A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr. Anthony Ani, has clarified the recent Enugu State High Court judgment on the creation of Ukwuna Autonomous Community, warning that misrepresentation of the ruling could trigger communal tension in Enugu North Local Government Area.
Ani made the clarification in a statement issued to newsmen in Enugu on Saturday, following conflicting media reports on the court’s decision delivered by Justice Cyprian Ajah.
The court had, in Suit No. E/642/2024, nullified the creation of Ukwuna Autonomous Community, which was established in 2023 during the final days of the previous Enugu State administration.
The suit was instituted by two Ogui-Nike autonomous communities, which challenged the creation of Ukwuna, arguing that it was purportedly carved out of an entity described as “Enugu-Ngwo community,” a designation they claimed had no legal recognition in Enugu North LGA.
According to Ani, who is lead counsel to representatives of Ukwuna Autonomous Community and one of the defendants in the suit, the judgment focused strictly on non-compliance with due process and did not deny the existence of Ngwo indigenous groups within Enugu North LGA.
He faulted a January 24, 2026 headline published by Vanguard titled: “Court Voids ‘Ukwuna,’ Confirms Ngwo not Community in Enugu North LGA,” describing it as misleading and a misrepresentation of the court’s findings.
“The court did not rule that Ngwo does not exist as a community or indigenous group. What the court held was that there has never been a legally recognised autonomous community known as ‘Enugu Ngwo Autonomous Community’ in Enugu North LGA,” Ani said.
He explained that Justice Ajah clearly stated that the case was not about land ownership nor about the historical existence of Ngwo people, but solely about whether statutory procedures were followed in the creation of Ukwuna Autonomous Community.
The SAN noted that the misleading reports had already fuelled distorted narratives on social media, with some individuals falsely claiming that the court declared Ngwo non-existent in Enugu North LGA.
Ani warned against politicising or deliberately distorting the judgment for parochial interests, stressing that such actions could inflame tensions among indigenous communities in the area.
He urged the public and media organisations to rely on the actual content of the judgment, expressing confidence that a proper understanding of the ruling would help preserve peace and communal harmony in Enugu North Local Government Area.
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