By Our Correspondent
Anambra State is facing a dangerous surge in land-related conflicts, with the Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, revealing that the Command now receives over 100 land dispute cases daily.
The startling disclosure came during his courtesy visit to the Traditional Ruler of Upko Community in Dunukofia Local Government Area, Igwe Robert Ezeh.
CP Orutugu described land grabbing as the most pressing challenge confronting his office, lamenting the alarming frequency and intensity of disputes across the state.
According to him, the Command is inundated every morning with petitions that initially appear to involve serious crimes like armed robbery, attempted murder, or kidnapping, only to eventually be traced back to land ownership conflicts.
“The major challenge I face as Commissioner of Police is land grabbing. Every morning, we are inundated with cases—Presidents General wanting to usurp the role of traditional rulers, younger men attempting to unseat Presidents General, and family members—mothers, sons, husbands, brothers—embroiled in land disputes,” he said.
He emphasized that unresolved land issues are at the heart of most violent crimes in Anambra, including killings, attempted assassinations, and kidnappings. He added that even long-standing family relations often break down when wealth and property come into play, leading to bitter confrontations.
CP Orutugu also expressed deep concern over the moral decline among the youth in the state, noting that Anambra’s young people were once known for valuing education and vocational training.
He lamented that the current generation now prioritizes flashy lifestyles over hard work, with many abandoning apprenticeships prematurely and returning home flaunting wealth of questionable origin.
“Apprentices barely spend two years before dropping out. They return in flashy cars to mock their masters who spent years training them,” he said. “You see young girls using iPhone 16s, and their mothers proudly take pictures with the phones without asking where they got them. In our days, such things were unheard of. Now, when children misbehave, mothers confront teachers instead of supporting discipline.”
He blamed parental failure, particularly among mothers, for encouraging this breakdown in values and turning a blind eye to sudden, suspicious wealth among their children.
The Commissioner called for the revival of traditional structures and moral codes to restore discipline and community accountability.
“There is a need to restore that traditional sense of fear—where wrongdoers knew there were spiritual or communal consequences. That fear kept youths in check, and it’s time we revived it,” he noted, urging for formal recognition of traditional institutions in the state’s governance and security framework.
In response, Igwe Robert Ezeh reaffirmed the commitment of traditional rulers to support the police and other security agencies in fighting crime.
He emphasized the importance of synergy between local vigilantes and conventional forces in maintaining peace and order, stating that the fight against crime must be a collective responsibility.
