Group alleges threat to life over land in Ebonyi
The youths of Agu Obodo 11 Community in Ishielu Local Government Area of Ebonyi state have raised alarm over an alleged encroachment and trespassing on a portion of land purportedly owned by the community.
The disputed land was claimed to have been bought by a community leader of Agu Obodo 1, Mr. Nick Eke through the original owner, Mr. Michael Ebia.
But, in a petition addressed to Nick Eke by the counsel to the Agu Obodo 11 Youth Assembly, Ogochukwu Onyekwuluje, the group alleged threat to the life of the President General of Agu Obodo 11 Community, Mr. Stephen Agbom and his family members.
The vounsel noted that he has the instruction of his clients that Eke was trespassing on the portion of the land, claiming that it was sold to him by a community member.
He said: “We have been consulted by Comrade Chidiebere Itumo and Jonathan Nwali Ejike who are the president general of Agu Obodo 11 Youth Assembly for and on behalf of the youth assembly and we shall herein refer to the youth assembly of Agu Obodo 11 as our clients.
“It’s the instructions of our clients that sometime in May 2019, you started trespassing on a portion of the community land on the pretence that the land was sold to you by a member of the community.
“Some days back, you led some youths of Agu Obodo 1 to Agu Obodo 11 to threaten the youths and elders of the community. You were also sending text messages threatening the President General of the community, Mr. Stephen Agbom and members of his family.”
In his reaction, the buyer said the land was not a community land as claimed by the youths, but a land he legitimately bought from the owner, Mr. Ebia.
He said that the actions of the group was condemnable as it is surprising to him why his land should be disputed out of the other five buyers from the same seller on the same spot.
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Eke lamented how some persons from the village mobilized and destroyed his plantations, and assaulted his labourers with guns in spite of his efforts for the peaceful resolution of the matter.
However, he said the acclaimed threatening text messages were few messages sent to the President General of Agu Obodo 11, Mr. Stephen Agbom, appealing to him to intervene and calm his people down, which he also showed to our reporter
He assured that he would continue to explore amicable resolution of the matter even amid untold provocation.
Meanwhile, a community source said that no community land exists in the area as alleged, but the contention was just a vendetta against him by some people in the community.
