The people of Obeagu Awkunanaw community in Enugu South Local Government Area have expressed profound gratitude to the Speaker and members of the Enugu State House of Assembly for their recent verdict on the contentious land dispute involving their ancestral land.
In an open letter of appreciation, the community praised the House’s Special Committee on Land Matters for their findings and recommendations, which were adopted on December 19, 2024.
The report addressed a petition titled “Save us from intimidation, harassment, malicious demolition of our buildings by the Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority (ECTDA) and others to forcefully take over our ancestral land despite pending suits in court.”
The community described the verdict which confirmed that the said land was not properly acquired by Private Estates International West Africa Ltd (PEIWA) as an “epochal” moment that restored their hope for justice.
They recounted the ordeals they endured at the hands of alleged land grabbers who, backed by “huge, unmatchable financial muscle,” intimidated and harassed them.
“Many of us were maliciously arrested, hurriedly arraigned in various courts, and remanded in prison custody just to scare us away. Yet we were not wearied or deterred. Our resilience and doggedness soared as we continued our protracted quest for justice,” they said.
Quoting Shakespeare, the community stated, “Now that ‘a Daniel has come to judgment,’ our joy knows no bound, and we are eternally grateful to this august House for these remarkably restorative and heart-warming proclamations.”
The letter also commended Governor Peter Mbah for his commitment to ending land-grabbing activities and protecting vulnerable communities.
“We can confidently say that if not for the unbridled sympathy shown to the cause of victimized communities, this landmark victory could not have been achieved,” the community noted.
However, they expressed concern over ongoing provocations despite the Assembly’s resolution. They alleged that on Christmas Eve, individuals linked to the land dispute mobilized a fresh round of demolitions, destroying a fence within their community.
“We woke up on Wednesday, 25th December, 2025, to see the mindless, atrocious, and cowardly destruction of a long stretch of a fence.
“If not for the prompt intervention of some of us who alerted and invited law enforcement agents to the scene, who knows what would have happened in reaction?”, the community alleged.
They said that, “In spite of the above stated blot, we must not hesitate to thank our indefatigable and irrepressible development partner, as well as our legal teams in Enugu and Abuja, for their invaluable directions, advice, and titanic support through which we withstood and navigated even the worst turbulence of the struggle.
“We can only add that it is not yet ‘Uhuru’, and we urge you all to remain vigilant and never to sit on your oars yet, as it is now obvious that the enemy is still lurking around, and may be more ferocious this time just to render this unimpeachable report otiose.”
Finally, the community saluted the courage and unity of their people throughout the ordeal.
“We wish to thank our people of Obeagu for their unflinching and implicit confidence in us, you were remarkably inspirational even when the task seemed elusive or forlorn, and notwithstanding the intimidation, victimization, brutalization, malicious prosecution, bloodshed and murder, you firmly stood by us.
They called for peace and genuine development in Obeagu Awkunanaw and the entire state, praying for continued blessings on the Enugu State House of Assembly, Governor Peter Mbah, and their community.
