Reported by Ariajegbe Sylvia Esezobor
The Anambra State Government has ordered the immediate closure of Otuocha Company Market following renewed violence between Aguleri and Umuoba-Anam communities in Anambra East Local Government Area, a land dispute that has left five people dead, several others injured, and properties including the palace of the traditional ruler of Aguleri burnt. The closure, announced on Friday by Deputy Governor Onyekachukwu Ibezim on the instruction of Governor Chukwuma Soludo, followed an escalation of hostilities that occurred shortly after a government delegation visited the area for an on-the-spot assessment.
The violence erupted on Thursday night and continued into Friday, with the palace of Igwe Michael Idigo, the traditional ruler of Aguleri, set ablaze by unknown persons following an exchange of gunfire. Several houses, shops, a rice processing factory containing numerous bags of rice, and other properties were found burnt during the assessment visit, while traders reportedly fled the area with their remaining goods. The ever-busy Otuocha-Umuoba Anam road was deserted, and smoke was seen rising from many residential houses. In a viral video, voices were heard ordering armed men to shoot at sight, underscoring the intensity of the confrontation. The Anambra State Police Command condemned the renewed violence and alleged arson as a breach of the peace agreement reached after an earlier intervention by security and government officials.
The dispute is rooted in a land ownership and boundary conflict between the two communities. According to the traditional rulers of both communities, Igwe Michael Idigo of Aguleri and Igwe George Ekwealor of Umuoba-Anam, the crisis erupted when Aguleri people attempted to erect a signpost and install Closed-Circuit Television cameras in the market area, a move opposed by Umuoba-Anam. Three people were killed in Aguleri and two in Umuoba-Anam, according to the monarchs, while several others were hospitalised and valuables destroyed. The cause of the clash has been consistent across accounts from both community leaders and government officials, though the underlying boundary dispute is longstanding and has periodically erupted into violence over the years.
Speaking during the assessment visit, Ibezim, who also chairs the Anambra State Boundary Committee, said the closure was ordered by Governor Soludo. "The market will remain shut until further notice to allow the state government to ascertain the level of damage caused by the crisis," he said. "No community leader or local government chairman has the authority to determine boundaries between communities without the knowledge of the state government. The State Boundary Committee is responsible for the demarcation and monumentation of boundaries within the state." He said all economic and other activities in the market would remain suspended pending the conclusion of investigations and appropriate action against those responsible. The deputy governor was accompanied on the visit by the Anambra Commissioner of Police, Nnanna Oji, Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor Vepor Egbuna, and Special Assistant to the Governor on Boundary Matters Ekenechukwu Okoye.
The police command's spokesman, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said the fresh violence was a breach of the peace agreement reached after the earlier intervention by security and government officials. "The Command strongly condemns the resort to violence, destruction of property and other acts capable of undermining the prevailing peace and security in the affected communities," Ikenga said. He said the visit to the affected communities and flashpoints enabled stakeholders to identify immediate and sustainable measures to restore peace, strengthen security and prevent further escalation. He warned that anyone found culpable after investigation would face prosecution, and urged all parties to exercise restraint and allow ongoing engagements and lawful processes to address their grievances. The command also called on traditional rulers, town union leaders and other stakeholders to continue to adhere to the agreed peace resolution.
The violence drew swift condemnation from former Governor Willie Obiano, who called on the people of Aguleri and Umuoba-Anam to immediately cease hostilities and sheathe their swords to allow the Anambra State Government to amicably mediate in the dispute. Obiano, who is from Aguleri, described the burning of the palaces of the present and former Igwe Aguleri as sacrilegious and expressed concern over the wanton destruction of lives and property. His intervention added a prominent political voice to the calls for peace, though it also underscored the sensitivity of the dispute given his personal ties to one of the communities involved.
The closure of Otuocha Market, a major commercial hub in Anambra East, has significant economic implications for traders and residents across the area. The market serves as a primary trading centre for agricultural produce, particularly rice, from the surrounding communities and beyond. The destruction of a rice processing factory and hundreds of bags of rice during the crisis represents a direct blow to the local agricultural economy. Traders who fled with their remaining goods face an uncertain future, with the market's indefinite closure depriving them of their livelihoods.
The crisis is the latest in a series of violent boundary disputes that have plagued Anambra State and other parts of Nigeria's South-East. Land ownership and boundary conflicts between neighbouring communities have historically been a source of tension, often exacerbated by the absence of clearly demarcated boundaries, population growth, and competition for agricultural land. The Anambra State Boundary Committee has been tasked with resolving such disputes, but its work has been complicated by the reluctance of communities to accept its determinations and by the persistence of grievances that span generations.
For the families of the five people killed, the violence has brought devastating loss. For the residents of Aguleri and Umuoba-Anam, it has instilled fear and uncertainty about when normal life can resume. For the state government, the crisis presents a test of its capacity to restore peace and prevent further bloodshed. Governor Soludo has consistently emphasised the importance of peaceful coexistence, and the deployment of the deputy governor and the police commissioner to the area reflects the seriousness with which the administration views the situation. The coming days will determine whether the peace agreement can be restored and enforced, or whether the cycle of violence will continue to claim lives and destroy livelihoods in the communities.
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