ABAGANA, Anambra (Sundiata Post) – The lingering feud between Abagana and Ukpo communities of Anambra State heightened on Wednesday over allegations by Abagana community that the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Samuel Okaula, has been compromised by billionaire businessman, Prince Arthur Eze, who hails from Ukpo.
In a strongly-worded petition to the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, the Abagana Welfare Union on Wednesday said the activities of the state Commissioner of Police have led to increased threats to the peace, law and order in the area.
The petition, which was signed on behalf of the community’s umbrella union by Emma Ifeadike Esq. noted that the Commissioner of Police and his subordinates, especially the Area Commander (Awka), ACP Longe, as well as the Divisional Police Officers in charge of Dunukofia and Njikoka LGAs, have laid siege on the Abagana community. They regretted that those who ought to be officers of the law have become pawns on the chessboard of billionaire businessman.
Ifeadike pointed out that the genesis of the feud is a lingering land dispute between Abagana and Ukpo communities and which the people of Ukpo led by Prince Aurthur Eze and his brother, the traditional ruler of the town, Igwe Robert Eze, have been laying claim to. “A High Court of Anambra State had earlier given judgment in favour of Ukpo. Dissatisfied with the judgment, Abagana filed an appeal before the Court of Appeal, Enugu. The Appeal is listed as CA/E/86/2002 and motion CA/110M/2015”.
However, despite the pendency of the appeal, hundreds of thugs were mobilized into the disputed land last June to bulldoze several properties, farmlands and economic trees belonging to members of Abagana community. The billionaire businessman has since built a police post on the disputed land, “and with illegal police protection hurriedly began building up the place, apparently to frustrate the upcoming appeal” he added.
Since August 20, 2016 when the youth of both communities engaged in renewed confrontation, scores of leaders of Abagana community were arrested in a midnight swoop by policemen, with most of them still languishing in detention. The mass arrest is believed to be targeted at people close to Chief Emmanuel Nwude, (Owelle Abagana) who is suspected to be financing the court case against Ukpo. “Curiously, barely 24 after the arrest, COMPOL Samuel Okaula addressed a world press conference where he paraded 10 workers of EM Guest Inn, Abagana, owned by High Chief Emmanuel Nwude, and branded them as “terrorists”, Ifeadike said in the petition, a copy of which was sent to the Chairman, Police Service Commission.
The petition called on the IGP to compel the state commissioner to immediately release all persons arrested in the wake of the latest round of clashes between Abagana and Ukpo or in the alternative, charge them to court. Among those still incarcerated are High Chiefs Amobi Ezekwe, Eugene Anene, Stephen Ezediegwuand Charles Nwazojie, while scores of others, including High Chief Alfred Ozugha(the Onowu of Abagana) are on the run.
While also calling for full investigation of Prince Arthur Eze for “terrorising the peace-loving people of Abagana”, Ifeadike further called on the IGP to direct the take-over of investigation into the most recent bout of violence on the Abagana-Ukpo border as the Commissioner of Police Anambra and the aforementioned officers have largely compromised their positions and can no longer be trusted to conduct an impartial investigation.