Tension escalated on Friday in the disputed Centenary City area of Enugu as armed men allegedly acting on behalf of Private Estates International West Africa (PEIWA) launched a violent attack on villagers from Obeagu Awkunanaw, resulting in at least one death and multiple injuries.
According to eyewitnesses, the attackers arrived at the site in a Sienna bus, accompanied by some police officers, and confronted community members who were working on a local project within the contested land.
Eyewitnesses said the armed militia, reportedly adorned with charms, ordered the villagers to vacate the area and then began shooting into the air.
The situation quickly turned bloody as the attackers allegedly used machetes on the unarmed villagers.
One victim, Onyedka Chukwu Ede, a native of Ndinwuba village, Obeagu Awkunanaw in Enugu South Local Government Area, was stabbed in the abdomen and succumbed to his injuries before medical help could reach him.
A community leader who spoke to our correspondent alleged that the attackers were agents of PEIWA, involved in a long-standing land dispute with the Obeagu community over ownership and development rights to parts of the Centenary City project.
“The attack was carried out by armed militia sponsored by PEIWA. This is not the first time such violence is being used to intimidate our people,” the leader claimed.
The incident occurred just days after officials of the Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority (ECTDA) visited the area and marked several buildings and structures for demolition.
The Enugu State House of Assembly had previously intervened in the crisis, adopting a unanimous resolution proposing a peaceful resolution to the dispute, a proposal reportedly accepted by the Obeagu community and still awaiting implementation.
Despite multiple court cases still pending over the land, reports of harassment, violence and intimidation against community members have persisted.
