NIGERIA NEWS

Enugu State Resolves Decades-Old Land Dispute Between Nkanu East and Nkanu West Communities

A major land dispute in Enugu State between Isienu-Amagunze and Ndiuno Akpugo has been resolved.

The Enugu State Boundary Committee confirmed the Iyi-Ezi stream as the rightful dividing line.

A longstanding land dispute between Isienu-Amagunze in Nkanu East Local Government Area and Ndiuno Akpugo in Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu State has been peacefully settled by the Enugu State Boundary Committee.

The conflict, which nearly turned violent in December 2024, was triggered by accusations from residents of Isienu-Amagunze. They alleged that Nigeria’s Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Chief Uche Nnaji, had encroached on their land under the guise of carrying out a federal project. Locals claimed the move was a renewed attempt to seize farmland that had been contested and previously rejected four years earlier.

Matters worsened when bulldozers entered the area and destroyed over six hectares of cassava and yam farms belonging to Isienu-Amagunze farmers. Fortunately, prompt intervention by the Enugu State Government prevented the situation from spiraling into communal violence.

On Thursday, July 10, 2025, the Enugu State Boundary Committee officially announced its decision, bringing clarity to the issue. The committee confirmed that the true boundary between the two communities is marked by the Iyi-Ezi stream, a seasonal waterway that serves as the recognized administrative boundary separating Nkanu East and Nkanu West Local Government Areas.

The decision was made public at the Enugu Government House during a meeting attended by representatives from both Isienu-Amagunze and Ndiuno Akpugo, including sub-communities such as Ndiuno-Uwani and Ndiagu-Uwani Akpugo. Several senior government officials were also present.

Among those in attendance were the Commissioner for Chieftaincy, Local Government and Rural Development, Deacon Okey Ogbodo; representatives from the Office of the Attorney General and the Surveyor General; the Committee Secretary, Barrister Solomon Ejim; and the Chairman of the State Traditional Rulers Council, HRM Ikechukwu Asadu (Igwe Ogadagidi).

Reacting to the ruling, Hon. Anthony Okey Mbah, who represents Nkanu East in the State House of Assembly, welcomed the outcome. He noted that the committee’s findings align with the position of the Isienu-Amagunze community regarding the boundary’s true location.

Hon. Mbah further explained that the Akpugo community had earlier argued that the boundary lay further, beyond the Nkanu East Local Government headquarters near the Atavu River a claim that has now been overruled by the committee’s confirmation of the Iyi-Ezi stream as the dividing line.

Speaking on behalf of the traditional ruler, community leaders, and stakeholders of Isienu-Amagunze, Hon. Mbah expressed heartfelt gratitude to Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah for bringing a peaceful resolution to a conflict that had lingered for decades.

He praised the state government’s proactive role, noting that the swift intervention had successfully prevented what could have been a deadly confrontation between the two neighboring communities.

Stanley Nwako

Nwako Stanley, Editor at Newskobo.com, is a seasoned journalist with 12+ years of experience. Beginning as a cub reporter at National Light… More »

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