Igbariam community in Anambra East LGA of Anambra State, has petitioned the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Ibrahim Idris, to intervene and address issues in a protracted intra communal land dispute which, according to the community, is eating deep into the very fabrics of the town; and which, if left unattended, will lead to breakdown of law and order; and subsequent loss of life and property.
The eight paragraph petition was titled, “Unlawful and forceful entry into the land belonging to Igbariam community using bulldozer, distortion of the land layout plan, destruction of the beacons on the land and forgery of the allocation paper by Ubaru village led by Nwaevido Atomba and Lambert Atomba, sharing of land more than the land allocated to them by Igbariam community. Acts likely to cause total breakdown of law and order in Igbariam community”, and was signed by Barr Basil Onyeachonam Onuorah and three others of the Onyeachonam Chambers, Awka, for and on behalf of Igbariam Progressive Union, IPU.
Copy of the petition was made available to our correspondent on Friday, December 21.
In the petition, the town recalled that in 1996, the government of Anambra State returned 360.085 hecters of land to the community; and subsequently, the land was surveyed by the Anambra State Ministry of Land and Survey, registered with the ministry, beckoned and was shared among the seven villages making up the town; while another 330 plots of land which remained was kept as collective or communal land for the entire community.
Part of the petition read: “It was surprising that without consulting the traditional ruler of the community, Igwe N.N Kelly, or the President General, Chief Ikechukwu Orizu, Ubaru, being one of the villages that have already got their own share of the land, led by one Lambert Atomba and Nwaevido Atomba, brought bulldozer to the land belonging to the town in general and started creating different roads, removing beacons planted on the land and, indeed, commenced massive destruction of the layout plan done by the Anambra State Ministry of Land and Survey. They also went further to forge allocation documents different from the one done by the entire community.
“Ubaru Village led by Nwaevido Atomba and Lambert Atomba, instead of sharing 470 plots of land allocated to them by Igbariam community, went ahead to share 800 plots of land not allocated to them; an act that is causing serious problem in the town.
“As at the time of writing this petition, their bulldozer is still at work in the land, destroying everything; and when approached by the community to know why they are distorting the layout plan of the land, and works done on the land by the officials of the state ministry of land and survey, they threatened to deal with anybody that stopped them”.
Contacted, the President General of Igbariam Progressive Union, IPU, Hon. Chief Ikechukwu Orizu, corroborated what was said in the petition. He told our correspondent that the Ubaru people, apart from coveting the communal land and causing disaffection in the town, went ahead to harass the leadership of the town union with police at different times, as well as instituting court cases against the union, and the entire community using proceeds got from illegal sale of lands.
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He suggested that if the matter is not tackled head-on by relevant security authorities, the situation may lead to breakdown of law and order, as well as loss of lives.
Also contacted, Mr. Edwin Akwuobu, another executive member of the town union, recounted how some fellows from Ubaru village scaled the fence of the place of His Imperial Majesty, Eze N.N Kelly, Okalakwu of Igbariam Kingdom, and shot the traditional ruler with two of his subjects, John Oranebo Abide and Chile Nwanze; who are still in the hospital bed as a result of bullet injuries.
He also recalled an occasion where one Rev. Apostle Kelvin Atomba, who is also member of Ubaru village, almost shot police officers, who came to arrest Ubaru youths for causing pro
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