By Anayo Okoli, Vincent Ujumadu, Chidi Nkwopara, Chinonso Alozie, Steve Oko, Chimaobi Nwaiwu, Chinedu Adonu, Ugochukwu Alaribe & Nwabueze Okonkwo

MANY Igbo communities are up in arms against each other over land disputes. Communal crisis instigated by land disputes are on the increase.

Lives are being lost, and properties of unquantifiable values being destroyed. It has turned brothers and sisters against each other, hindering development in many communities.

In Awka Anambra State capital city, for instance, the people recently clashed with the police over a communal land at the Agu-Nawgu axis. The dispute is between Awka and their neighbouring Enugwu-Agidi community in Njikoka Council Area. The Awka people are accusing the police of taking sides with Enugwu Agidi.

Also, no fewer than 400 land owners in Umuneri village, Isuaniocha community in Awka North Council Area, recently threatened to take violent action to stop officials of the Anambra State Housing Development Corporation from dispossessing them of their duly acquired property.

It was gathered that the people of Umuneri Village, Isuaniocha engaged the Housing Development Corporation in a dialogue that resulted in the village donating 1,000 plots of land to the Corporation on the agreement that the Corporation should build a bridge and road to link Awka with that axis where the land is located. To facilitate what they have in mind, Umuneri Village mapped out the 1,000 plots (54.27 hectares) and parcelled the rest of their land opposite the 1,000 plots and shared the plots to their children to set up their homesteads.

In fact, some of the community beneficiaries sold their own plots to members of the public before government chased them away.

Some of the purchasers have already built structures on their own, while others were cultivating on their own when Anambra State Housing Development Corporation invaded the entire land and destroyed all the structures and economic crops, using the Army, the Police, Civil Defence and thugs from Awka.

Similarly, in Umuawulu, Awka South Council Area, the people of Umuenu village have accused the state deputy governor, Dr. Onyekachukwu Ibezim, and the Chief of Staff to Governor Soludo, Ernest Ezeajughi, of bias in a land dispute between them and their neighbours, namely: Abo Ani Awgbu and Enugwu communities. They  protested, led by their elders, in their 70s and above, on the streets complaining that their ancestral land was forcefully taken by their neighbouring communities.

They accused the deputy governor, who heads the Anambra State Boundary Committee, of bias in the resolution of the 100-year-old land dispute. According to them, the Deputy Governor was allegedly being influenced by the Chief of Staff to Governor Soludo, Ezeajughi, who hails from Awgbu, one of the communities in the dispute. They claimed that despite Supreme Court’s judgment in their favour, the government has taken away the land from them.

Surveyor laments attack on his workers

A renowned Surveyor in Anambra State, Chief Ikemka Madike said the manner Igbo people fight over land is very worrisome. He recalled that his workers are often harassed whenever they are carrying out their professional duties for their clients.

“The problem is that many people in the various communities know the true status of the lands in their areas, yet they try to intimidate the rightful owners. I suggest that government should adopt more stringent measures against those who cause confusion in the communities over land,” he said.

Intervention, sensitisation by govt, way out of this problem —Prof. Okoro

Professor Okee Okoro of the Department of Library and Information Science, Imo State University, Owerri, agreed that land dispute is a big problem in Igbo land and called for government intervention and community sensitization on the need for peace. Community leaders, he said, should understand that land is eternal while life is short. A situation where leaders of various communities refuse to embrace peace, unity, and togetherness because of an ephemeral item like land depicts lack of foresightedness.

“There is the necessity to sensitise the members of the communities on the need to embrace peace as a lifelong way of life. Government intervention is necessary. This can be in a situation where the ownership of a parcel of land is not fully determined by appropriate official outlets. Here, government’s quick action and intervention in the resolution becomes the panacea. A stitch in time would definitely save nine”, he said.

Men of integrity should speak the truth —Bishop Onuoha

Bishop Sunday Onuoha in his perspective blamed persistent communal clashes in Igbo land on failure of honest men to speak the truth. The cleric regretted that instead of standing against the monster, some elders and men of honour had rather chosen to keep sealed lips.

He said that any day elders and men of honour begin to speak truth to power no matter whose ox is gored, the menace would subside.

“Are there no more men of honour and character in our society? They should speak out. They should be courageous to speak the truth like in the days of old”, Onuoha said.

Lack of respect for Igbo culture is the problem —Prof Igwe

Renowned academic, Prof. Obasi Igwe traced the alarming rate of land disputes in Igbo land to total disregard for Igbo communal culture and traditions relating to land ownerships and transfers by the corrupt political class and individuals.

Prof. Igwe also said that the community development union officials and chiefs contribute majorly as they connive to resell already sold plots of land to multiple buyers thereby fuelling litigations, and sometimes even killing of one another.

Other factors that fuel land disputes

Igwe also noted that: “Land dispute in Igbo society is a consequence of many factors, including rise in population, soil erosion, soil exhaustion, and ecological damage which has reduced the space available.

“Also, the role of a corrupt judicial system which validates false claims by rich communities against the poor ones thereby exacerbating the problem. Corrupt state and local governments already fully armed with the Land Use Act, but unwilling to apply it against individuals and organisations corruptly acquiring community lands with fake communal consents.

“Community development union officials and chiefs resell already sold plots to multiple buyers thereafter fuelling litigations, sometimes even leads to killing each other.”

Land dispute fuels killings, kidnappings—Lawyer

An Onitsha-based lawyer, Akunwata Livingston Okeke noted that the dangers associated with communal land dispute include killings and kidnappings. He alleged that some of the kidnapping and assassination cases in Anambra State and South-East in general could be traced to land dispute. He also indicted lawyers as part of the problem.

He cited a personal example where his life and those of his family were under threat and his site manager was murdered following his resistance against people who wanted to fraudulently take over his land at Oze Nkwelle Ezunaka, Oyi Local Government Area, Anambra State.

He claimed that his fellow lawyer fraudulently sold over 20 plots of land in his estate, with forged documents and allocation papers. But he stopped the buyers with law enforcement agents and the courts.

“I also want to make this known to the public, most of the cases that are reported against some so-called big men here in Onitsha and South- East, are not investigated by the police, they are afraid and never serious to investigate the cases reported against some people they see as rich men and that encourages killings and kidnappings that are going on in the state and South-East.

“Half of the killings, assassinations and kidnappings that go on in Anambra State and South-East, are land dispute related kidnappings and killings. Unfortunately, some disgruntled lawyers are behind some of them, like my own case, which led to the killing of my site manager and threat to my life and lives of my family members”, Okeke said.

Injustice from monarchs, cabinet members triggers land dispute

A community leader in Isiala Ngwa North Council Area, Chief Michael Nwankwo, said that biased decisions in land cases by traditional rulers and their corrupt cabinet members trigger land disputes in communities. He therefore called on traditional rulers to be upright and deliver justice to all parties in the adjudication of land disputes.

He noted that most of the protracted land disputes in communities arose out of injustice meted to parties in such disputes by traditional rulers and members of their cabinets.

He said: “There is a particular land dispute in my community which has lasted over 10 years. The parties took the matter to the police, but the ’Umunna’(kinsmen) withdrew it from the police. The Umunna looked into the matter and gave their verdict. One of the parties refused to accept the judgment.

“The matter later went to the palace of the traditional ruler who gave a different verdict. The party who lost out at the palace alleged that the traditional ruler’s cabinet was compromised against him.

“Few months after the judgment, the man who lost at the Eze’s palace died. His children blamed his death on the land dispute and vowed that they will never surrender the land to anybody. The dispute brought division to the village, those for and those against each party. Both families are wealthy and they have continued to spend money fighting over the land. Now, they have taken the matter  to the customary court. The court has ordered the two parties to stay away from the land in dispute”.

Applying traditional oath- taking will solve the problem —Nwaforagu

A community leader in Umusiome village, Nkpor, Idemili North Council Area, Chief Okechukwu Nwaforagu recommended the administration of oaths in native shrines as a means of tackling land disputes in Igbo communities.