At least four persons have been reportedly killed in a renewed boundary dispute between the Ogwor community in Ishiagu and the Umuobor Community in Akaeze both in the Ivo local government area of Ebonyi state.
According to Tribune, three persons killed were said to be part of a contingent that entered the disputed land to harvest yams on Wednesday while a woman was killed on Monday.
The two communities have been having a dispute over a piece of land known as Elueke lands for many decades.
The dispute had been adjudicated up to the Supreme Court of Nigeria with Umuobor being declared the rightful owners of the land by the courts.
However, successive state governments have refused to enforce the Supreme Court ruling on the disputed land.
Despite the 1991 ruling, the dispute has persisted with many lives lost as both sides periodically carry out attacks and reprisal attacks against each other.
The crisis intensified late last year with many people on both sides killed forcing the state government to declare the disputed land a buffer zone.
It also set up a committee to mediate and find lasting solutions to the dispute.
Despite placing an embargo on residents from entering the disputed lands, the killings have continued.
A source from Umuobor lamented that the residents of the community have been hard hit with severe hunger due to the ban on entering the land and when they could no longer endure it entered the land to harvest yams.
He said that as they were harvesting the yam, they were attacked by gunmen suspected to be fighters from Ogwor.
“They shot three persons dead while two others have not been found,” the source who pleaded not to be named said.
Coordinator of Akaeze Development Centre, Chinasa Okorie confirmed the killings and described the deaths as unfortunate and pleaded with the community to remain peaceful and not to escalate the matter.
He also advised all parties in the matter to desist from entering the disputed land until the matter is amicably settled by the state government.
“I am aware of the killings. They told me of the killings and I am aware of it. I was even there today to address them and urge them to keep peace and maintain peace. We cannot, because of the killings, try to aggravate the situation.
“That is the predicament. Are they supposed to be there at that particular time? But you know you cannot start blaming when life is lost. So, that is the problem.
“Ordinarily, the governor has said that nobody should enter there and that is not to say that they are not aware of it. But even the people who came to kill them, are equally aware that the governor said nobody should enter there.
“So the two wrongs don’t make a right. That other people entered(the land) does not give other people the privilege to come and kill(them)That is the situation.
“And we have been sounding it, there and then, that the executive order remains. And that there are consequences for trying to violate it,” he said.
Chairman of the Council, Emmanuel Ajah condemned both communities for flouting the directives of government.
“The government has declared it a buffer zone now. If it is a buffer zone and you go there, you are on your own. So, if the government declares it is a buffer zone and you go there, and you definitely know the governor’s directive and still go there, you are on your own.
“The governor set a committee. The committee are working seriously. So, if you go there and something happens, then you don’t need to complain,” he said.
Police spokesperson, Joshua Ukandu confirmed the killing of the woman in the area on Monday.
He appealed to the people to obey the directives of the government for people to stay away from the disputed land.
“The incident about the woman happened on the 17th. That is the one we have information on. And we are also already investigating, we have deployed people to that area.
“And we are still using this opportunity to tell the stakeholders involved to sheath their swords and recognize the state government’s efforts in bringing lasting solutions.
“I think there is this arrangement of meetings happening, and everybody was asked to stay clear of the disputed area, pending when the government initiates its intervention in that matter,” he said.
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The Supreme Court affirmed the legitimacy of Francis Nwifuru as the Governor of Ebonyi State. On January 12, 2024, the apex court dismissed two separate appeals challenging Nwifuru’s election victory, including one filed by Chukwuma Odii of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The court found no merit in the appeals and upheld the concurrent verdicts of the Ebonyi State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal and the Court of Appeal, which had both validated Nwifuru’s election.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Nwifuru, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, as the winner of the March 18, 2023, governorship election, with a total of 199,131 votes. His closest rival, Dr. Odii of the PDP, secured 80,191 votes.
The Supreme Court’s decision effectively put an end to the legal disputes surrounding the election, confirming Nwifuru’s position as the duly elected governor of Ebonyi State.
He who comes with equity must come with a clean hand
Akaeze people are the true owners of that land Naturally,historically, legally etc
In the history of that Elu Eke land, no single Ogwor person’s have ever built structures in that land but that of Akaeze people has been uncountable.
Question: why have only the Akaeze people the residents of that land from etymology
The Ogwor people are destroying and killing the Akaeze people because they have people in Government backing them, there son is the local government chairman currently, a sit more than three Akaeze person’s have manned without any clash
Let justice prevail
These judgments given by Emmanuel Ajah , Hon. Kama and the coordinator Chinasa Okorie is unfair, it’s a biased judgment. How could you blame people that went to their farmlands to harvest farm produce for violation of the Governor’s declaration when the Governor has refused to attend to the internal displace people of Akaeze.?what has the government of Ebonyi state done for the community to support them until justice and is restored, as Umobor Akaeze is restricted from harvesting their crops or Do you want the whole community to starve and die of hunger?
Many lives have been claimed since September 2024.
The certificate that validates you as a Governor today was declared by the supreme court of Nigeria,. Why would the people Ogwor in Ishiagu refused to obey the supreme Court judgment, violating the supreme order for justice dated as far back as 1991.
In case the governor of Ebonyi state has forgotten his primary duty as a governor is to protect lives and properties and to enforce justice in his state.
The governor and his committee should do something as fast as possible to maintenance justice and restore equity in the involved communities.
It is disheartened that many life has been lost in this dispute while the governor and committee are too calm, I plead for immediate intervention to protect the life and properties of those citizens, don’t Politicise life of people.
Is Ivo local government area part of Ebonyi state or located in Nigeria? If yes then Governor Francis Nwifuru should do everything in his power to restore justice and peace in the affected communities. Or if the crisis is beyond what he can handle ,he should ask for help from federal government .
People are missing everyday. He should deploy security to protect the lives of the citizens of the state.
Declaring Elueke piece of land a buffer zone is not enough. People of Umobor invested heavily on that land and it is the source of their lively hood — the crops cultivated there.
His Excellence, deep calls unto deep. It is a matter of urgency. Show the people of Umobor Akaeze ,entire Ebonyi state and
beyond Nigerians that you re not biased by enforcing justice as declared in the supreme court of Nigeria in the year 1991.