Community Protest Against Enugu Government intensifies as Ugwuaji Awkunanaw residents accuse ENGIS of selling ancestral lands. Locals urge Governor Peter Mbah to intervene and stop land reallocations.
📅 October 13, 2025 | 🏙️ Enugu, Nigeria
Residents of Ugwuaji Awkunanaw Community in Enugu South Local Government Area have staged a community protest against Enugu Government, accusing the Enugu State Geographic Information System Service (ENGIS) of selling their ancestral lands to outsiders.
The community protest against Enugu Government was held to draw the attention of Governor Peter Mbah, whom they appealed to for urgent intervention, alleging that “selling our ancestral lands to strangers will not only render us and our unborn children homeless but make us strangers in our own land.”
Traditional Ruler Speaks During Community Protest Against Enugu Government
Addressing the protesters on Saturday, the traditional ruler of the community, HRH Igwe Chinedu Nwobodo, decried that successive administrations had taken advantage of their closeness to the Enugu city center to seize community lands without proper consultation or compensation.
He said the recent claim by ENGIS that the state government had acquired the remaining ancestral lands of Ugwuaji Awkunanaw – from Independence Layout Phase II through Obeagu Ugwuaji to Akpugo, and from Ndafuine to Idume up to Asata River – was false and unknown to them.
Community Condemns Sale of Ancestral Lands
According to the protesters, the government’s advertorial announcing the reallocation of their lands to the public for ₦8 million per plot on a first-come, first-served basis would deprive poor natives of their inheritance.
“We are appealing to Governor Mbah to call ENGIS to order and reconsider reallocating our ancestral lands at Ndafuine, Ugwuaji,” the community leaders stated.
“There is no security issue warranting such takeovers, nor justification for divesting aboriginal owners of their inheritance,” they added.
The protesters recalled that their lands had previously been taken over for the Dolphin Estate, the Building Materials International Market, and Independence Layout Phase I, yet no meaningful compensation had been made.
ENGIS Requests Land Allocation Details
In a letter addressed to the traditional ruler, Mr. Chiwetalu Nwatu, Managing Director of ENGIS, requested the community to submit all existing land allocation details within the Ndafuine area to enable the agency verify ownership.
According to him, the information would help resolve multiple ownership disputes and restore investor confidence that had been eroded by frequent land-related crises.
“Based on numerous land and security issues in Independence Layout Phase II, which led to the 2022 government acquisition of some parcels in Ugwuaji, Obeagu, and Akpugo, we seek your collaboration in providing layout designs and survey details,” Nwatu’s letter read.
He assured that ENGIS remained committed to transparent land management in line with Governor Peter Mbah’s urban development policy.
Community Urges Transparency and Dialogue
The community protest against Enugu Government also urged the state to prioritize dialogue and transparency in resolving land-related matters. They lamented that over 80 percent of Ugwuaji residents were living below the poverty line and could not afford the ₦8 million valuation.
The leaders further questioned whether the government intended to relocate them, noting that the community had many young males and unborn children who would still need land for housing in the future.
ENGIS Denies Wrongdoing
When contacted, Mr. Nwatu dismissed the allegations as misleading and politically motivated. He said the state government would soon address the public through a press conference to clarify the issue. GMTNewsng
