Three family members killed over land dispute

The three family members

THREE members of a family in Amechi community, Awkunanaw Local Government Area of Enugu State have lost their lives over a land dispute.

The victims were identified as Nnaemeka Agbo (alias Echidime), Sunday Nnamani, and Nnamani Ikpa.

The disputed land lies directly opposite government-owned Millennium Estate, which is still under construction along the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway.

It was gathered that a yet-to-be identified gunman shot and killed the young men on May 1, 2015 while they were on the said land.

Our correspondent learnt that the three men were part of a 15-man delegation sent by a faction of those laying claim to ownership of the land to undertake an on-the-spot inspection of the land and report back to the larger family.

It was also learnt that the two factions locked in the bloody dispute were from the same kindred – the Umuaniebo clan of Isiagu, Amechi, Uwani in Enugu South Local Government Area of the state.

The traditional ruler of the town, Igwe Joseph Aniebonam Ogbodo, had to cut short his overseas trip as a result of the development.

According to a source in the community, who did not wish to be named, the three families of the Umuaniebo clan, namely Umunwakum, Umunogo and Umunengene, jointly owned the disputed land and several others in various parts of the Enugu Capital Territory area, especially Achara and Independence layouts, and Awkunanaw.

The source said the Umunengenes suddenly turned round to claim exclusive ownership of the piece of land on which the fatal shootings took place.

The development pitted the Umunengenes against the two other families – the Umunwakums and Umunogos.

Throwing more light on the matter, a community leader, Chief Oliver Agbo, said events leading up to the killings were triggered when “certain elements on the other side began to clear the vast land in dispute, using caterpillars and bulldozers”.

“They claimed that they wanted to build an exclusive estate and may even have collected money from people as we learnt.

“We reported the development to our son and Mayor of Enugu South Local Government Area, Hon. Victor Agbo, whom we gathered promptly briefed the police authorities, upon which a stay-clear order was issued to all parties,” he added.

He further explained that on the day the men were shot and killed, the deceased were part of a larger team mandated by the Umunwakum and Umunogo families to visit the site to ascertain the level of compliance with the police directive.

“Three healthy young men were killed instantly as gunshots rang out from all directions; so many more escaped with varying degrees of bullet wounds, while others were butchered with machetes and axes”, Agbo recounted.

He, however, urged the police to identify and arrest those who engaged in the killings, which he described as genocide.

“It is insensitive, the height of recklessness and impunity for people to pick up arms against unarmed opponents in a civil contest.

“We do not want to take the laws into our own hands and then begin to decimate ourselves further; let the police help us by identifying and arresting specific culprits involved and then hold them to account,” he added.