Enugu wades into Akpugo/Amagunze communal land dispute

Enugu State government has waded into the boundary dispute between the neigbouring communities of Akpugo in Nkanu West Council Area and Amagunze in Nkanu East LGA.

The government urged members of the communities to maintain peace while it looked into the dispute.
In the disputed land, Ndiuno and Ndiagu Akpugo communities are claiming to own the land where Nkanu East headquarters is located and beyond and up to the Atavo River, while Amagunze’s claim line is up to Ezemaba Stream towards Akpugo.
Moved by the agitations generated by dispute, the Enugu State Boundary Committee headed by the Deputy Governor of the state, Hon. Mrs. Cecelia Ezeilo, paid an on-the-spot visit to the disputed land, where a factory was being constructed.

The deputy governor, represented by the secretary of the boundary committee, Dr. Solomon Ejim, charged the people of the two communities to remain in peace, saying that they are brothers and sisters who share many things in common.

Addressing traditional rulers and some leaders of Ndiuno Uwani Akpugo, Ndiagu Uwani Akpugo and Amagunze communities who were present to indicate their respective claim lines, Mrs. Ezeilo reminded them that it was vanity for them to kill themselves over land, saying that if anyone who loses his life or gets serious injuries, the land cannot bring them back to life.

“We are here for on-the-ground assessment. We want to bring a lasting peace to this whole issue.

“We’re here for peace to identify the claim lines of the land so that when we get back to the office, we will do a thorough job and return back for a proper field work and demarcation. So, while this process is going on, we charge you to maintain peace and order and allow the state government to look into the claims,” the deputy governor said.

The three traditional rulers representing the three communities, Igwe Amuchi Nwodo, Ndiuno Akpugo; Igwe Christopher Nwafor, Amagunze and Igwe Innocent Ogbodo, Ndiagu Akpugo, in their separate remarks, expressed confidence in the ability of the state government to resolve the dispute, saying they were not expecting anything less than a peaceful resolution of the matter “because our governor is a man of peace.”