Land tussle: Enugu community petitions Governor Mbah as tension escalates

 

Years after an Enugu State High Court delivered judgement in the land dispute in Akpugo, Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu State, the Umuedenwoko family and Cooperative Worldwide have accused the traditional ruler of Ugwuafor community, HRH John Idenyi Nwodo, and some government actors of frustrating the execution of the subsisting court judgment.

CW NES reports that on June 2023, Justice A.O. Anidi delivered judgment in favour of the Umuedenwoko family.

However, two years later, the Umuedenwoko family have cried out over an endless plot to frustrate the execution of the judgement.

One of such actions is a fresh court case now before Enugu High Court.

Speaking to journalists after the case came up recently, counsel to the community, Gabriel Oforma Agbo, said his clients had battled for over 13 years to secure justice over the 299-hectare farmland known as Ngene-Ogbugbo.

The lawyer, who provided a background to the case, explained that the Umuedenwoko Cooperative had lawfully acquired the land since 1978 under a customary right of occupancy and had developed it with palm plantations, economic trees, and other agricultural projects.

“We have been in HAGB No. 1/2011 for many years. This land was properly acquired from the old Anambra State, equivalent to having a Certificate of Occupancy. They have paid ground rent since 1978 and invested heavily on the land,” Agbo said.

He said the conflict deepened after former Governor Chimaroke Nnamani created the Ugwuafor autonomous community, allegedly enabling the traditional ruler to begin claiming ownership of lands belonging to several villages.

“The Igwe, HRH John Idenyi Nwodo, decided to claim that because he is the traditional ruler of the community, he automatically became the owner of all lands belonging to these villages. In law and in fact, that is wrong,” he stated.

The lawyer alleged that the traditional ruler also facilitated the allocation of about 35 hectares of the disputed land to the Nigerian Police Force for a proposed Police College, without proper compensation as required under the Land Use Act.

“We are not saying the government cannot take land But here is a land already developed by local corporators who should be encouraged. Instead of compensating them, the Igwe moved in with machines, destroyed economic trees, and even collected the compensatory money on their behalf without accounting for it,” Agbo said.

According to him, after 13 years of litigation, Justice A.O. Anidi delivered judgment in June 2023 in favour of the Umuedenwoko family. No appeal was filed against the decision by any of the major parties, including the Inspector General of Police, the Commissioner of Police, or the Divisional Police Officers.

However, he said HRH Nwodo had repeatedly attempted to obstruct enforcement of the judgment through “frivolous applications, forged affidavits and political manipulation.”

Agbo claimed that the traditional ruler procured court documents using the name of one of his clients, Chief David Okenwa, without his knowledge or consent.

“Everyone knows that the act is a forgery. Any lawyer engaging in such should face disciplinary action. Even in court today, my client confirmed he never briefed the lawyer who purported to represent him,” Agbo said.

He added that a fresh application filed by the traditional ruler to stall execution was dismissed on 8 May 2025 by His Worship Ngozika Orji, who reaffirmed that the 2023 judgment remained valid and enforceable.

In a separate development, the community, through Gabriel Oforma Agbo & Co., issued an open letter to the Governor of Enugu State, Dr Peter Mbah, accusing HRH Nwodo of “sponsoring communal conflicts, misleading government agencies and manipulating political institutions” to deny them possession of their land.

The letter, dated 4 November 2025, stated that the traditional ruler had approached the Enugu State House of Assembly to set up a panel of inquiry into a judgment that had already been delivered by a competent court.

“Our clients wonder why your government fails to consider the scandalous attitudes of the said traditional ruler whose actions would ordinarily be considered sacrilegious,” the letter read.

The group further accused the traditional ruler of supplying “false information” to the Enugu State Geographical Information System (ENGIS) and encouraging neighbouring communities to file fresh claims over the same land.

They urged Governor Mbah to constitute a judicial panel to investigate what they described as the “multiplicity of judgments” and the involvement of government officials in allegedly undermining the courts.

“We forward again for your attention the judgment of Retired Hon. Justice A.O. Anidi, confirmed by the ruling of His Lordship Ngozika Orji on 8 May 2025. We pray that God grants Your Excellency the wisdom to read between the lines of deceit in running an inclusive government, the letter stated.

The matter has been adjourned to 27 November 2025 as parties await further judicial clarification.