96-Year-Old Retired Teacher Protests Alleged Plan by Neighbours, Led by Billionaire, to Take Over Umuenu-Umuawulu Land

By Tony Okafor, Awka

A 96-year-old retired teacher, Elder Stephen Okechukwu Okoye, has joined residents of Umuenu village in Umuawulu, Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State, to protest alleged plans by their neighbours in Enugwu quarter, reportedly led by a multimillionaire businessman, to take over their ancestral land.

Okoye, who spoke passionately during the protest, appealed to the Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, and other relevant stakeholders to urgently intervene in the lingering land dispute, warning that the situation could threaten the peace of the Umuawulu community if not properly handled.

The protest came amid mourning over the death of a 49-year-old former Chairman of Umuenu village, Humphrey Obi, who residents alleged was macheted to death in connection with the land dispute.

Obi, a father of four, was said to have been attacked while farming on the disputed land.

The circumstances surrounding his death and the identities of those responsible could not be independently verified at the time of filing this report.

The protesters, who gathered at the Umuenu Town Hall on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, expressed anger over what they described as attempts by wealthy and influential interests from neighbouring Enugwu quarter to take possession of the disputed Agu Udo/Agu Ofu land.

Led by the President-General of Umuenu village, Comrade Benneth Mbolu, the protesters marched through the area carrying placards with inscriptions such as: “Enugwu, Leave Our Ancestral Land Alone”; “Agu Udo/Agu Ofu Land Belongs to Us”; “Umuenu Is Protesting Against Land Grabbers”; and “Enugwu, Stop Fighting Ndi-Umuenu Over Their Ancestral Land.”

Another placard read: “Enugwu Leaders, We Know You Have Money and Influence, Leave Our Land for Us,” while others urged the Anambra State Government to treat the dispute as a question of ownership and possession rather than merely a boundary matter.

Speaking with journalists after the protest, Mbolu appealed to Governor Soludo to prevent further entry into the disputed land pending the determination of the case before the High Court in Awka.

“We are appealing to our Solution Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo, not to allow influence from any quarter to deprive us of our ancestral land or any part of it,” Mbolu said.

According to him, the ownership dispute is already the subject of Suit No. A/82/2021 before the High Court in Awka.

“We are not agitating over a boundary matter. Our claim of ownership is before the High Court in Awka. We want the court process to continue. We want our ancestral land in full and not half,” he said.

Mbolu alleged that the dispute had created fear and tension in Umuenu, with residents becoming increasingly afraid to go to their farms.

“As I speak, the land tussle has claimed the life of our former chairman, Humphrey Obi. There is serious tension in our village. We no longer go to our farms freely, and we no longer sleep with our two eyes closed because of fear of the unknown,” he said.

He called on the state government to ensure impartiality in any intervention by the Anambra State Boundary Commission, insisting that the pending court case should be allowed to run its course.

Also speaking amid tears, the widow of the deceased, Mrs Nkechi Obi, appealed to the state government and security agencies to identify those responsible for her husband’s death and bring them to justice.

She lamented that her husband’s death had plunged the family into severe hardship and disrupted the education of their four children.

The protesters demanded justice for the slain former village chairman, protection for residents and respect for the judicial process over the disputed land.

Efforts to obtain reactions from the leadership of Enugwu quarter and the Anambra State Government over the allegations were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.