Soludo, Obiano moves to quell Aguleri–Umuoba Anam land dispute crisis, urges communities to embrace peace

By Goodness Ndukuba, Awka

Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State and his immediate predecessor, Willie Obiano have intervened to restore law and order in Aguleri and Umuoba Anam in Anambra East Local Government Area of the state over communal crash which last week tragically resulted in loss of life and injuries.

Soludo, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Christian Aburime on Sunday expresses deep sadness over the casualty and injuries sustained during the clash, reiterating that violence, bloodletting, and destruction of property have no place in a peaceful and prosperous Anambra State.

To address the root causes of this long-standing dispute and achieve a lasting resolution, the Governor has convened an emergency peace and security meeting with key stakeholders from the affected communities to hold on Wednesday, Oct. 7 at the Light House, Awka.

In the interim, the Governor has issued a stern directive ordering both communities to immediately cease all forms of hostilities, maintain absolute peace, and exercise restraint. All grievances, claims, and presentations must be channeled exclusively through their designated stakeholders at the upcoming Awka meeting.

Furthermore, security agencies, including the Police have been fully deployed to the area to enforce law and order, safeguard lives, and prevent any further breach of the peace.

Soludo reassures all citizens of Anambra State of his administration’s unwavering commitment to the protection of lives, property, and the peaceful resolution of communal disputes across the state.

Meanwhile, Former Governor Willie Obiano, has appealed to warring communities to immediately sheathe their swords and end hostilities over the lingering land dispute between the two communities.

Obiano, who hails from Aguleri, made the appeal in a media statement issued by Paul Nwosu, on his behalf, amid escalating violence that has reportedly led to the destruction of lives and property.

The former governor said he had a long and fruitful discussion with his successor, Governor Soludo on the crisis.

According to him, Soludo demonstrated a clear understanding of the issues involved and assured him that the state government had already waded into the matter, including the deployment of police and military personnel to prevent further hostilities.

Obiano said the Governor was determined to get to the root of the crisis and ensure that lasting peace was restored between the affected communities.

He therefore urged Aguleri and Umuoba Anam to lay down their arms and fully cooperate with the government and security agencies in their efforts to resolve the dispute.

He appealed to the people of both communities to give peace a chance and allow the government to mediate in the dispute, saying this would pave the way for a lasting resolution.