No Land Dispute Between Ojiegbe-Isu and Eguotu communities, Stakeholders Tell Ebonyi Govt
Onyeka Nnabu
Stakeholders of Ojiegbe-Isu in Onicha Local government and Eguotu in Ishielu local government areas have told Ebonyi state government that there was no any land dispute between the two communities.
This development followed controversy which has trailed the directive of the Ebonyi state Governor, Chief Francis Nwifuru, who ordered that the people of Ojiegbe Isu in Onicha Local Government Area and Eguotu village in Ishielu Local Government Area to immediately steer clear of their disputed land until a final peace accord was brokered between the two communities.
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It was gathered that the only Land dispute involved Ojiegbe Isu and Obeagu Isu communities in Onicha LGA, not Ojiegbe Isu and Eguotu communities.
The Governor who was represented during a high-level peace resolution meeting held in Abakaliki by his deputy, Princess Patricia Obila, had also expressed dismay over the escalating misunderstanding between the two brotherly villages.
Nwifuru had ordered the dissolution of the existing leadership structures and all standing committees of both Ojiegbe Isu and Eguotu villages are hereby dissolved with immediate effect, that anyone found threatening the peace of the area or undermining these government directives will face the full wrath of the law.
But in a swift reaction, a former President of Ogboji United Improvement Union, Eguotu, Mr Simeon Ogbodo faulted the statement issued by the Press Secretary to the Deputy Governor, Comrade Ugochukwu Onwe , as not the true reflection of the resolutions.
Mr Ogbodo noted that there was no land dispute or any other disagreement whatsoever between Ojiegbe-Isu and Eguotu communities.
According to Ogbodo: “for the avoidance of doubt, the directive concerning withdrawal from the disputed land was directed at the land dispute involving Ojiegbe Isu and Obeagu Isu communities in Onicha LGA, not Ojiegbe Isu and Eguotu”.
“During the meeting, it was established that Ojiegbe Isu in Onicha LGA and Eguotu in Ishielu LGA had no known land dispute between them. Consequently, there was no basis for issuing a directive requiring both communities to vacate land over a dispute that does not exist between them”
He added that it was therefore misleading to substitute Eguotu for Obeagu Isu in reporting the matter, as such an error has changed the substance of the meeting and may unnecessarily create tension between communities that do not have any known dispute between each other.
“We recognise and appreciate the efforts of the Governor of Ebonyi State, Rt. Hon. Bldr. Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, and the Deputy Governor, Princess Patricia Onyemaechi Obila, in promoting peace and resolving communal disputes across the state”.
“However, official communications concerning sensitive communal matters must accurately reflect the issues presented, the communities involved and the decisions actually taken”, the former President said
He therefore called on the appropriate authorities to correct the directives and ensure that the public record reflects the actual proceedings and directives of the meeting.
Meanwhile, the President Ojiegbe Development Association in Onicha local government area, Mr Nicholas Orogwu, accused the Commissioner for Border Peace and Conflict Resolution, Prof. Paul Nwobasi for financial bribe, double standard and deliberate attempt to cause crisis between Ojiegbe-Isu and Eguotu communities.
“This Commissioner has set up a committee. After the reports of the committee, the Commissioner said that Ojiegbe-Isu people should accept that they are tenants in the land”.
“He also said that his findings were that Ezza people are tenants in wherever they live in Ebonyi state. Remember that the Commissioner for Border Peace has not been happy with us since he demanded 5 million naira from us, of which we told him that what we can raise was One million naira, which he also charged us the sum of N20,000 as POS charges for the account number he gave to us”.
“We are not happy that the Commissioner told us that we should accept that ojiegbe people are tenants in their ancestral Land, which made us to write a petition to His Excellency the governor of Ebonyi Rt. Hon. Francis Ogbonnaya Nwifuru”.
“This was what made Prof Paul Nwobasi, Commissioner for Border Peace to start hitting us, by resurrecting a matter who has been set aside by the Executive Governor of Ebonyi state since 2024, that Ojiegbe-Isu and Eguotu are one indivisible people”.
However, all attempts to reach the Commissioner for Border Peace and Conflict Resolution, Prof. Nwobasi proved abortive.
DemocracyNewslineNewspaper October 11th, 2026
