Members of Umuenu Quarters in Umuawulu, Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State, have protested an alleged attempt to take over their ancestral land, Agu Umuenu, as the community revisited the death of its former chairman, Humphrey Obi, during the prolonged dispute.

The protest brought together men, women and youths of the community, who gathered at the village hall to oppose what they described as efforts by another quarter of Umuawulu to claim ownership of the land.

Obi’s widow, Nkechi, who spoke at the gathering, became emotional while recounting how her husband was allegedly attacked during the dispute and later died from injuries sustained in the incident.

She said her late husband had told her the history of the land and that members of the community had peacefully farmed there for years before wealthy individuals allegedly became interested in the property.

According to her, families from the community cultivated rice on the land and harvested palm produce there without disputes or incidents of theft, making her husband’s death particularly painful.

The President of Umuenu Quarters Assembly, Bernard Mbolu, said the ownership dispute had a long history, dating back to litigation that began in 1927 and continued through local and customary courts before reaching the Supreme Court in 1963.

Mbolu claimed that the Supreme Court judgment recognised Umuenu as the rightful owner of the disputed areas known as Agu Udo Umuoma and Agu Ofuu, which were collectively referred to as Agu Umuenu.

He said there was no serious challenge to Umuenu’s ownership for decades until 2020, when the dispute resurfaced.

According to him, another quarter of Umuawulu had earlier supported Awgbu Community’s claim to the land during litigation. After Umuenu prevailed in the case, he said an agreement was reached with Awgbu on permanent boundary demarcation.

Mbolu alleged that despite this development, members of Enugwu Quarters later entered the disputed land, prompting efforts by the Umuawulu traditional leadership to resolve the matter.

He said a 20-member committee was subsequently constituted, with Umuenu and Enugwu each nominating 10 members, while Agbana Quarters provided the chairman and secretary.

After hearing from both sides, the committee reportedly concluded that the land belonged to Umuenu. Mbolu said the decision was rejected by Enugwu.

He further alleged that in 2024, when Umuenu residents returned to the land to farm, they were attacked with dangerous weapons. According to him, Humphrey Obi suffered severe injuries, including the loss of a hand, and later died from complications arising from the attack.

Mbolu said subsequent efforts to settle the dispute through community meetings failed to produce a lasting resolution.

He added that another committee comprising lawyers from Umuawulu was established after an inspection of the disputed land on December 31, 2024. The committee, chaired by Barrister Azubuike Anazo with Barrister Emeka Orji as secretary, also reportedly ruled in favour of Umuenu and advised the parties to end further litigation.

However, Mbolu said the dispute resurfaced in July 2026 after the community was invited to meet with the state Deputy Governor following a petition from Enugwu Quarters.

He said the community was informed that the Deputy Governor intended to facilitate a permanent boundary between the two quarters, an intervention Umuenu residents said they opposed because they believed the ownership issue had already been settled by the courts and previous community panels.

Mbolu appealed against what he described as pressure for government intervention, insisting that Agu Umuenu remained the only substantial ancestral land available to the quarter.

He urged the authorities and other stakeholders to respect the existing court decision and prevent further conflict over the disputed property.