Phil Okose with Agency report
Worried by the land dispute that erupted between Aguleri and Umuoba Anam communities in Anambra East and West council areas, Anambra state, Governor Chukwuma Soludo and a philanthropist, Chief Sir Nonso Ozoemena (Ugegbe Anam) have urged them to sheathe their swords, reject violence and embrace dialogue in resolving the lingering land dispute.
Soludo directed warring communities to immediately cease all forms of hostilities, maintain absolute peace and exercise restraint.
The dispute had led to the death of about five persons.
The governor’s directive followed recent reports of communal clashes between the two communities, which tragically resulted in the loss of lives and left several persons injured, while several buildings, including the palace of a traditional ruler, were burnt.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Soludo’s Chief Press Secretary, Christian Aburime, said the governor expressed deep sadness over the casualties and injuries sustained during the clash, reiterating that violence, bloodshed and destruction of property have no place in a peaceful and prosperous Anambra State.
Aburime said that to address the root causes of the long-standing dispute and achieve a lasting resolution, Soludo had convened an emergency peace and security meeting with key stakeholders from the affected communities to hold on Wednesday at the Light House, Awka.
According to him, all grievances, claims and presentations must be channelled exclusively through their designated stakeholders at the upcoming Awka meeting.
The statement partly read, “Following recent reports of a communal clash between Aguleri and Umuoba Anam in Anambra East Local Government Area, which tragically resulted in loss of life and injuries, the Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, has intervened decisively to restore law and order.
“Soludo expresses deep sadness over the casualties and injuries sustained during the clash, reiterating that violence, bloodletting, and destruction of property have no place in a peaceful and prosperous Anambra State.
“To address the root causes of this long-standing dispute and achieve a lasting resolution, Governor Soludo has convened an emergency peace and security meeting with key stakeholders from the affected communities to be held on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, at the Light House.
“In the interim, the Governor has issued a stern directive ordering both communities to immediately cease all forms of hostilities, maintain absolute peace, and exercise restraint.
“All grievances, claims, and presentations must be channelled exclusively through their designated stakeholders at the upcoming Awka meeting.
“Furthermore, security agencies, including the Police, have been fully deployed to the area to enforce law and order, safeguard lives, and prevent any further breach of the peace.”
Soludo reassured all citizens of Anambra State of his administration’s unwavering commitment to the protection of lives and property and the peaceful resolution of communal disputes across the state.
Similarly, former State Governor and presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, has appealed to the people of Umuoba-Anam and Aguleri in Anambra East Local Government Area of Anambra State to immediately cease hostilities and embrace peace.
Obi made the appeal in a statement posted on his official X account on Sunday, expressing concern over reports of renewed hostilities between the two communities.
Obi, who governed Anambra State between 2006 and 2013 and contested the 2023 presidential election on the Labour Party platform, has continued to comment on national and state issues since leaving office.
In his latest intervention, he urged community leaders to prioritise dialogue and reconciliation and work towards restoring peace while protecting lives and livelihoods.
The former governor said the violence would only worsen the hardship already being experienced by residents, stressing that the destruction caused by conflict would serve no useful purpose.
Obi urged the communities to pursue dialogue and reconciliation, saying no grievance was worth the loss of lives, destruction of homes and livelihoods or the suffering inflicted on families.
He said, “I am deeply pained by the reports of hostilities between the good people of Umuoba-Anam and Aguleri in Anambra East LGA of Anambra State.
“Hostilities of the kind we are witnessing between the two communities achieve nothing but destruction. At a time when people are already finding it increasingly difficult to survive, adding the devastation of conflict is like adding fuel to the fire.
“I appeal to both communities to immediately cease hostilities and embrace peace. No grievance, however serious, is worth the loss of lives, the destruction of homes and livelihoods, or the pain inflicted on families.
“Let us choose dialogue over violence, reconciliation over revenge, and peace over destruction. There is always a better way to resolve our differences. May God grant wisdom to our leaders and peace to Umuoba-Anam and Aguleri. Nigeria will be ok.”
On his part, Ozoemena, a native of Umuoba Anam, made the call in a statement on Sunday following bloody clash between the two neighbouring communities that have reportedly resulted in loss of lives and property.
He described the violence as unfortunate and unnecessary, stressing that no community could achieve meaningful development in an atmosphere of hostility and insecurity.
“Violence does not solve any problem. The only sustainable path to resolving this dispute is through dialogue, understanding and respect for the peace process,” he said.
The philsnthropist who is the founder and Executive Director of Ugegbe Foundation, also expressed concern over reports circulating on social media allegedly linking him to the conflict, particularly claims that he was among those financing what was described as the war efforts of Umuoba Anam.
Ozoemena categorically dismissed the allegations as false, describing them as deliberate attempt by what he called “fifth columnists” to damage his reputation and expose him to danger.
“It has come to my notice that my name and my residence were being erroneously roped into this violent conflict, thereby making me a target,” he said.
“That barefaced lie and smear campaign put together by fifth columnists to tarnish my hard-earned reputation has fallen flat on its face, following the swift response from the military, which carried out a search of my house and checked on me and found nothing incriminating.”
He said the incident had further reinforced the need for responsible communication, particularly at a time when tensions remained high in the area.
Ozoemena further insisted that he remained a peace-loving individual and would continue to support every genuine effort aimed at sustaining peaceful coexistence between Aguleri and Umuoba Anam.
According to him, his commitment to peace should not be misconstrued because of his origin or relationship with members of either community.
“I remain a peace-loving person and I am committed to the sustenance of peace in this area. I will continue to support every legitimate effort to ensure that our people live together peacefully,” he said.
He also appealed to those allegedly fuelling the crisis to desist from actions capable of worsening the situation.
“I therefore wish to seize this opportunity to appeal to those fanning the embers of hatred and fueling this crisis to step back. This is not the time to deepen divisions or encourage young people to take up arms against one another,” he said.
Ozoemena maintained that Umuoba Anam had historically valued peaceful coexistence with its neighbours and had made significant sacrifices in pursuit of peace.
“Umuoba Anam, where I hail from, is a peace-loving community. We have demonstrated at every moment that we cherish continuous peaceful coexistence with our neighbours above everything else, ” he stated.
The fast rising political leader particularly appealed to youths on both sides of the divide to resist being used to perpetrate violence, urging them instead to channel their energy into productive ventures and grassroots development.
He said the future of both communities depended largely on the ability of their younger generations to reject violence and embrace initiatives that would improve education, employment, infrastructure and economic opportunities.
“Our youths must understand that violence will only destroy the future they are expected to build. They should reject every attempt to use them as instruments of destruction and focus their energy on grassroots development,” he said.
He urged community leaders, parents, youth organisations and other stakeholders to intensify efforts toward reconciliation, while calling for peaceful mechanisms to address outstanding grievances over the disputed land.
The philanthropist further appealed to both communities to avoid inflammatory statements and actions that could trigger further confrontation, stressing that lives once lost could not be recovered and destroyed property could not easily be replaced.
He called on the relevant authorities and community leaders to create an environment where all parties could return to the negotiating table and pursue a lasting resolution to the dispute.
“Let us give peace a chance. Our people deserve to live, work and raise their families without fear. The greatest victory for Aguleri Umuoba Anam will not be over who defeats the other, but over how we build communities where our children can prosper,” he added.
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