…exonerates monarch from crises
By Okechukwu Onuegbu
Awka
The people of Awba Ofemili community in Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra state have appealed for government intervention to end the lingering boundary crisis with their neighbour, Ibite-Olo, a community in Eziagu Council Area, Enugu state.
The dispute, it was alleged had led to loss of lives and properties including forcing Awba-Ofemili people to stop farming for over three years.
The Traditional Prime Minister (Onosorueze) of Awba Ofemili, Chief Benard Nwanelo, who made the appeal while reacting to the petition written by some prominent indigenes of the community against their Traditional Ruler, Igwe Ezekwesili Maduagwuna, explained that the community had written several petitions to the government to come to their rescue to no avail.
Chief Solomon Ozuah, Chief Reuben Iloka and Chief Matthew Nwaobu, had in a petition to Anambra State Commissioner of Police written through their Solicitors, G. C. Enekwechi and co (Grace Chambers) signed by O. E. Nnajiofor, alleged that the monarch among other things uses local vigilante to intimidate and encroach on people land.
“Our clients complain grievously that the said Igwe Ezekwesili Maduagwuna has been using the vigilante group to terrorise, harass, intimidate, maim and assault members of the community who oppose him. . . The said Igwe for a long time has been brewing tensions in the community by the following acts; laying unlawful claim to people’s lands and claiming same to be a communal land just so he can unlawfully appropriate to himself the power to dispose of those lands at his whims and caprices; which said lands his predecessor in writing acknowledged to belong to various individuals and families and not in any way a common land.
“Operation of an illegal dungeon where citizens of Awba Ofemili Town are unlawfully detained, tortured and treated inhumanely. We shall upon request avail your good office of a video of citizens of Awba Ofemili stripped and filmed naked while held up in detention by the Igwe… The Igwe authorised the forceful extortion of N5000 from youths of Aguenu Awba Ofemili for refusing to participate in the plan orchestrated by the Igwe to ambush and invade Ibite Olo community of Enugu due to a boundary tussle. The youths of Aguenu Awba Ofemili refused to participate in such violence which led the Igwe to penalising every youth of Aguenu Awba Ofemili. A petition dated 8th May, 2018 was made in that regard to your office and a copy of same is herein annexed,” some parts of the petition further alleged.
Nwanelo, while dismissing the allegations as false, said “No one is intimidating anyone in our community. We did not also banish anyone. Only problem is that some people who lost out in traditional rulership contest with the Igwe have vowed to dethrone him using frivolous allegations and petitions. We won’t allow that to happen. They are only running when no one is pursuing them. Our monarch is peace loving and had never involved in any land dispute with his subjects. There had never been any mayhem of such in Awba Ofemili as quoted in the petition.”
He, however, expressed displeasure over alleged conspiracy of some people from the community with Ibite Olo people in the disputed land, and urged the state and federal government to expedite action towards resolving the boundary issue amicably.
Contacted, the Anambra State Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Mr C. Don Adinuba, disclosed that the state government had been on the boundary matter for a while, adding that “We are now waiting for the National Boundary Commission to delineate the boundary."
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