Anambra land dispute: How I was kidnapped twice for speaking the truth - Community leader

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By Madu Obi

A community leader and Vice Chairman of Obunagu Achalla village in Ezinano-Enugu Agidi community, Njikoka local government area of Anambra state, Ozo Obiora Okeke has alleged that some of his kinsmen masterminded his kidnap for speaking the truth over the protracted land dispute in the area.

He said that the people after his life were those he prevented from illegal and corrupt sales of large acres of land belonging to the four villages that make up Ezinano-Enugwu Agidi town, adding that it was his position on the land matter that led to his kidnap in 2023 and 2024.

Okeke accused four of his kinsmen of allegedly working in alliance with the kidnappers "to eliminate me by all means for being a stumbling block to their grand design to continue to appropriate parts of the land and sell same to the highest bidders while the community and its people continue to wallow in abject poverty."

He added: "My first experience was on October 17, 2023. It was the initial period the road in front of my house was being graded which they claimed that I sold the land to Ozo Jeff Nweke of Awka.

"The people who came to kidnap me discovered that I had only #22.00 in my bank account through phone and no other bank account and they wondered where the money they claimed that I realized from the land should be. They concluded it was mere allegation and I was freed.

"The second invasion was in August 2024. After a peace meeting with my people, the kidnappers invaded my house again around 4pm and took me into the bush to Urum in Awka North local government before proceeding towards one shrine in Ukwulu. I stayed three days before they released me."

But in a reaction, the chairman of Obunagu-Achalla in Enugwu Agidi Community, Mr. Emeka Ementa, denied any link with anybody to kidnap Ozo Ozoemena at any given time.

He, however, admitted that the community at a meeting under his leadership, agreed to suspend and ostracize Ozo Ozoemena and others for their sabotage of the corporate existence of the community by aligning with Ezinano Awka community on the controversial peace deal with Obunagu-Achalla village over their land.

Ementa said: "I don't have any contact with any kidnapping syndicate, I don't even intend to. I am only saying that he (Ozoemena) should change his way of life; he has been known for this over the years. The community only took normal cautions of the community to suspend him from our meetings and other activities. It was at a general meeting, not personal to me. Why would I kidnap him?"

On the disputed land, he said it is called Agu Nawgu because Nawgu people were living there, adding that after Nawgu was conquered by the six communities of Awka, Isu, Enugwu Agidi, Nawfia, Amawbia and Okpuno, it was shared into six, and everybody has theirs.

"The major part of that land is where Awka people are now contesting with us in court. The whole of that land, part of which is our ancestral land, they are joining both the ancestral land and that of Nawgu to the place they are dragging with us in court."

"The court in its unanimous decisions, gave it to us in three court sessions, the Awka court, the High Court and Appeal Court."

"We are now asking the state government to use its good offices to intervene, because Enugwu Agidi has suffered so much. We don't farm anymore."