in 2015. The Supreme Court had also dismissed an appeal by the rival community, Umuakum Atakwu village Akwuke Community, in 2021.
“Despite the court judgment, the Umuakum Atakwu village Akwuke Community, allegedly backed by government officials, has continued to harass and intimidate the Etiti Community Ngwo,” he stated.
The community accused officials of the Enugu State Geographic Information System (ENGIS), particularly its Director, Chiwetalu Nwatu, of reallocating the land to members of the rival community in defiance of the court rulings.
They further alleged that the dispute had turned deadly, recalling the killing of one of their members, Sochima Onoh, on July 12, 2025, which they blamed on youths from the Umuakum Atakwu village in Akwuke.
The protesters also pointed fingers at some officials, including a representative of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Barr. Tony Agu, alleging complicity in the crisis.
Carrying their grievances to the state government, the community said it had written to Governor Peter Mbah, seeking urgent intervention, a thorough investigation into the alleged conspiracy, and justice for the slain community member.
They also appealed for protection, expressing fears over the safety of their lives and property amid rising tension.
However, the Enugu State Government has dismissed the claims, maintaining that the land in dispute does not belong to either of the communities.
In a statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media, Dan Nwomeh, the government said the land—located within the Olympic Layout—is the Federal Government’s property.
“The land in dispute is incontrovertibly Crown Land, originally acquired during the colonial administration. By operation of law and constitutional succession, such land devolved to the Federal Government of Nigeria upon independence, and is presently vested in and administered through the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE),” the statement read.
The government argued that neither Ngwo nor Akwuke community has any valid legal claim to the land.
It further stated that any court judgment obtained between the communities could not override the Federal Government’s ownership.
The government said ENGIS merely interfaced with the BPE to harmonise land records and ensure proper urban planning, stressing that developments on the land, including the Smart School project, are backed by lawful authority.
