Tension in Aguleri-Umuleri over land dispute

UMUAHIA—THE peace in the
troubled Aguleri and Umueri
communities in Anambra
East Senatorial zone of
Anambra State, is being
threatened again following
allegation by Umuleri
community that Aguleri
people were illegally
encroaching on their
Aguakor land and selling
same..
They have therefore called
on the federal and state
governments to intervene to
avoid another communal
war.
In an earlier petition by the
Umuleri community to the
National Security Adviser,
NSA, the people had warned
that “If the state and federal
governments should close
their eyes and allow this gun
powder to explode, the
1995-1999 crisis (in the area
which led to the killing of
thousands of people) will be
a child’s play.”
The petition written by
Umueri General Assembly
was signed by the
President, Chief Henry
Jideani and members of the
traditional council of the
town led by the Regent,
Prince Chukwuma Okoye
among other community
leaders.
They recalled that the
1995-1999 crisis left the two
communities in total ruins as
over 1,000 lives and
property worth billions of
Naira were wasted.
To avoid a repeat, Umuleri
community in the petition
urged the “relevant security
agencies to act swiftly to nip
the crisis in the bud by
directing the Aguleri people
to respect the Orders of
Court and Presidential
Agreement.’’
According to a Security
Consultant and an indigene
of the Umuleri, Mr. George
Obukwesili, who briefed
newsmen in Umuahia, after
visiting the Zone 9 Police
Headquarters in relation to
the matter, said the Umueri
elders had been restraining
their youths from taking
action over the alleged
encroachment on their land
and urged the government
to intervene in the matter
without further delay.
He further recalled that a
petition sent to the police
headquarters in Abuja,
where the community
requested the presence of
anti-riot policemen “on
ground in the disputed area
to avoid any break down of
law and order,” pointing out
that the Umueri community
has been avoiding any
bloody clash so that the
expatriates who are working
for the Orient Petroleum
would not be scared out of
the project which he said
would benefit both
communities and the
government of Anambra
State.
Obukwesili stressed that to
sustain the peace, the
Umueri community also
urged the authorities to
cause the white- paper on
the 1995 Umueri and Aguleri
disturbances commission of
inquiry set up by Anambra
state be implemented to the
letter.
We pray that ‘’a permanent
boundary as recommended
in the white paper be made
by an unbiased Federal
Government’s Boundary
Commission for a lasting
peace in our war troubled
area