“They’re Selling Our Ancestral Lands Without Our Consent”: Abia Community Storm Govt House in Protest.

Today, a large crowd of youths and women from Umunenweze Okpuala community, located in Okaigu, Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State, gathered at the Abia State Government House to protest. Their anger? Alleged land grabbing and the illegal sale of their ancestral farmlands.

According to the protesters, their traditional ruler, Eze Paul Onuigbo Uzuegbu, along with some other individuals, has been presenting forged documents to the state government falsely claiming that the community willingly gave up their rights to the land.

The villagers, who are now calling on Governor Alex Otti for urgent help, said large portions of land meant for both current and future generations have been forcefully sold or handed over to private estate developers. They added that bulldozers brought in by these developers destroyed farms and economic trees without any notice or agreement from the real owners of the land.

Speaking for the protesters, the community’s Secretary, Okechukwu Uzuegbu, didn’t hold back. He accused the land grabbers of writing fake letters to the government and forging documents to make their illegal actions look legitimate. He also warned that any further trespass on their land would be seen as a deliberate attempt to cause chaos.

In response, a government representative, Mrs. Magdalene Ugoanusi who serves as the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs pleaded with the protesters to avoid violence. She confirmed that a letter about the matter had earlier been sent to the Office of the Chief of Staff.

She assured the community that the state government would review the case. She also advised them to write down all their complaints and submit them officially. She added that the lawmaker representing Ikwuano/Umuahia Federal Constituency, Obi Aguocha, would be brought in to help mediate and find a peaceful solution to the land dispute.