Ike Nnachi, Abakaliki
Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mike Ahamba, has lamented the killing of Umuobor, Akaeze people of Ivo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State in a land tussle with their neighboring community.
The Lawyer also alleged that 9 persons are still missing in the recent clashes which broke out between the people of Umuobor and their neighbouring Ogwor community in Ishiagu town.
Ahamba, who is the legal representative of Umuobor community, made the call in a petition to Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State.
He called on the state government and the Police in the state to arrest the killers of some members of the community in the land tussle between them and their Ogwor neighbors in the local government.
Background
Umuobor and Ogwor communities have been at war for over five decades over a vast fertile land known as Elueke which has claimed many lives with properties worth billions of naira destroyed.
Various court judgments including that of the nation’s apex court, which ruled that the Elueke land belongs to Umuobor village, ought to have ended the crisis.
Bloody clashes
But the crisis took a more bloody twist late last year when many killings, destructions and abductions on both parties were recorded.
Angered by the killings, Governor Francis Nwifuru, convened a meeting of both parties where he threatened that government will take over the disputed land and declare it a buffer zone.
The governor at the stakeholders meeting also set up a committee with a view to resolving the crisis.
Nasty precedent not obeying court ruling
Ahamba, in the letter listed some members of the community killed in the crisis as John Chukwueke, Okaru Okoro and Sunday Eleke.
He urged the state Commissioner of Police to investigate their killings and prosecute those behind the dastardly act.
He called on the governor to enforce the ruling of the supreme court, which ruled that the disputed Elueke land belongs to the Umuobor people.
While noting that Mr Nwifuru is a law graduate, Mr Ahamba warned that failure to emforce the judgment will set a very nasty precedent for the future.
The petition reads in part: “Your Excellency, many people have in recent days been killed with nine people missing and feared dead. Some of the people confirmed killed are: John Chukwueke, Okaru Okoro and Sunday Eleke.
“Your Excellency, why the perpetrators of these heinous acts of disobedience culminating in multiple acts of murders are not arrested by the police, is beyond my understanding.
“My very humble request is that you use your good offices to impress it on the security agencies in your state, and Chairman of the local government of the need to get Ogwor people to appreciate that the dispute has ended by the Supreme court decision instead of sharing of the land, their point of settlement.
“The constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria provides in Section 287(1) this: “The decision of the Supreme Court shall be enforced in any part of the Federation by all authorities and persons, and by Courts of subordinate jurisdiction to that of the Supreme Court.
“Your Excellency, your government is one such authority in that State. Fortunately, you are a Lawyer.
“It is also very necessary that you call on the Commissioner of Police to be very proactive in these circumstances. Failure to enforce this judgement by due process, will set a very nasty precedent for the future.”
