The traditional ruler of the Urum community in the Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra State, Igwe Nweke, has exonerated an estate developer, Chief Okechukwu Chukwueme, owner of Nwaguatahihia Properties, from allegations of land grabbing.......CONTINUE READING THE ARTICLE FROM THE SOURCE>>>>>
Nweke clarified that the disputed land was legally acquired from its original owners.
He stated that the land belonged to specific families in the community, and not the entire town as some had claimed.
The land has been at the centre of controversy, with the President-General of the community, local leaders, and some residents insisting that it belongs to the entire community, meaning no individual or family has the sole right to sell it.
The disagreement has fueled tension and unrest, necessitating the intervention of the monarch and other authorities to prevent potential conflict.
The President-General of Urum Development Union and other community leaders had earlier accused the estate developer of encroaching on community land without proper documentation, in violation of local laws.
However, speaking to journalists at his palace on Wednesday, Nweke said his findings confirmed that the land, located in the Ochiokwa area, was privately owned and lawfully sold to Nwaguatahihia Properties.
“I have made my investigation after which it was found that the land in question in the Ochiokwa area belonged to some families in Urum and not the entire community as claimed by the President-General. The owners of the land were the ones that sold it to Nwaguatahihia Properties for development, and it was legally acquired by the estate developer.
“The land belongs to families and not the entire community. Therefore, it is not in order for the President-General of the Urum community to insist that the land should not be sold when it is not community land.
“Although a part of the land at the opposite end was revoked during former Governor Willie Obiano’s administration, it did not affect the Ochiokwa area, which was owned by some families in Urum,” he explained.
Speaking via Zoom from Awka, the estate developer, Okechukwu Chukwueme, also dismissed the land-grabbing accusations, urging the public and the Anambra State Government to disregard the claims.
Chukwueme accused those spreading the allegations of attempting to disrupt Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s vision of making Anambra a peaceful and prosperous state.
He maintained that his acquisition of the land followed all legal and traditional procedures, stating, “The land was properly documented, and due process was meticulously followed. The relevant signatories have been obtained, and the process of securing the Certificate of Occupancy is well underway.”
He also refuted allegations that his purchase was unauthorised or irregular.
“Five indigenes of the community, who are the rightful owners of the land, unanimously sold it to me, and the traditional rulers of the community were present as witnesses during the transaction,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of the families that sold the land, Ephraim Aniebonam, from the Uruokpala clan in Akitinyi village, Urum, confirmed that the disputed land—comprising about 1,000 plots—was their inheritance and not communal land.
Aniebonam, along with other families, expressed frustration that the President-General was insisting that the entire community had a stake in their private property.
