AWKA/Nigeria: The traditional ruler of Umuawulu in Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State, Igwe Joel Egwuonwu, has denied allegations linking him to the protracted land dispute between the Enugwu and Umuenu quarters, saying the controversy is already before a competent court and should be resolved through legal means.
Speaking at a news conference in Awka on Friday, Igwe Joel Egwuonwu said recent protests and accusations portraying him as the architect of the dispute were unfounded, maintaining that he had remained impartial despite his ancestral ties to one of the communities involved.
The monarch said he decided to publicly address the issue following what he described as sustained attempts to drag the traditional institution into the disagreement, insisting that his actions since the dispute resurfaced had been guided by fairness and respect for due process.
Egwuonwu urged residents and interested parties to allow the court handling the matter to determine ownership of the disputed land without interference or actions capable of escalating tension within the community.
“It is uncharitable for anybody to associate me personally with the needless protests and paint me as the architect or cause of the disagreement between Enugwu and Umuenu quarters,” he said.
The traditional ruler alleged that some individuals from Enugwu Quarter had sponsored protests and circulated false claims aimed at discrediting him and the Umuawulu traditional institution. He urged members of the public to treat such allegations with caution, describing them as misleading.
Providing his account of the dispute, Egwuonwu said the land was not originally the subject of disagreement between Enugwu and Umuenu quarters. According to him, the earlier legal battle over the area was between Umuenu Quarter and the neighbouring Awgbu community.
He further claimed that the litigation ended with a Supreme Court judgment delivered in 1973 in favour of Umuenu Quarter, adding that some leaders of Enugwu Quarter had, at the time, testified in support of Awgbu’s claim before later asserting ownership of the land several decades afterwards.
The monarch also recalled that rising tension over the matter in 2020 prompted him to establish a five-member committee headed by the Onowu of Umuawulu, Prof. Emma Ezenwaji, to investigate the dispute and recommend possible solutions.
According to Egwuonwu, the committee concluded that the disputed land belonged to Umuenu Quarter, but its findings were rejected by Enugwu Quarter, which subsequently instituted legal proceedings before the High Court in Awka, where the case is still pending.
He also said the Umuawulu Progress Union later constituted a four-member mediation panel chaired by Mr. Azubike Anazor in an effort to broker peace between the parties.
According to the monarch, the panel visited the disputed area, received oral and written submissions from both quarters and, in a report submitted in August 2025, affirmed Umuenu Quarter’s claim to the land.
Despite hailing from Umuenu Quarter, Egwuonwu maintained that he had not taken sides in the dispute, insisting that his responsibility as the traditional ruler required him to remain neutral.
“My only offence here is that I hail from Umuenu, one of the disputing quarters. I have maintained the level of neutrality expected of a father whose children are involved in family disagreements,” he said.
He appealed to residents of both quarters to remain peaceful and avoid actions capable of undermining the judicial process, expressing confidence that the courts would provide a lawful resolution to the dispute.
The monarch also urged members of the community to place the collective interest of Umuawulu above personal or sectional considerations, saying lasting peace and unity should remain the priority while the legal process runs its course.
