Umuawulu Land Dispute: Enugwu Quarter Protests, Calls for Soludo’s Intervention

By Deboy Udodirim | Awka

Tension has continued to rise in Umuawulu, Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State, following a fresh protest by residents of Enugwu Quarter over a long-running land dispute involving competing claims by communities within and around the area.

Hundreds of youths, women, elders and community leaders from Enugwu Quarter staged a peaceful protest on Monday, calling on Governor Chukwuma Soludo to intervene in what they described as alleged land encroachment, intimidation and the arrest of some members of the community.

The protesters carried placards calling for government intervention and alleging that some of their youths had been arrested and charged in connection with the dispute. They also called for an investigation into the allegations and urged the state government to take steps to prevent further escalation.

Addressing journalists during the protest, the President General of Enugwu Quarters General Assembly, Hon. Nzekwe Chidozie, rejected allegations that Enugwu was attempting to seize land belonging to Umuenu Quarter.

Chidozie alleged that the dispute involved ancestral land claimed by Enugwu and maintained that the boundary issue between Umuenu and Enugwu was being wrongly presented.

“The allegation that Enugwu people are grabbing Umuenu land is completely false. Rather, they are the ones encroaching on our ancestral land,” he said, while calling for government intervention.

Also speaking, the Chairman of the Enugwu Infrastructure Development and Land Boundary Demarcation Committee, Dr. Azubuike Nkala, said the two quarters did not share a common boundary, insisting that the disputed area was located several miles from Umuenu.

He further alleged that previous efforts at boundary demarcation and mediation had not resolved the disagreement.

According to Nkala, some Enugwu youths had also faced criminal proceedings arising from the dispute. However, the specific circumstances surrounding the arrests and the charges could not be independently verified from official police or court records at the time of filing this report.

Former President General of Enugwu Quarters, Nze Peter Nweke Ezeonyali, said the dispute had persisted for decades and warned that the continued disagreement could deepen divisions within Umuawulu.

He appealed to Governor Soludo to intervene and facilitate a peaceful resolution.

However, the land dispute has generated competing claims from other parties. In a separate protest reported in July, members of Umuenu Quarter alleged that Enugwu had encroached on land they described as their ancestral property. Umuenu representatives have also called for the matter to be resolved through appropriate legal and government processes.

Earlier reports have similarly documented conflicting claims involving Umuenu, Enugwu and Abo Ani Awgbu, as well as disagreements over the role of boundary demarcation exercises and previous legal proceedings.

At the time of filing this report, the Traditional Ruler of Umuawulu, Igwe Joel Egwuonwu, and representatives of Umuenu Quarter had not responded to the specific allegations made during Monday’s protest.

The Anambra State Government and relevant security and boundary authorities may need to clarify the status of the disputed land, the outcome of previous demarcation efforts and the legal status of the criminal cases mentioned by the protesters.