The people of Obeagu Ugwuaji community in Enugu South Local Council of Enugu State have called on Governor Peter Mbah to intervene in the crisis bedevilling their land, which has made them perpetual litigants in various courts in the state.
The community made the appeal following a protest organised by a dissident group led by the former President General of the community, Freedom Obi.
The group alleged that their traditional ruler, Igwe Ikenga Nya, had been selling their land and embezzled over N400 million belonging to the community, among other accusations.
The protesters carried placards with different inscriptions expressing their dissatisfaction.
However, some community members stated that it is Obi and his group, along with people they described as “land grabbers and estate developers”, who have been causing trouble for the traditional ruler and the community.
In a counter-protest, the leaders dismissed allegations of land grabbing against the monarch, describing them as a “rehash of falsehoods” designed to distract from deep-seated administrative rot within the previous Town Union leadership.
Spokesperson for the community, Aloy Obodo, a former Director of Engineering at the Federal Ministry of Works and ex-Commissioner in Enugu State, traced the genesis of the current crisis to the alleged mismanagement of a community project—a 30-room service apartment initiated to provide sustainable revenue for the town.
According to him, the project, which was meant to reduce the community’s reliance on land sales, became a conduit for corruption under the leadership of the immediate past President General (PG), Freedom Obi.
He alleged that the former PG, Chinonso Obi, acted as a “sole administrator,” bypassing all checks and balances to the point where construction materials purchased during the day were allegedly stolen at night by those entrusted with their care.
The retired director noted that while the community’s multi-million-naira project remained uncompleted after four years, the former PG, Freedom Obi, and his associates have reportedly completed several personal luxury buildings.
Addressing the specific allegation of N400 million against Igwe Ikenga, Obodo clarified that the monarch is not a sole signatory to any community account. He revealed that the matter had already been thrashed out at the Enugu State House of Assembly, where the accusers failed to provide evidence and were forced to tender a public apology to the traditional ruler.
Corroborating the claims, Caretaker Committee Chairman of the community, Joseph Ani, stated that the hostility towards the palace and the current administration stems from a refusal to bury the results of a pending audit.
Ani alleged that the former PG has consistently used “recruited youths” to disrupt general meetings to prevent his stewardship from being scrutinised.
He further alleged that the crisis escalated when the Caretaker Committee refused to ratify an unauthorised allocation of 100 plots of community land to a former governor of Enugu State.
He claimed that this refusal led to a fallout with the Ministry of Chieftaincy Matters, suggesting that institutional powers were being used to shield the former leadership from accountability.
The Caretaker Chairman also raised an alarm over the “militarisation” of the community’s youth. He alleged that over 80 per cent of the local youth have been drawn into cultism by the previous administration to serve as a private militia, a situation that has forced many elders and even government officials to flee the community for their safety.
Adding another layer to the defence, the Secretary of the Caretaker Committee, Francis Ikechukwu Egbo, challenged the former PG, Freedom Obi, to declare the source of his wealth.
Egbo noted that within a four-year tenure, the former official allegedly built two massive estates despite having no identifiable business or source of income prior to taking office.
On the issue of the N400 million allegation, Egbo presented what he described as bank statements from the community’s Union Bank account.
He stated that the records show that only N226 million was generated over a ten-year period, yet the former PG’s administration alone spent over N260 million during its four-year tenure, leaving a deficit that remains unaccounted for.
The Secretary also addressed the recent demolition at the New Enugu City site, which protesters had blamed on the Igwe.
He clarified that the Igwe and the Caretaker Committee were actually victims of the situation, having been forced to rebuild fences demolished by the former PG’s group in an attempt to implicate the monarch before the state government.
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