By Okey Maduforo Awka.
One person have been confirmed dead and scores of villagers injured in a fresh Communal land dispute between Aguleri and Umuoba Anam in Anambra East local government area of Anambra state.
Unconfirmed reports have it that the Micro Finance Bank at Aguleri was raised during the clash though the Anambra Police Public Relations Officer SP Tochukwu Ikenga dismissed the report .
The recent communal clash is a re visiting of the 1999 land dispute which led to the intervention of the then regime of President Olusegun Obasanjo as it where.
Reports had it that the Amaze – Aguleri village had given part of it’s land to the Umuoba Anam Community on trust many decades ago and it was gathered that the community allegedly began to lay claim to the ownership of the said land .
According to the state Police Command one person has been confirmed dead while several scores of people have sustained various degrees of injury.
The Command further stated that officers and men have already been deployed to maintain peace ,law and order in the area.
To this end the former member that represented Anambra East and West Federal Constituency Chief and candidate of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA )in the 2027 general election Chief Chinedu Obidigwe has already intervened in the communal clash and has commenced dialogue with the leadership of the two waring Communities.
According to a statement from his office , Obidigwe decried the latest clash noting that war is an I’ll wind that blows no one any good .
“My brothers and sisters, I am deeply concerned and saddened by the disturbing developments arising from the dispute between Amaeze Aguleri and Umuoba Anam, including alleged reports of casualties. My heart goes out to every family and individual affected’
“I passionately appeal to our people on both sides to remain calm and resist further violence. This matter must be brought to the roundtable and resolved peacefully with immediate effect. It must not be allowed to escalate”
“Amaeze Aguleri and Umuoba Anam are neighbours, brothers and communities bound by history and common interests. This particular dispute is between two villages—one in Anam and one in Aguleri. It must never be allowed to become a conflict between the entire Anam and Aguleri communities”
He noted that “whenever a disagreement arises between two individuals, kindreds or villages, our collective duty is to seek immediate peaceful resolution—not to escalate it into a wider communal confrontation”
He warned that anyone who escalates this dispute from either Aguleri or Anam or portrays it as a war between the entire Anam and Aguleri communities is acting against the peace, unity, and interests of our communities adding that one who has something to lose ever chooses violence as an alternative.
“I therefore urge the leaders, elders, stakeholders of our communities, and relevant authorities to intervene urgently, engage both sides in sincere dialogue, and pursue peaceful resolution towards restoring lasting peace”
“For the sake of our mothers, our children and generations, yet unborn, let dialogue prevail over violence, reconciliation over retaliation, and peace over conflict”. ; he said.
