By Wisdom Nwedene, Abakaliki
A heavy protest happened in the early hours of Tuesday morning in Akaeze located in Ebonyi State as hundreds of men and women stormed the streets, accusing Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru and the Executive Chairman of Ivo Local Government Area of the State, Hon. Emmanuel Ajah of trying to “collect their land”.
Recall that last month, at least four persons were 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 report , three persons killed last month were said to be part of a contingent that entered the disputed land to harvest yams on
The two communities have been having a dispute over a piece of land known as Elueke lands for many decades.
In different videos seen by our correspondent, some of protesters were spotted with ply cards with different inscriptions such as “Governor Nwifuru, Leave Our Land Alone” ; “Our Land Is not for sale”.
A source in the community said “there’s a peaceful protest going on currently in Akaeze, as Ebonyi state governor insisted that he won’t work with the supreme Court judgement over the disputed Elueke land, there by drowning his own map which divides the land into two and give to the people of Ogwor Ishiagu”.
Our correspondent gathered that the protesters matched from Eluegu Umobor to other parts of Akaeze, chanting different songs.
When our correspondent contacted the Executive Chairman of Ivo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, Hon. Emmanuel Ajah, he told our correspondent that he is not aware of the protest.
He, however, denied allegations of trying to collect the land which is in dispute.
“All we want in Akaeze is peace. We don’t want war. The allegation of trying to collect their land is false. Those sponsorsing them should stop because there is no gain in what they are doing”, he told our correspondent.
Also, the Honourable Commissioner for Information in Ebonyi State, Honourable Jude Chikadibia Okpor said the Governor does not need anybody’s land talk more of trying to collect a land which is in dispute in Akaeze.
Hon. Okpor said Governor Nwifuru has been doing his best for peace to return in Akaeze because there is no gain in fighting.
“Our Governor invited both parties, listened to them and asked them to go and make peace but if they don’t want to make peace and keep fighting, killing one another, the Governor has the power to retrieve the land and use it for the interest of the whole state. There is no way the Governor would collect a land in Akaeze.”
Meanwhile, 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.
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.
