Avert looming communal clash in Enugu communities - Group begs Ugwuanyi, IGP
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Avert looming communal clash in Enugu communities – Group begs Ugwuanyi, IGP

…imminent communal clash between Nkomoro and Onuogba Nike over disputed communal land

Nkomoro Nike community in Enugu East Local Government Area of Enugu State has appealed to Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Alkali Baba to avert imminent communal clash between it and neighbouring Onuogba Nike community over disputed communal land.

The Nkomoro Nike community, specifically appealed to the IGP, to prevail on the Enugu Force CID Annex, the Zonal Police Command or any Police formation in Enugu State, not to provide protection or cover to anybody towards carrying our any activity in the disputed land until the determination of the real owners of the land whose case is pending at the Supreme Court and High Court 8 Enugu.

The appeal by the community followed alleged entry into the land by a developer who claimed to have bought part of the land in contention from Onuogba Nike community even as the case is still pending in the courts.

Addressing newsmen in Nnewi, through their lawyer, Rev. Jessie -Daniels Onuigbo,

Nkomoro Nike community said it would amount to encouraging or promoting hatred between the two contending communities to the land, for the Police to provide protection to anybody into the land in disobedience to the Court Orders for the parties to steer clear form any activity in the land.

They also wondered how anybody will be claiming to have bought a part of a disputed land from a party to the dispute when the ownership to it, is yet to be determined by the Supreme Court.

According to Rev. Onuigbo, “We have petitioned the Commissioner of Police Enugu State and other formations of the Police in the State against frequent use of the Police to arrest and detain the members of the Nkomoro Nike community by the developer who purported to have bought part of the land from the Onuogba Nike community, while the matter ispending at the Court of Appeal and subsequently at the Supreme Court.

Explaining how the matter is in both Supreme Court and High Court 8 Enugu, Rev. Onuigbo said “What brought about the matter going to High Court 8 Enugu is that the developer after purportedly buying part of the land from some members of Onuogba Nike community, started clearing the land to build, but a member of Nkomoro Nike community, Mr. Moses Igwe, whose father’s portion of the communal land was purportedly sold to developer, took him to court, seeking to restrain him from trespassing into the land, asserting that the land belong to Nkomoro Nike community.

“The two contenders to the large communal land have been made to sign an undertaking by Police at Emene Emugu State on the directive of the Commissioner of Police in the State in 2015, after several petitions we made to the Police in Enugu State over threat to peace between the two communities. 

“Now the two communities are waiting for the Supreme Court to decide on who owns the land, activities of the developer with the support of some members of Onuogba Nike community is provoking restiveness among the youths of Nkomoro Nike community who are being intimidated with the use of the Police by the developer. 

“We are therefore, appealing to the IGP to prevail on his men in Enugu State to allow peace reign by not encouraging any activity by the developer in the labd or the contending communities in the land, pending the determination of the real owners of the land by Supreme Court.”

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