…Protesters beg Soludo to intervene, say case is already in court_
A 49-year-old man, Humphrey Obi, has been hacked to death over an alleged land dispute between Umuenu and Enugwu quarters of Umuawulu community in Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State.
Obi, a father of four and former Chairman of Umuenu Village, was reportedly attacked by suspected “land grabbers” from Enugwu quarters while farming on the disputed land.
His death was announced on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, during a peaceful protest held at the Umuenu Town Hall.
Led by the President-General of Umuenu quarters, Comrade Benneth Mbolu*, protesters marched through the area carrying placards with inscriptions such as:
“Enugwu quarters leave our ancestral land alone”, “Umuenu is protesting against land grabbers”, “Anambra Deputy Governor, this is a possession matter and not boundary issue”,_and “Enugwu stop fighting Ndi-Umuenu of their ancestral land.”
Addressing journalists after the protest, Mbolu appealed to Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo to urgently stop members of Enugwu quarters from entering the disputed land to prevent further killings.
He said the land matter is already before the High Court Awka, Suit No: A/82/2021.
“We are appealing to our Solution Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo not to allow any influence from any quarters to cede our ancestral land to Enugwu quarters as they are already stopped by the courts,” Mbolu said.
He also urged the State Deputy Governor, Dr. Onyedikachukwu Ibezim, who heads the Anambra State Boundary Commission, not to be biased in handling the matter, insisting it is a case of ownership, not boundary.
“The land tussle has claimed the life of our former Chairman, late Humphrey Obi, who was the only child of his aged parents. There is serious tension in our quarters now. We no longer go to farm and we no longer sleep with our two eyes closed because of fear of the unknown,” he added.
Mbolu alleged that Obi was “brutally macheted to death by land grabbers from Enugwu quarters” and called for total justice for the slain leader.
A 96-year-old elder of the community, Stephen Okechukwu Okoye, also pleaded with Governor Soludo and other stakeholders to intervene urgently to prevent a breakdown of law and order in the community.
The widow of the deceased, Mrs. Nkechi Obi, wept as she appealed to the state government to fish out those behind her husband’s death.
She lamented that the incident has plunged her four children into hardship and disrupted their education.
“We are law-abiding citizens of Nigeria. We want our land and total justice for our slain leader,” Mbolu further stated.
Umuenu community said they are not agitating for a boundary adjustment with Enugwu, but demanding that the court process be allowed to run its full course and that their ancestral land be left untouched until judgment is delivered.
Police authorities in Anambra are yet to issue an official statement on the incident as of press time.
