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By Okey Maduforo, Awka
A fragile peace brokered by Anambra State Deputy Governor Dr. Onyekachukwu Ibezim and Commissioner of Police Nnanna Oji Ama collapsed within hours on Friday, as renewed fighting between Aguleri and Umuoba Anam communities in Anambra East Local Government Area pushed the death toll higher and triggered an attempted arson attack on a monarch’s palace.
A Deepening Crisis
Early Friday, one person was confirmed dead and several others sustained injuries of varying severity in the clash. By Friday evening, unconfirmed reports suggested two additional deaths, though this had not been officially verified as of this report. Security operatives also reportedly averted an attack on the palace of the Aguleri monarch, Igwe Idigo, amid heightened tensions following an alleged arson incident in the area.
The Root of the Dispute
The conflict traces back to a decades-old land arrangement in which Amaeze Aguleri reportedly gave a portion of its land to Umuoba Anam on trust; ownership of that land has since become a persistent source of disagreement between the two communities. Anambra Police spokesperson SP Tochukwu Ikenga had earlier appealed directly to residents, stressing that the dispute involves specific villages within the two communities — not the entirety of Anam and Aguleri — and warning that anyone attempting to frame it as a broader intercommunal war would be acting against the interests of both sides.
Government and Police Response
Friday’s violence followed an on-the-spot assessment led by CP Nnanna Oji Ama alongside Deputy Governor Ibezim, military personnel and other top government officials. In a statement issued through SP Ikenga, the Anambra State Police Command said it “strongly condemns the resort to violence, destruction of property and other acts capable of undermining the prevailing peace and security in the affected communities.”
CP Oji Ama commended community leaders, government officials, security stakeholders and residents who had continued to abide by the earlier peace agreement, and reiterated that peaceful dispute resolution remains the most responsible path toward sustainable peace. He urged all parties to exercise restraint and allow ongoing engagement and lawful processes to address the underlying grievances.
The Command said it has deployed strategic security measures across the affected areas and begun efforts to identify and apprehend individuals suspected of violating the peace agreement or participating in the arson and other criminal acts. CP Oji Ama warned that no individual or group would be permitted to take the law into their own hands, stressing that anyone found culpable after investigation would face the full weight of the law.
Call for Community Cooperation
The Command has called on traditional rulers, town union leaders, youth leaders, women’s groups and other stakeholders in both communities to continue working with police and other security agencies to sustain calm and prevent further escalation. It reassured residents of its commitment to protecting lives and property, saying it will continue to rely on dialogue, intelligence-led policing and lawful enforcement to restore and sustain peace. Members of the public have also been urged to promptly report credible information on individuals or groups planning to disrupt the peace through appropriate security channels.
Background: A Long-Running Flashpoint
This is not the first time tensions between the two communities have required government intervention. Deputy Governor Ibezim, who chairs the state’s Boundary Adjustment Committee, has previously mediated the Umuoba Anam–Eziagulu-Otu Aguleri boundary dispute directly, while federal lawmakers representing the area, including Senator Tony Nwoye, have separately appealed for peace amid earlier rounds of unrest in the same Omambala axis.
247ureports.com will update this story as the death toll and security situation are further confirmed by authorities.
