Fresh tension is brewing in Enugu South Local Government Area as the people of Obeagu Awkunanaw Community have raised alarm over alleged plans to forcefully take over their ancestral land and renewed markings on their buildings by officials said to be from the Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority (ECTDA).
In separate petitions to Governor Peter Mbah, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), and the Chairman of ECTDA, the community alleged a “renewed plot” to unleash mayhem and resume demolitions reminiscent of what they described as “the massive destruction and misery” of January 2024.
The petitions were jointly signed by Hon. Mike Ogbonna, President General; Reuben N. Okafor, Secretary General; and Chief Christian Egbo, Traditional Prime Minister of Obeagu Community.
In a strongly worded protest letter dated October 6, 2025, and addressed to the ECTDA Chairman, the community expressed shock over what they called “a worrisome development” involving unidentified persons who claimed to be officials from the authority and allegedly marked several structures in the area for removal.
“We were shocked, to say the least, when we observed a handful of persons who, without proper identification but upon our prodding later identified themselves as officials from your office, were sent to mark some of our structures for removal,” the community wrote.
“While we hope this is not a prelude to another round of demolition akin to the massive destruction and misery caused us by the very act of last year (2024), we still tenaciously hold the view that you acted deliberately to frustrate and render nugatory the prosecution of our pending suits,” the letter added.
The community reminded the ECTDA Chairman of pending court cases relating to the disputed land, particularly Suit No. E/1081/2019 and E/263/2020, both of which, they said, remain unresolved.
“Given all the processes and documents herein brought to your attention, you are now properly guided and well equipped to resist the temptation of taking further action or steps which are clearly subjudice and patently lawless,” the letter further read.
In another petition dated October 5, 2025, addressed to Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, the community raised what they described as an “S.O.S.” over alleged plans by the Commander of the Enugu State Forest Guard, retired DCP Olasoji Akinbayo, to deploy his men for a “forceful takeover” of their communal land in concert with “vicious land grabbers.”
“We alert Your Excellency to an information at our disposal to the effect that the Commander of the Enugu State Forest Guard, retired DCP Olasoji Akinbayo, acting in concert with some vicious land grabbers who are his friends, is allegedly mustering about four units of Forest Guard members under his command to invade our communal/ancestral land,” the petition stated.
The community accused the former police officer of having a long history of “victimization and brutalization” against them during his tenure as Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations), Enugu State Command.
“Our community was visibly placed under siege as the said retired DCP Olasoji, at the behest of his paymasters, the land grabbers, used truckloads of police officers to garrison our community, arresting and hurriedly arraigning some hapless members on trumped-up charges. Funnily, none of the charges was sustained in court,” the letter read.
While praising Governor Mbah for his “top-notch infrastructural and developmental strides,” the community urged him to investigate the alleged plot and call the Forest Guard Commander to order to avert what they described as “a looming breakdown of law and order.”
“Act fast, Sir, to avert any breakdown of law and order. A stitch in time saves nine,” they urged the governor.
Similarly, in a separate petition to the Inspector General of Police, also dated October 5, 2025, and copied to the AIG, FCID Annex, Enugu, the community expressed fears that retired DCP Olasoji was planning to use the Forest Guard as a substitute for the police to achieve his alleged objectives, following the IGP’s recent directive warning officers against involvement in land disputes.
“It is easy to discern that resort to the members of the Forest Guard by retired DCP Olasoji and his co-conspirators is certainly as a result of your stern warning to members of the Police Force against interference in land matters,” the petition read.
“We strongly believe the source of information about this pending attack against our community as it were, by retired DCP Olasoji, to be reliable, credible and actionable,” it added.
As of the time of filing this report, none of the accused parties, the ECTDA, the Forest Guard Commander, or the Enugu State Government, had officially responded to the allegations.
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