…claimes he has been arrested three times in connection with the land crisis.
AWKA, Nigeria — The iNews Times | The long-running Anambra land crisis surrounding the disputed Obuagu, also known as Egbeana-Obibia Land, has taken a dramatic turn as a prominent Awka community leader formally petitioned the Inspector-General of Police over alleged interference by senior police officers in a matter currently before the Supreme Court.
Chief Kenneth Afamefuna Ezekwesili of Umuike village in Awka has accused officers of the Anambra State Police Command of undermining judicial authority by allegedly intervening in a civil land dispute that has been in litigation since 1974. The petition, made public in Awka on Tuesday, specifically names a Deputy Commissioner of Police and one Monday Umunna, an officer attached to the State Criminal Investigation Department.
According to Chief Ezekwesili, the Anambra land crisis involves ownership claims over the Obuagu land between Obuagu Awka and Umuomamu Ifite Nibo communities. He explained that Umuike, Umuoruka and Umujagwo villages in Awka maintain that they are the original owners of the disputed property, a position they say has been validated by court rulings.
The dispute, he noted, has passed through multiple judicial stages over the past five decades. He referenced Suit No. AA/57/1974 at the High Court in Awka, presided over by Justice J.C.O. Emekwue, where judgment was reportedly delivered in favour of his community. The matter later progressed to the Court of Appeal in Enugu under Appeal No. CA/E/16/2008, where the appellate court upheld the earlier ruling. The case is presently pending before the Supreme Court, making the land crisis one of the longest-running land litigations in the state.
Despite these rulings, Chief Ezekwesili alleged that police involvement has complicated enforcement of the judgments. He claimed that officers have continued to intervene in ways that frustrate lawful access to the land by members of his community, even though court decisions have affirmed their position.
The Awka chief stated that in February 2026, acting on what he described as subsisting court orders permitting development and access to the land, he visited the disputed area. During that visit, he was allegedly arrested by the officer identified as Monday and subsequently taken before a Deputy Commissioner of Police. According to him, he was warned not to return to the land under threat of further arrest and detention.
He further alleged that he secured bail in the sum of ₦300,000 following the first arrest. Chief Ezekwesili maintained that subsequent visits to the property led to 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. The case, he said, remains pending.
Describing the situation as intimidation, he claimed he has been arrested three times in connection with the land crisis. He alleged that the justification given for the arrests was “conduct likely to cause communal war,” which he argued is a criminal allegation being applied to what is fundamentally a civil land dispute already before competent courts.
Chief Ezekwesili further alleged that the officers involved acted in concert and may have benefited financially from their involvement. He claimed that parts of the disputed land were sold while litigation was still ongoing, raising concerns about the integrity of enforcement mechanisms in land-related matters.
Land disputes have historically been a major source of communal tension in Anambra State and across the South-East, often escalating into violence when competing claims overlap with political or economic interests. Observers note that prolonged litigation, combined with competing enforcement actions, frequently deepens mistrust between communities and institutions.
In his petition, Chief Ezekwesili urged the Inspector-General of Police to investigate the conduct of the officers named and ensure that law enforcement agencies refrain from intervening in matters that are sub judice. He argued that continued police interference in the land crisis risks eroding public confidence in the judiciary and undermining the rule of law.
He insisted that respect for subsisting court judgments is essential to maintaining peace, warning that perceived institutional bias could inflame communal tensions rather than prevent them. According to him, the proper course of action is to allow the Supreme Court to deliver its final determination without external interference.
As of press time, the Anambra State Police Command had not issued an official response to the allegations. The development adds another layer of complexity to an already sensitive land crisis that has endured for more than five decades.
The iNews Times will continue to monitor the situation closely, particularly any response from the office of the Inspector-General of Police and developments at the Supreme Court. For communities across Anambra and beyond, the outcome of this protracted dispute may carry significant implications for land ownership rights, judicial enforcement and public trust in state institutions.
