Community leader petitions IGP over alleged Police bias in Anambra land dispute

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By Madu Obi

A prominent community leader in Awka, Chief Kenneth Afamefuna Ezekwesili of Umuike village in the state capital, has petitioned the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) over alleged bias and interference by some officers of the Anambra State Police command in a protracted land dispute dating back to 1974.

In the petition, Ezekwesili specifically accused a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) and another police officer attached to the Anambra State Criminal Investigation Department (CID), of acting in ways that undermine ongoing judicial processes in the disputed Obuagu land, also known as Egbeana-Obibia Land.

According to Ezekwesili, the dispute is between Obuagu Awka and Umuomamu Ifite Nibo communities, with Umuike, Umuoruka and Umujagwo villages in Awka laying claim to the land as original owners, adding that the matter had been litigated across multiple courts, with judgments delivered in favour of his community at both the High Court in Awka and the Court of Appeal in Enugu.

The case is currently pending before the Supreme Court.

Citing specific rulings, the petitioner referenced Suit No. AA/57/1974 at the High Court, Awka, presided over by Justice J.C.O. Emekwue, and Appeal No. CA/E/16/2008 at the Court of Appeal, Enugu, where the appellate court upheld the lower court’s decision.

Ezekwesili alleged that despite the court rulings, police officers have continued to interfere in the matter, and allegedly taking sides with opposing parties and frustrating lawful activities on the land.

He claimed that, acting on court orders permitting his community to access and develop the land, he visited the area in February 2026, only to be arrested by one Monday, a police officer, and taken before a DCP, who allegedly warned him against returning to the land under threat of further arrest and detention.

The petitioner further alleged that he was compelled to secure his release on bail in the sum of₦300,000.

He stated that his subsequent visits to the land resulted in additional arrests, culminating in his arraignment before a Magistrate Court in Awka in Suit No. MAW/43C/2026, Commissioner of Police vs. Kenneth Afamefuna Ezekwesili & 9 Others, a case which, he said, is also pending.

Ezekwesili maintained that he had been arrested three times in connection with the dispute, alleging that the actions of the police officers were aimed at intimidating him and undermining favourable court judgments already secured by his community.

He also alleged that the officers justified the arrests using the claim of “conduct likely to cause communal war,” a charge he described as a pretext to interfere in a civil land matter.

The petitioner, who further alleged that portions of the disputed land had been sold while litigation was ongoing, expressed concern that land disputes in Anambra State had become avenues for illicit enrichment by vested interests, warning that continued interference by law enforcement agents could erode public confidence in the justice system.

He urged the Inspector-General of Police to investigate the conduct of the officers involved and ensure that the police refrain from intervening in matters already before competent courts.

He insisted that the rule of law must prevail, calling for protection of his rights and those of his community to peacefully utilise the land in line with subsisting court judgments.

The Anambra State Police command has not issued an official response to the allegations as it claims the investigation into the matter is ongoing.