Igwe Micheal Okekeuche has called for calm and urged indigenes of Enugwu-Agidi, Anambra State, to stand against people whose interest is to sell their lands.
Okekeuche, the Okpalariam III of Enugwu-Agidi, in a statement, said the state government and security agencies have being briefed on the activities of the group of people who are taking the laws into their hands and are determined to throw the peaceful town into crisis to use the opportunity to hijack people’s lands.
“We need to mobilise available resources to develop a shared, strategic approach to a life of dignity for all, no single sector, no individual, no organ in our town, can alone deal with the complex problems and challenges we face in our community today but rather all hands must be on deck.
“Conflicts arise for one simple reason of putting personal interest, aspiration and needs beyond the interest and needs of others. There seems to be a competition in brutality of which we have seen horrific examples in the last few weeks. The aim of the actors is, in my own view, is to incite fear in our community and divisions among people to carry on in their illicit grabbing and selling of lands unhindered,” Okekeuche said.
President General (PG), Nzekwesi Obijiofor, of Enugu-Agidi Brotherly Union (EBU), urged the youths to stand against people who are bent on throwing the town into crisis for their personal interests.

 

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Obijiofor, in a statement by the Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Okoye, urged Agidians to stand up and be counted among those who are determined to fight against disunity in the community and to ensure youths who are usually used in instigating crisis and restiveness are sensitised to shun restiveness and embrace peace as the matter has been officially reported to the appropriate authorities.
The leadership urged the people not to take laws into their hands, but to do so in a peaceful, organised manner.
“The current leadership is focussing on the benefit of a non-violent uprising, which is the cornerstone of our belief.
Unequivocally, no crime committed against the land will go unpunished, as a wide consultation on the possibility of summoning an emergency stakeholders’ meeting to further deepen efforts to restore peace and normalcy in the community.
According to sources, trouble started when a group decided to subvert the laid down rules by the community on sale of lands.
The group, led by the duo of Izuchukwu Okekeonyeocha and Chidi Okoye decided to discard the rules and guidelines of the community – and continued in the sale of lands – contravening the laws of the community. When Okekeuche and the PG intervened, the group threatened to violently deal with them.
An indigene of the town who is conversant with the unfolding events said: “The igwe and caretaker chairman of our town union had put in place processes for sales of land because many cases of illegal sales of individual and community lands, but a group of land bandits opposed to it.
“These people mobilised some disgruntled youths in the town and started attacking perceived opponents. Even the caretaker chairman was waylaid and beaten up in the presence of army personnel that he brought in to quell the situation. Now they claimed they have installed a new PG and Igwe.”