The Enugu State Government has successfully resolved a longstanding land dispute between Isienu-Amagunze in Nkanu East Local Government Area and Ndiuno Akpugo in Nkanu West Local Government Area, averting what could have escalated into violent conflict.
Tensions reached a boiling point on December 11, 2024, when residents of Isienu-Amagunze accused Nigeria’s Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Chief Uche Nnaji, of encroaching on their land under the guise of a federal project.
The project was seen by locals as a renewed attempt to seize farmland previously contested and rejected four years earlier.
The situation became dire when bulldozers cleared over six hectares of cassava and yam plantations belonging to Isienu-Amagunze farmers.
The swift intervention of the Enugu State Government prevented the crisis from turning bloody.
Fulfilling its commitment to peace and justice, the Enugu State Boundary Committee on Thursday, July 10, 2025, issued its official resolution affirming the Iyi-Ezi seasonal stream as the boundary between the two communities.
This stream, according to the committee, also serves as the official demarcation between Nkanu East and Nkanu West LGAs.
The ruling was formally announced at the Government House, Enugu, with representatives of the affected communities in attendance.
Those present included delegates from Ndiuno-Uwani Akpugo, Ndiagu-Uwani Akpugo, and Isienu-Amagunze, along with senior government officials.
Among the government officials were Deacon Okey Ogbodo, Commissioner for Chieftaincy, Local Government and Rural Development; representatives of the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice; the State Surveyor General; the Committee’s Secretary, Barr. Solomon Ejim; and the Chairman of the State Traditional Rulers Council, HRM Igwe Ikechukwu Asadu.
Speaking after the announcement, Hon. Anthony Okey Mbah, Member representing Nkanu East Constituency in the State House of Assembly, lauded the committee’s decision.
He stated that it accurately reflected the position of the Isienu-Amagunze people and stood in contrast to the Akpugo community’s claim that the boundary extended beyond the Nkanu East council headquarters, at the Atavu River.
Hon. Mbah expressed heartfelt gratitude on behalf of the traditional ruler, town union leadership, and stakeholders of Isienu-Amagunze.
He praised Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah for what he described as a “landmark resolution” of a decades-old conflict and commended the administration for preventing a potential outbreak of communal violence.
