By Prince (Dr.) Chinedu Ikeanyi
Enugwu-Agidi is under siege by Nigeria military men brought into our town by one Marc Benito Ozigbo, a native of Enugwu Ukwu and the proprietor of Green Gardens Limited. Ozigbo is using a team of uniformed, armed military men to intimidate the indigenes of Enugwu-Agidi. He has destroyed our farm lands, economic trees, and deprived our people access to farm their ancestral lands.
Specifically, Green Gardens Limited, a company allegedly owned by Marc Benito Ozigbo, grabbed over 150 plots of Enugwu-Agidi lands located at Ezionugo neighborhood which is close to the boundary of Enugwu-Agidi and Nawgu town. Ozigbo has stationed a team of Nigeria Military men on the lands to maintain a round-the-clock watch. If those lands were rightfully and legally purchased from the community, why would Ozigbo station armed military men on the lands?
We appeal to Governor Soludo to investigate and intervene in this looming crisis before the community resorts to self-help which could lead to a complete breakdown of law and order.
In spite of the directive given by President Tinubu for the Miliary to engage the Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists at Sambisa Forest, why would a private citizen, Ozigbo, be allowed to deploy a team of Nigerian Military personnel to Enugwu-Agidi, a small town of a few hundreds of thousand people, to harass indigenes and deprive widows access to their ancestral farmlands?
Militarization of any communal lands is a clear indication of illegal acquisition and high-handedness. As per the Nigerian Constitution, the Military does not have any role in land dispute or adjudication. Military men should report for duty at the Sambisa Forests, not at Enugwu-Agidi ancestral farmlands.
Approximately two years ago, Ozigbo, working in collaboration with some notorious land grabbers and village hoodlums invaded Enugwu-Agidi farmlands, hijacked over 150 plots of land, and claimed to be building an estate for the Nigeria Air Force (NAF). A signboard with an inscription, ”Military Zone Keep Off” has been erected in front of the lands. The investigation conducted by the leadership of Enugwu-Agidi community revealed that no branch of the Military has contacted them with any information about any military project in our town. This has led the community to assume that someone is using the good name of the Nigerian Military in vain to grab Enugwu-Agidi lands.
This unfortunate development started a few years ago when the menace of Boko Haram and ISWAP in northern Nigeria caused many Enugwu-Agidi indigenes, mostly the youths, to relocate back home from far north where they were engaged in timber business. Upon return, many of these youths were unwilling to re-train themselves and consequently constituted themselves into a gang of land grabbers. They began to sell communal lands which attracted shady businesses like Green Garden Limited to grab prime real estate in Enugwu-Agidi, which is a part of Awka Capital Territory of Anambra State.
The land grabbing problem was exacerbated with the election of Chukwuebuka David Onuorah in 2022 as the President-General of Enugwu-Agidi Brotherly Union (EBU) Nigeria, the umbrella town union that governs Enugwu-Agidi indigenes. Onuorah, imposed on the town by the APGA government, worsened the land crisis in Enugwu-Agidi because he does not have any legitimate means of livelihood. Consequently, he facilitated and enabled land grabbing as a major participant in the operation.
Inquiries from the Nigerian Army 82 Division Enugu and Onitsha Military Cantonment (302 Artillery Regiment) did not reveal any association between the Nigerian Military and the illegal estate in Enugwu-Agidi. So, who is using the good name of the Nigerian Military in vain? Are the military men at Ezionogu, Enugwu-Agidi on illegal duty?
Additionally, other land grabbers have camped at Oviautonwafo Enugwu-Agidi and currently destroying farmlands and scaring indigenes away from their farmlands. As the farming season approaches, the indigenes of Enugwu-Agidi are facing persistent threats and harassment from land grabbers. Once again, we are appealing for an urgent intervention by Governor Soludo to investigate the on-going destruction of Enugwu-Agidi farms by land grabbers who are being aided by the Nigerian Military.
On December 29, 2025, Enugwu-Agidi elected a new town union executive under the leadership of Chief Pius Nwankwo, an effective leader, who is tackling the menace of pervasive land grabbing in the town. Chief Nwankwo’s administration needs lots of support to fend off the activities of the land grabbers who have militarized our forests with armed soldiers from the Nigerian Military.
On assumption of office on December 29th, 2025, Chief Pius Nwankwo’s administration in their effort to control the land grabbing activities in Enugwu-Agidi banned the entrance of caterpillars, bulldozers, and/or any earth-moving equipment into Enugwu-Agidi lands without clearance from the administration. However, Marc Benito Ozigbo and his military men have violated this order and have continued to illegally clear the ancestral lands of Enugwu-Agidi people. This is why the Government of Anambra State must endeavor to step in to stop this illegal encroachment.
We humbly call on Governor Soludo to intervene in this matter and investigate the deployment of Nigerian Military to communal lands by a private citizen, Chief Marc Benito Ozigbo. Time is of the essence. The law-abiding citizens of Enugwu-Agidi are running out of patience and may soon resort to self-help which will lead to a complete breakdown of law and order.
Ozo Nwawelugo
See more photos and videos from the scene:
 Chinedu Ikeanyi Enugwu-Agidi is under siege by Nigeria military men brought into our town by one Marc Benito Ozigbo, a native of Enugwu Ukwu and the proprietor of Green Gardens Limited. Ozigbo is using a team of uniformed, armed military men to intimidate the indigenes of Enugwu-Agidi. He has destroyed our farm lands, economic trees, and deprived our people access to farm their ancestral lands. Specifically, Green Gardens Limited, a company allegedly owned by Marc Benito Ozigbo, grabbed over 150 plots of Enugwu-Agidi lands located at Ezionugo neighborhood which is close to the boundary of Enugwu-Agidi and Nawgu town. Ozigbo has stationed a team of Nigeria Military men on the lands to maintain a round-the-clock watch. If those lands were rightfully and legally purchased from the community, why would Ozigbo station armed military men on the lands? We appeal to Governor Soludo to investigate and intervene in this looming crisis before the community resorts to self-help which could lead to a complete breakdown of law and order. In spite of the directive given by President Tinubu for the Miliary to engage the Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists at Sambisa Forest, why would a private citizen, Ozigbo, be allowed to deploy a team of Nigerian Military personnel to Enugwu-Agidi, a small town of a few hundreds of thousand people, to harass indigenes and deprive widows access to their ancestral farmlands? Militarization of any communal lands is a clear indication of illegal acquisition and high-handedness. As per the Nigerian Constitution, the Military does not have any role in land dispute or adjudication. Military men should report for duty at the Sambisa Forests, not at Enugwu-Agidi ancestral farmlands. Approximately two years ago, Ozigbo, working in collaboration with some notorious land grabbers and village hoodlums invaded Enugwu-Agidi farmlands, hijacked over 150 plots of land, and claimed to be building an estate for the Nigeria Air Force (NAF). A signboard with an inscription, ”Military Zone Keep Off” has been erected in front of the lands. The investigation conducted by the leadership of Enugwu-Agidi community revealed that no branch of the Military has contacted them with any information about any military project in our town. This has led the community to assume that someone is using the good name of the Nigerian Military in vain to grab Enugwu-Agidi lands. This unfortunate development started a few years ago when the menace of Boko Haram and ISWAP in northern Nigeria caused many Enugwu-Agidi indigenes, mostly the youths, to relocate back home from far north where they were engaged in timber business. Upon return, many of these youths were unwilling to re-train themselves and consequently constituted themselves into a gang of land grabbers. They began to sell communal lands which attracted shady businesses like Green Garden Limited to grab prime real estate in Enugwu-Agidi, which is a part of Awka Capital Territory of Anambra State. The land grabbing problem was exacerbated with the election of Chukwuebuka David Onuorah in 2022 as the President-General of Enugwu-Agidi Brotherly Union (EBU) Nigeria, the umbrella town union that governs Enugwu-Agidi indigenes. Onuorah, imposed on the town by the APGA government, worsened the land crisis in Enugwu-Agidi because he does not have any legitimate means of livelihood. Consequently, he facilitated and enabled land grabbing as a major participant in the operation. Inquiries from the Nigerian Army 82 Division Enugu and Onitsha Military Cantonment (302 Artillery Regiment) did not reveal any association between the Nigerian Military and the illegal estate in Enugwu-Agidi. So, who is using the good name of the Nigerian Military in vain? Are the military men at Ezionogu, Enugwu-Agidi on illegal duty? Additionally, other land grabbers have camped at Oviautonwafo Enugwu-Agidi and currently destroying farmlands and scaring indigenes away from their farmlands. As the farming season approaches, the indigenes of Enugwu-Agidi are facing persistent threats and harassment from land grabbers. Once again, we are appealing for an urgent intervention by Governor Soludo to investigate the on-going destruction of Enugwu-Agidi farms by land grabbers who are being aided by the Nigerian Military. On December 29, 2025, Enugwu-Agidi elected a new town union executive under the leadership of Chief Pius Nwankwo, an effective leader, who is tackling the menace of pervasive land grabbing in the town. Chief Nwankwo’s administration needs lots of support to fend off the activities of the land grabbers who have militarized our forests with armed soldiers from the Nigerian Military. On assumption of office on December 29th, 2025, Chief Pius Nwankwo’s administration in their effort to control the land grabbing activities in Enugwu-Agidi banned the entrance of caterpillars, bulldozers, and/or any earth-moving equipment into Enugwu-Agidi lands without clearance from the administration. However, Marc Benito Ozigbo and his military men have violated this order and have continued to illegally clear the ancestral lands of Enugwu-Agidi people. This is why the Government of Anambra State must endeavor to step in to stop this illegal encroachment. We humbly call on Governor Soludo to intervene in this matter and investigate the deployment of Nigerian Military to communal lands by a private citizen, Chief Marc Benito Ozigbo. Time is of the essence. The law-abiding citizens of Enugwu-Agidi are running out of patience and may soon resort to self-help which will lead to a complete breakdown of law and order. Ozo Nwawelugo){kind=link}