By Okey Okey
Police officers, Saturday, clashed with over 100 natives of Ezinano Community in Awka, Awka South Local Government Area, Anambra State, over Agu-Nawgu, a communal land.
The natives, comprising youth, aged men and women, had tried to access the four-ways estate, one of their landed property at Agu-Nawgu site when the police officers on duty shot teargas canister to probably scare them away.
Factcheckng reporter, who was at the spot, reported that the security men in police uniform shouted "stop there", "don't come closer here" as the people marched towards the entrance gate to four-ways estate, and shot teargas at them yet they could not retrace back although some journalists scampered for safety.
Speaking on the spot, one of the police officers (name withheld), pleaded for forgiveness on behalf of his colleagues, even as he claimed that they were deployed by the State police Commissioner to secure the land but were not order to shot at anyone.
"We don't know anything about any land issue. We are just deploy here by the CP to secure this land. You know you cannot refuse an order from your father? We are 14 in number. We were not told to protect anyone but the land. We are here for peace," the officer stated.
But one of the Awka natives, Chief Richard Onuorah, expressed shock over the incident, because according to him, it was a peaceful visitation aimed at finding out why the police drove out people they contracted to work on the estate, including their women, landlords and occupants.
"We came to find out why the police chased away our women, developers, farmers and others working on the land. But as you can see, the police started shooting teargas at us immediately we approached the site," he noted.
However, it was learnt that Enugu-Agidi was boldly written on a pillar welcoming people to the site, which also angered the Ezinano natives and they immediately moved to deface the name.
"This land belonged to us. We did the fencing, wrote our name on a pillar at the entrance only for us to see another name immediately we came here today. The land is not under contention. We had been in court with Enugwu-Agidi people over parts of the land and won them at three different courts," Onuorah added.
Also speaking, Chief Arinze Ekelem, wondered if the police were siding Enugu-Agidi people to fight them over a portion of land inherited from their forefathers.
Contributing, Mrs Juliet Emesiala and Mrs Gloria Ezulike, said they were not only chased away from their farmland but also found out that their agricultural produce were destroyed afterwards.
Responding in a phone interview, the Anambra State Police Commissioner, Mr Aderemi Adeoye, denied deploying any officer to secure a part of Agu-Nagwu land.