UMUOBA Anam Community in Anambra East Local Council, Anambra State, has appealed to the state governor, Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo, to intervene in the lingering communal clashes between the people of Egbeagu Eziagulu Aguleri and Umuoji Umuoba Anam over land.

In a statement, the President of Federated Association of Umuoba Anam Council’s (FAUDECO), Chief Sylvester Okoye, claimed that the land in dispute, Omagu Umuoji, has been under the ownership and control of the Umuoji people since time immemorial.

He added that contrary to the narrative presented by Egbeagu Eziagulu-Otu people, the people of Umuoji have been peacefully farming, fishing, and utilising the land for a long time without interference until the most recent provocations by some miscreants from Egbeagu Eziagulu-Otu community. He explained that before 1910, the people of Egbeagu Eziagulu-Otu had never encroached on the land or harvested the Umuoji fishing pools.

“However, the people of Egbeagu Eziagulu-Otu started trespassing on the land, harvesting from the fishing pools and laying claims to some of the fishing pools because one Ekweoba, a native of Ebeagu Eziagulu-Otu married wife from Umuoji Umuoba and the fishing pool named Mkpukulu was given to the daughter as a sendoff gift and Ikpa was also given to Ekweoba, her husband to fish for only a year,” the statement said.

He said it was after this act by the people of Umuoji to their in-law that other Egbeagu Eziagulu-Otu people started trespassing, harvesting and laying claim on some of the Umuoji fishing pools, hence the need for the governor’s intervention.