By Izunna Okafor, Awka
Enugwu-Agidi community in Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra State, over the weekend, erupted into turmoil as angry residents and village representatives staged a mass protest against their President-General, Hon. Chukwuebuka Onuorah, accusing him of land grabbing, high-handedness, intimidation, general abuse of office, and gross violation of the community’s constitution.
The protesters, comprising both men and women who carried placards with inscriptions such as “Ebuka Onuorah Must Go,” “Soludo Save Us From PG’s Oppression,” and “Stop Land Grabbing in Enugwu-Agidi,” “Vote of No Confidence on PG Ebuka Onuorah,”, “Governor Soludo Save Us from Ebuka Onuorah,” “Ebuka Onuorah Uses Police to Intimidate Us”, among other inscriptions, demanded the immediate removal of the PG and called on Governor Chukwuma Soludo-led Anambra State Government, the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) and other relevant authorities to probe his activities, including his source of wealth and mass sale of community lands.
Among the protesters was an elderly villager, Chief Sampson Anaso, who alleged that the PG had personally dispossessed him of his farmland in 2018 and even built a house there.
“The PG chased me out of my land in 2018 and built his house there, and that is where he is living now. Three plots of land. No compensation, no negotiation, nothing nothing, just forcefully, with the backup of his security and thugs. He built his house there, and that is where he lives till today,” the old man lamented, recounting the several failed efforts he has made to recover his land all to no avail.
“I have made several attempts, written several petitions to authorities, but still no success till date. I am calling on the government, to help me retrieve my land from Ebuka Onuorah,” he appealed.
Earlier speaking, another protester, Mr. Vincent Onyekwelu, a titled High Chief Ikolo Ka Ikolo Enugwu-Agidi, elaborated on the extensive grievances against the PG, describing him as a dictator who has abandoned the Town Union Constitution. Chief Onyekwelu accused Ebuka Onuorah of overriding the community’s established governance, forcing out duly elected village leaders, and installing parallel leadership groups in Normu, Iruobieli, and Achalla. According to him, these actions are backed by armed thugs and security personnel, with video evidence to substantiate the claims, yet previous appeals to the Commissioner of Local Government, Community and Chieftaincy Affairs and the Njikoka Local Government Chairman have yielded no response.
Chief Onyekwelu further alleged that the PG, in collaboration with former local government chairman Clem Aguiyi, had manipulated local leadership structures, including attempting to remove the Onowu of Enugwu-Agidi, Ozo Osita Anameze, and had engaged in the mass sale of ancestral lands for political and personal gain.
“All our ancestral lands, Ebuka sells them for political favour. He drives exotic SUVs. I’m asking the EFCC, Anambra Government, to probe Ebuka’s financial wealth,” he stated, calling for immediate investigations into the source of the PG’s wealth and the legality of his actions.
The Chief also highlighted the intimidation of villagers during funerals, meetings, and other community events, noting that even recently, Ebuka disrupted a burial in Aguevi by bringing a parallel leadership group and causing chaos. Chief Onyekwelu insisted that the protesters are not politically motivated but are unified in their demand for justice, the protection of community lands, and the removal of Ebuka Onuorah from office. He stressed that their appeal is directed at both the state and federal governments to ensure fair governance, respect for the constitution, and the cessation of human rights abuses in Enugwu-Agidi.
Speaking on behalf of the women of Etiti Village, Hon. Grace Aghauche, the village chairlady, condemned the PG’s recent intrusion into their affairs, accusing him of forcibly attempting to conduct an election for the women’s union in June, despite their constitutionally scheduled elections in December and her still-active tenure. She explained that Ebuka Onuorah, backed by thugs, masquerades, and security personnel, invaded homes, seized women’s band instruments, and created divisions among them. She further alleged that even during recent burials, his thugs attacked and intimidated the women. Hon. Aghauche called on the government to intervene, asserting that the community passes a vote of no confidence in Ebuka, demanding his immediate removal, and declaring they do not want him in leadership again.
In their separate remarks, Chief Nathan Ibegbunam Okoye, National Chairman of Etiti Village, alongside Mr. Peter Onuekwusi of Iruobieli Village, described the community as being in “bondage” under Ebuka Onuorah, alleging that he has monopolized land, forced residents off their properties, and sold plots to multiple parties. They accused him of instigating conflicts, creating parallel administrations in various villages, and disrupting communal events, including burial ceremonies, through his thugs. The two leaders stressed that the community no longer feels safe to farm or manage their lands freely, and they called on the government to remove Onuorah, probe his activities, and restore justice to Enugwu-Agidi.
With specific instances, a concerned stakeholder of the community and bona fide member of the Enugwu-Agidi Brotherly Union (E.B.U.), Mr. Johnbosco Nkem Ementa, recounted how residents of the community have endured years of intimidation, harassment, and human rights abuses under the leadership of PG Ebuka Onuorah. He emphasized that for over three years, residents have been unable to farm or live freely, as Onuorah and his thugs have consistently chased them away from both personal and communal lands, creating food insecurity, worsening economic hardship, and fueling crime.
Ementa explained that Onuorah has illegally sold lands belonging to several villages, including Ifite, Achalla, Iruobieli, and Igbollo, often selling the same plots to multiple people, while sacking lawful owners and building on their properties. He described how Onuorah has created parallel village administrations, disrupted village leadership, and interfered in burial ceremonies, deploying thugs, masquerades, and security officials to intimidate community members.
According to him, despite the existence of signed memoranda of understanding (MOUs) and resolutions with prominent penalties like Chief Emeka Offor and Chief Arthur Eze, who intervened to broker peace in Enugwu-Agidi, Onuorah has repeatedly ignored them and returned to committing similar offenses, obstructing justice, shielding criminals, and even boasting that his wealth and influential contacts prevent authorities from stopping him.
Ementa further highlighted that Onuorah has also continued to abuse his authority as PG and now the Chief Security Officer of the community, by obstructing arrests, directing thugs to break village halls, and authorizing bulldozers to destroy farmlands without proper verification from village chairmen or kindred leaders. He stressed that Onuorah’s protection of criminals and armed youths has emboldened lawlessness, as he reportedly releases culprits who have been apprehended in the community, who also confessed that he was sent by him, thereby reinforcing fear among residents.
All these and many more discomforts, Ementa noted, made the community to sacrifice their personal work and market activities to participate in the peaceful protest, demonstrating their commitment to peace, unity, and lawful conduct. He said ahead of the protest, that the PG had boastfully threatened that he would “deal with” him and his brother. He joined voice to appeal to the Anambra State Government, led by Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, to restore sanity in Enugwu-Agidi by calling Onuorah to order, ensuring he faces the full weight of the law, and peacefully removing him from office. He insisted that the community remains peaceful, law-abiding, and committed to justice, emphasizing that their protest is a collective plea for the protection of human rights, the restoration of security, and the ability for residents to farm, live, and thrive without fear, intimidation, or illegal exploitation of their lands.
When approached in his palace by newsmen for his reactions and stand on the protest, the Traditional Ruler of Enugwu-Agidi, H.R.H. Igwe Michael Chidozie Okekeuche (Okpalariam III), expressed serious concern over the ongoing protest, emphasizing that Enugwu-Agidi has been thrown into unrest due to allegations of rampant land grabbing, abuse of power, disruption of sacred burial and funeral rites, and the imposition of parallel leadership structures allegedly fueled by the Enugwu-Agidi Brotherly Union (E.B.U) Nigeria.
Flanked by that Onowu Enugwu-Agidi and other members of the Igwe-in-Council, Igwe Okekeuche, who spoke through his Palace Secretary, Ichie Ifeanyi Ndulue, recognized the right of every individual to raise their voice in peaceful protest, urging residents to restrain themselves from violence, noting that Enugwu-Agidi was built on dialogue, respect, and brotherhood. The palace affirmed that it is actively engaging all concerned parties, including elders, youth, women leaders, and spiritual fathers, to chart a lasting path toward reconciliation, justice, and peace, while calling on the Anambra State Government and security agencies to protect lives, investigate the root causes of the unrest, and ensure fairness without fear or favour.
Fielding questions from newsmen, the Palace Secretary reiterated that the Igwe-in-Council is not leading the protests but is concerned about the grievances and the growing fear and discomforts among residents. He explained that over the years, several reports have been submitted to the palace documenting unlawful seizure of lands, extortion, imposition of levies without due process, intimidation, and other criminal activities. According to him, peace meetings had been convened, MOUs signed, and dialogue attempted with PG Ebuka Onuorah and other parties, but these efforts have repeatedly failed, as Onuorah allegedly continues perpetrating illegal activities, including mobilizing youths, obstructing law enforcement, and supporting thugs to intimidate community members. The Palace Secretary noted that Onuorah is reportedly living in affluence without documented employment, raising questions about the source of his wealth, and that he uses money and connections to influence youth and manipulate local governance structures, further escalating insecurity in Enugwu-Agidi.
His Royal Highness, through the Secretary, also highlighted that the traditional system has strict constitutional provisions for community governance, including Annual General Conferences, Central Executive Committee meetings, and village-level representation, all of which have been undermined by Onuorah’s actions, such as holding unauthorized elections out of schedule and creating parallel village governments. The Secretary emphasized that loyal delegates and villagers are often barred from participation in the meeting, especially those not aligned with the PG, leading to confusion, disunity, and disenfranchisement of rightful community members. The palace stressed that while the Igwe respects the rule of law and the will of the people, the continued disregard for constitutional processes, harassment of residents, and subversion of lawful institutions have made intervention necessary; and consequently called on the state government to ensure that justice prevails and peace is restored in Enugwu-Agidi.
On his own part, when the newsmen contacted him for his response and clarifications and reactions to the allegations made against him, the PG, invited them to come over to the Enugwu-Agidi Secretariat, where the September 2025 annual Central Executive Council (CEC) meeting of Enugwu-Agidi Brotherly Union (E.B.U.) Nigeria was scheduled to take place that day, where a heavy presence of armed security, including the police, army, Udo Ga-Achị operatives, hefty bouncers and many exuberant boys was seen at the entrance gate and surroundings.
It was also observed there that many persons, including well-dressed personalities and titled chiefs were denied entrance into the venue, with agitations, arguments and counter reactions oozing out from different angles, making the place noisy, energetic and somewhat disorderly. However, upon securing approval from the PG through phone call, the ‘men at the gate’ allowed the newsmen to pass, while they continued their things.
Upon getting into the hall, it was observed that the traditional ruler, H.R.H. Igwe Okekeuche, who was speaking at the moment, expressed his dissatisfaction that many delegates, including some village Chairmen and Branch Chairmen who were supposed to be part of the meeting were denied entrance at the gate on the directive of the PG, Onuorah, over alleged allegations of their non-alignment with him. While insisting that he would not declare the meeting open (which is his constitutional mandate) without the supposed participants and delegates being allowed to come, the angered monarch eventually walked out of the meeting and left without declaring it open.
Speaking to newsmen shortly after that, the embattled community PG, Ebuka Onuorah, claimed that the protest was the people’s ploy to disrupt the meeting. He also denied all the allegations leveled against him, including those of land grabbing and illegal land sales.
“All those allegations are lies. I am not a land grabber, I don’t belong to the Land Committee, they should channel their grievances to the land Committee,” he stated, while declining to comment further.
While these were going on inside the Secretariat, it was gathered that some suspected thugs at the gate had allegedly attacked and brutalized some of the delegates and community leaders who came for the meeting as they were constitutionally entitled to, but were denied entrance at the gate.
Recounting their ordeal, some of the victims said their attackers proudly and boldly told them that they were instructed to do so by the PG, and that their names were in the list of persons they were told to beat.
Speaking to journalists with visible injuries, torn clothes and a swollen eye, one of the victims, Chief Obiorah Anwuta, who is the Home Branch Chairman of Iruobieli Village Enugwu-Agidi, recounted how he was brutally attacked on arrival at the gate for the CEC meeting. He said he left his base in Abuja to attend the meeting, arriving at the Secretariat about 15 minutes to 10 a.m., only to be mobbed by four young men at the gate in the full glare of security agencies. According to him, police officers and vigilante operatives present stood idly by and watched as the attackers pounced on him, tore his clothes, and beat him mercilessly.
He said in the course of the assault, he lost his wristwatch and N100,000 cash, though he managed to secure his phone. He also said that during the attack, he held one of the assailants briefly before the man escaped. Anwuta revealed that his attackers were among the many youths stationed at the venue from different villages, and that the security personnel did not intervene despite his approaching them later to seek necessary action. He further revealed that one of PG Ebuka Onuorah’s aides, identified as Michael, openly told him that they were acting on the PG’s instructions and that his name was on a list of persons marked to be beaten that day.
Chief Anwuta explained that even after the mob action, security men at the gate still refused him entry into the meeting on account of his torn clothes, telling him he wouldn’t be allowed to go into their with torn clothes. He said even after someone from his village brought him a new polo shirt to wear, he was still denied entrance on the PG’s orders. He stated that as the authentic Home Branch Chairman of Iruobieli Village, he was constitutionally entitled to attend the meeting with his delegate, but was not only prevented from doing so but also assaulted and humiliated. He stressed that he has no personal issue with the PG but is aware of Onuorah’s notoriety as a land grabber and an intimidator of dissenting voices, and accused him of trying to exclude legitimate delegates from the meeting to protect his interests. Chief Anwuta lamented that his village was left unrepresented at the meeting and disassociated himself from any resolutions taken there. He also disclosed his plans to report the assault to the police station and seek medical attention, adding that he was informed more names, including Emeka Ementa and Johnbosco Ementa, were on the PG’s list of people to be beaten next.
Another victim, eyewitness and major stakeholder in community, Comrade Emeka Ementa, who is the Awka Branch Chairman of Enugwu-Agidi Brotherly Union, affirmed that he and other statutory delegates, branch and village chairmen and secretaries, were deliberately prevented from entering the Secretariat by thugs allegedly hired on the instruction of the PG. He said he personally witnessed the violent ejection of colleagues, including Iruobieli branch chairmen, adding that he also heard about the said premeditated list of persons to be assaulted which included his name. He said, similarly, delegates from Etiti, Normu and Achalla villages were barred from participation because they were not among those the PG had “cleared” to enter.
Comrade Ementa accused the PG of operating outside the Union’s constitution and of using brute force and patronage to impose a parallel leadership, describing him as lawless and motivated by personal gain from illegal land sales. He said the excluded delegates came to the CEC meeting to discuss the community’s future but were forced to seek safety outside the gate. He declared plainly that he and his branch would not recognise or abide by any decisions reached at a meeting that deliberately disenfranchised legitimate representatives, which, though, the Igwe eventually did not declare open before walking out.
“Ebuka Onuorah should be called to order,” Ementa concluded.
More photos from the events:
