Crime
One Killed as Enugu Community Land Dispute Drags on Despite Court Verdict
Tension has again erupted in Enugu State as a long‑running land dispute between Etiti Ngwo Community in Udi Local Government Area and their neighbours in Umu-Ugwu Akum Akwuke, Enugu South Local Government Area, claimed another life despite subsisting court judgments.
Residents of Etiti Ngwo accused their rivals of defying multiple court verdicts and violently encroaching on their land, even after both the Appeal Court and Supreme Court affirmed Etiti Ngwo’s ownership of the disputed area.
“They started demolishing our properties despite the judgment”
Speaking to journalists on Monday during a peaceful protest at the Community square, the Chairman of Etiti Ngwo Central Community, Eze Daniel Onyejuwaka, narrated how the crisis escalated after a meeting with the Deputy Governor and Enugu State Boundary Committee on July 10, 2025.
“What actually happened is that on Thursday, July 10, 2025, we went to the office of the Deputy Governor, who is the head of the Boundary Committee of Enugu State, and had a judgment over the dispute we have with the people of Umu-Ugwu Akum Akwuke in the Enugu South Local Government,” Onyejuwaka explained.
“The Appeal Court gave us judgment, and the Supreme Court also upheld it. They later protested through their legal counsel to the Boundary Committee that we were trespassing. The state government intervened, and that same day, we were given judgment. Surprisingly, from that particular day, they went to the scene and started demolishing all the properties we had there.”
“They laid ambush and killed Sochima in cold blood”
Onyejuwaka said that despite Etiti Ngwo’s decision to remain law‑abiding, the opposing community launched an armed ambush:
“As the last batch of our people were coming back from the site, the people of Umu-Ugwu Akum Akwuke and their team laid ambush and started shooting. Eventually, they shot one of our brothers, Sochima Onoh, who died in cold blood.”
He accused the Managing Director of Enugu State Geographic Information System (ENGIS), Mr. Chiwetalu Nwatu, of fueling the crisis:
“Despite all the activities of the Deputy Governor to resolve this issue, he went ahead and started reallocating the land or admitting people of Umu‑Ugwu Akum Akwuke, who had already been defeated in court, giving double allocations and things like that. This is where they got the momentum to start attacking us.”
“We have lost three lives on this land”
The community leader made an emotional appeal:
“We are only using this medium to call on the state government, particularly the Governor of Enugu State, the Attorney‑General of the state, the Attorney‑General of the Federation, and all the judges and lawyers in this country to come to our aid so that the judgment given to us by both the Appeal Court and the Supreme Court can be honoured.”
“This is the third person we are losing in this same land. We have lost the likes of Oliver Onoh, today again it’s Sochima, and particularly, my own father died in the same process. It is so pathetic.”
Onyejuwaka said the Supreme Court verdicts date back to 2015, with subsequent attempts by their rivals to secure stays of execution struck out as recently as 2021:
“In three occasions that they filed to the Supreme Court, all of them were struck down. When they had judgment, we never stepped into that land. When they had judgment of the High Court, we left there and allowed them to do whatever they wanted until we got up here. I just don’t know why they are doing all this to us.”
Despite the rising tension, he assured that Etiti Ngwo would not resort to violence:
“If you look around me, it’s not as if I don’t have people. But we are law‑abiding. That is why we are appealing to the Governor of Enugu State to make sure he ends this matter before it turns again into a communal crisis.”
An eyewitness, Obinna Onyia, tearfully recounted the moment Sochima was killed:
“We were on our way back and saw some people all wearing black. They started pursuing us, and we were running without direction. The land was slippery because it had rained. My friend fell down, and I told him to stand up. He stood up, and we continued running. He fell again and went into the bush to hide. They came and met him inside the bush and shot him. I saw them, but I couldn’t do anything.”
Officials react
When contacted, Mr. Chiwetalu Nwatu, Chief Executive Officer of ENGIS, denied the allegations, insisting he acted within his mandate:
“The land in question is a Crown Land and as such belongs to the government. Rather than taking over the land and demolishing every property there, the administration of Governor Peter Mbah in its magnanimity is asking everyone with a property there to come forward for registration.”
Meanwhile, the Enugu State Police Command confirmed the killing. Police Public Relations Officer, SP Daniel Ndukwe, said:
“On July 12, 2025, at about 3:35 pm, the Police received a distress report from Isiama Agu‑Ovolo in Etiti Ngwo community, alleging that youths from Umu‑Ugwu Akum Akwuke stormed their area at Ovolo Layout and shot one Onoh Sochima. Police operatives responded immediately and found the victim’s lifeless body with suspected gunshot wounds. He was taken to the hospital, confirmed dead, and his body deposited in the mortuary for preservation and autopsy.”
SP Ndukwe added that preliminary investigations indicate the incident is linked to the ongoing land dispute, urging both communities to remain calm and avoid acts of self‑help while a full investigation continues.
As Enugu mourns yet another life lost, residents are calling on the state government and the courts to enforce their judgments and bring a lasting peace to the troubled land.
More than 60 worshippers are feared to have been kidnapped from the Central Mosque in Dekara town, Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State, during Jumu’at prayers on Friday.
The incident occurred when suspected terrorists, said to be operating in large numbers, stormed the mosque while the prayers were ongoing.
According to sources, the attackers fired several shots before rounding up some of the worshippers and taking them into the surrounding forest.
A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Borgu Local Government Area witnessed several security incidents on Friday, including attacks on three communities.
“So many things happened in Borgu LGA on Friday. Terrorists attacked three communities, including Dekara. In Dekara, they went to the Central Mosque while Jumu’at prayer was ongoing and kidnapped more than 60 people. But they did not injure anybody,” the resident said.
The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State, Oyewole Mayowa Solomon, has died after reportedly collapsing during a party reconciliation meeting in Iyara, the council headquarters.
Solomon reportedly slumped suddenly while participating in the meeting convened on Friday by a former Ijumu council chairman, Funsho Olumoko, as part of efforts to resolve internal disagreements and promote unity among APC stakeholders in the area.
An eyewitness said the incident caused confusion among participants, who immediately attempted to revive the party chairman before rushing him to a hospital in Kabba.
He reportedly died shortly after arriving at the hospital.
The development shocked party leaders and other stakeholders who had gathered for the reconciliation meeting, which was aimed at strengthening the APC ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The meeting was expected to bring together party leaders, ward and local government executives, women and youth leaders, as well as government appointees from the 15 wards in Ijumu.
The incident occurred amid renewed efforts by APC stakeholders in the council to resolve longstanding disagreements and restore unity within the local chapter.
Earlier in the month, party leaders in Ijumu had endorsed President Bola Tinubu and Kogi State Governor, Usman Ododo, for second terms.
However, that gathering was reportedly disrupted by disagreements over the leadership of the local government, with Solomon and some other officials said to have walked out of the meeting.
Olumoko, who organised Friday’s reconciliation meeting, had previously been mandated by the Ijumu Consultative Forum to facilitate dialogue among political stakeholders in the council.
Solomon’s sudden death is expected to create fresh uncertainty around the ongoing reconciliation efforts within the Ijumu APC, coming barely two weeks after stakeholders renewed calls for unity ahead of the 2027 elections.
The cause of his death had not been officially disclosed as of the time of filing this report, while efforts to obtain an official reaction from the APC were ongoing.
Tension and grief have gripped the political community in Enugu State following the suspected murder of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Chairman in Udenu Local Government Area, Chisimdiri Emmanuel Ngwu.
Ngwu, described as one of the longest-serving members of the ADC in the state, was reportedly found dead in the early hours of Wednesday, August 19, 2026, under circumstances that have raised concerns among his family, friends and political associates.
A family source told our correspondent that Ngwu woke up early on Wednesday, left the house and never returned alive.
The source said the family became worried after they noticed he was missing, only to later discover his lifeless body outside the compound.
“We woke up and didn’t see him, only to discover his lifeless body in front of our compound,” the source said.
The source further alleged that scratches were found around Ngwu’s neck and that his neck appeared to have been twisted backwards, raising suspicions about the circumstances of his death.
The incident has sparked concern within the ADC in Udenu and the wider political community in Enugu State, with calls for security agencies to thoroughly investigate the matter and bring anyone found responsible to justice.
Meanwhile, two persons have reportedly been arrested in connection with the incident.
Their identities and the specific circumstances surrounding their arrest were not immediately known as of press time.
Ngwu’s death has since sent shock waves through the ADC, with party members and associates mourning his death and demanding a transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The Anambra State Police Command has uncovered the circumstances surrounding the alleged murder of a 56-year-old man, Mr Kelechi Madu, in Awkuzu, Oyi Local Government Area, two days after he was reported missing.
The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Friday, August 21, 2026, by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, who said the breakthrough followed a coordinated search and investigation by police operatives, local vigilantes and members of the deceased’s family.
Madu was reported missing by his wife on August 18, after he reportedly left home on the evening of August 17 and failed to return.
According to the Command, the search for the missing man took a grim turn later that day when his wife returned to the police station to report that he had been found dead in a nearby bush at Umuobi, Awkuzu.
Police operatives immediately mobilised to the scene, where they found Madu’s lifeless body with a deep axe wound to his head. His remains were subsequently evacuated and deposited at a hospital mortuary for preservation.
Following the discovery, detectives intensified their investigation and arrested the deceased’s 32-year-old friend, Mr Ifeanyi Nwankwo, who allegedly confessed to being involved in the planning of the killing.
Preliminary findings by the Command indicated that Nwankwo allegedly obtained money from Madu through fraudulent means, claiming he would assist him in acquiring a piece of land.
Police alleged that the suspect subsequently engaged two other persons to eliminate Madu in an attempt to conceal the alleged fraudulent transaction and prevent the victim from recovering the money.
The Command said two other suspects linked to the alleged plot were also arrested, bringing the number of persons apprehended in connection with the case to four.
The Commissioner of Police, Anambra State Command, CP Nnanna Oji Ama, psc, mnips, has directed investigators to intensify the probe and identify every person involved in the alleged conspiracy and murder.
The CP vowed that all persons found culpable would be brought to justice.
The Command, through Ikenga, assured residents that it would continue to strengthen intelligence-led policing and community partnerships to prevent violent crimes, uncover criminal networks and ensure that perpetrators face the full weight of the law.
Headline
Crime
2 Suspected Kidnappers, Armed Robbers Neutralised as Anambra CP Orders Probe into Head Bridge Shooting
By Okey Maduforo, Awka
Two suspected armed robbers and kidnappers have been neutralised by operatives of the Anambra State Police Command.
The development came as the Commissioner of Police, Anambra State Command, CP Nnanna Oji Ama, ordered an immediate and comprehensive investigation into an incident involving police operatives and a suspect at the Head Bridge, Onitsha.
According to a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the incident involving the suspected criminals occurred in the early hours of Wednesday, August 19, 2026.
Ikenga said operatives of the Command attached to the Rapid Response Squad, Awkuzu, acted on credible intelligence that a group of suspected armed robbers and kidnappers had been sighted along Eziowelle Road.
He said the operatives swiftly mobilised to the area, but the suspects opened fire upon sighting the police team, leading to a gun duel.
“During the ensuing encounter, two of the suspects sustained fatal gunshot injuries, while other members of the gang fled the scene with varying degrees of gunshot wounds,” Ikenga said.
He added that the operatives recovered one AK-47 rifle with a magazine containing four live rounds of ammunition, one pump-action gun and five live cartridges from the scene.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police has ordered a thorough and impartial investigation into the separate incident at the Head Bridge, Onitsha, where gunshots were reportedly fired during an attempted arrest.
Addressing residents and other members of the public in Onitsha on Wednesday, CP Oji Ama said the immediate priority of the Command was to ensure that those injured in the incident receive adequate medical attention and recover fully.
The Commissioner subsequently visited the victims at the hospital, where he assured them of the Command’s support and pledged to personally ensure that their medical expenses were covered.
CP Oji Ama further ordered a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident, particularly the events that led to the discharge of the firearm.
He stressed that the investigation would establish the facts and ensure that appropriate action was taken based on its findings.
The Commissioner appealed for calm and urged members of the public to remain peaceful while the investigation runs its course.
He reiterated the Command’s commitment to professionalism, accountability, respect for human life and strict adherence to the rule of law.
Meanwhile, the situation around the Head Bridge area has been de-escalated, with the free flow of vehicular and human movement restored.
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