At least one person has been confirmed dead while
three others escaped death with varying degrees of injury in Ikenga Ogidi community,
home town of late literally giant, Prof Chinua Achebe, in a clash with Umusiome
community in Nkpor, a neighbouring town in Anambra State
Both communities in Idemili North Local Government Areas
of the state have had a running battle spanning several years over a parcel of
land, despite a Supreme Court judgment and the efforts of the state government
to mediate in the matter.
The clash, which occurred last Saturday, claimed
the life of a 70-year-old man, Mr. Anthony Okongwu, while three other persons
who sustained injuries were still being attended to in an undisclosed hospital
in the state.
The President General of Ikenga Ogidi community, Hon
Amaechi Ekume, who spoke to journalists on the clash, said he and some elders of
the community had gone to the disputed land to inspect it since Umusiome Nkpor
people had defied a Supreme Court judgment given in 1997 to continue to develop
the land.
According to him, “We went there without anything
in mind, but we were surprised when suddenly, Umusiome people attacked us,
while shooting, and in the process, we lost one of our elders and three other
people sustained injuries.
“It was not a fight between our community and
theirs because we did not go there with any intention. At least, the age of the
people who went with us and that of the man who was killed would tell you that
we were not there for trouble but to inspect the land.”
Ekume regretted that the police could not save his
people despite knowing that Umusiome people were trespassing on the land,
without recourse to a Supreme Court judgment as well as the effort of the state
government to resolve the dispute.
He called on the state government to quickly wade
into the matter to forestall further incidences of breakdown of law and order
as Ikenga Ogidi community would not tolerate further attack on its people.
Meanwhile, the Chairman Umusiome comminity, Mr.
Pius Obiogbolu, in his reaction, acknowledged that the two communities have
been in the land dispute for many years. He however did not react to the allegation
that members of his community attacked their Ikenga Ogidi neighbours.
He said: “We are not challenging the Supreme Court
judgment. What we are challenging is the state government gazette which was
wrongly made. We want it repealed. We also want the state government to
implement the recommendations made by those they invited to look into the land
dispute.”
The spokesperson of the state Police Command, SP
Haruna Mohammed, confirmed the incident, saying the command has launched
investigation into the matter, and was also keeping vigilance on the area to
forestall further breakdown of law and order.
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