Seven people have been declared missing in the Ihiala community of Ihiala Local Government Area, Anambra State, following a land dispute between the family of Martins Okolie of Umuezehi and Edwin Obi, the owner of Edison Motors.
In a petition signed by the Okolie family against Chief Edwin Obi and sent to the Anambra State Police Command—made available to journalists in Awka on Monday—the family accused the transporter of being responsible for the disappearance of their kinsmen over the land dispute.
According to the petition, the community has been living in fear due to a series of abductions and kidnappings, with no fewer than five persons allegedly taken from their homes by yet-to-be-identified persons.
The petition reads: “A former chairman of Ihiala Local Government Area, who is from the community, Chief Jude Obi, was kidnapped over two years ago, and his whereabouts remain unknown.
“A few months ago, a prominent member of the community, Mr. Stephen Nneji, was abducted and released after some ransom was allegedly paid. Nneji has since fled the community with his family.”
However, in a swift turn of events, the family further accused Obi of using men from the Anambra State Police Command, purportedly from the IGP Monitoring Squad, to abduct some members of the community while also intimidating and harassing others, including their patriarch, Martins Okolie, the most senior member of the Umuezehi clan.
According to the petitioner, Obi allegedly bought land from a member of the kindred, but some family members disputed the sale, arguing that it was communal land that should not have been sold by one person.
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He said, “When the issue became contentious and to avoid a breakdown of law and order, the kindred decided to refer the matter to the head (Okpara) for adjudication,” the petitioner said.
“The case arose over a land dispute among family members of Ogumorobi. One of the family members reportedly sold the land to Chief Edwin Obi, the owner of Edison Motors, with Mr. Kevin Okolie acting as the agent.
“However, one family member objected to the sale, asserting that the land is communal and should not have been disposed of by a single individual.
“The aggrieved family members brought the matter before the family for resolution, as has always been the custom and tradition of the Umuejimike people in Akwa Ihiala.
“When the family could not resolve the matter internally, the case was referred to the community head (Okpara), Evangelist Martins Okolie.
“A meeting was convened by the family head to discuss the matter, and certain recommendations were reached. However, it is noteworthy that the other party refused to attend the meeting to resolve the dispute.”
The petitioner further stated that in the early hours of Wednesday, March 6, some hooded armed men stormed the community. Unable to break into the house of the family head, they proceeded to other houses, abducting several men and women.
“It’s worth noting that the family head was neither privy to the sale nor did he benefit from it in any way. He was only asked to adjudicate on the matter by leaders of the kindred.
“As of now, the whereabouts of more than seven persons, both men and women, who were abducted on the night of March 6 remain unknown. Meanwhile, Kevin Okolie has been heard boasting that more people will disappear from the village. It is unclear whether he is being used as a front by the buyer of the land or acting alone.”
Meanwhile, the owner of Edison Motors, Edwin Obi, dismissed the allegations of kidnapping, stating that the petitioners were only trying to evade the law because they were not innocent of the allegations against them.
Obi explained that he legally purchased the land from the family, with all necessary documents signed, before Chief Martins Okolie intervened in the matter.
He said, “He is running an illegal court in his house, adjudicating land disputes. He is not the owner of the land, and the land in question is not communal. I bought it directly from the family, but his grievance is that the family sold the land to an outsider.
“He has no legal claim to the land, but he is acting as a land speculator and trying to intimidate me. I had to report the matter to the police, and when the police invited him, he started running.
“He has been advised to stay away from the land because he has no legal title to it and should not interfere.
“He has been on the run and has refused to honor police invitations, while others previously arrested have all been released on bail—except him, as he continues to evade the authorities.”
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