Quick Summary:
Residents protest at Enugu Government House over alleged land grab, accuse officials of defying Supreme Court judgment; government insists land belongs to Federal Government.
Hundreds of residents of Etiti Ngwo Community in Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State on Monday marched to the Enugu Government House, protesting what they described as the forceful takeover of their communal land.
The protesters, comprising men and women, presented a petition to Governor Peter Mbah, alleging disobedience to court judgments in a long-standing land dispute with the Umuakum Atakwu, Akwuke community.
They accused Chiwetalu Nwatu, Director of the Enugu State Geographic Information System (ENGIS), and Barr. Tony Agu, a representative of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), of ignoring a subsisting Supreme Court judgment and reallocating their land.
Community Alleges Violation of Court Orders
In a protest letter dated March 23, 2026, signed by Daniel Eze, Chairman of the Etiti Central Executive Council, the community accused officials of criminal conspiracy, abuse of office, and disobedience of court rulings.
He explained that the disputed land—Agu Ovolo, Isiama, and Ebemi—had been under litigation since 1989. Although the community lost at the High Court in 1996, the Court of Appeal overturned the decision in 2015, declaring the land to belong to Ngwo.
Eze said an appeal to the Supreme Court was struck out in 2019, and a subsequent attempt to relist the case was dismissed in 2021, effectively affirming Ngwo’s ownership.
Despite these rulings, he alleged that officials and rival community members continued to interfere with the land, leading to demolitions and violence.
Calls for Government Intervention
The community urged Governor Mbah to set up an investigative panel, halt further demolitions, and enforce compliance with court judgments.
Speaking to journalists, Lolo Uzamaka Eze, a community member, said the people of Etiti Ngwo had lost over 10 lives in the dispute despite having a Supreme Court judgment in their favour.
Government: Land Belongs to Federal Government
Responding to the allegations, ENGIS Director Chiwetalu Nwatu referred inquiries to the Senior Special Assistant on Media, Dan Nwomeh, who issued a statement asserting that the disputed land is Federal Government property.
He argued that neither Ngwo nor Akwuke communities have valid ownership rights, adding that any court judgment between the communities cannot override federal ownership.
Nwomeh added that ENGIS and the BPE were working to regulate land use and ensure compliance with planning laws, stressing that all contrary claims “not traceable to a valid grant are null and void.”
