Anger and tension are escalating in Mgbowo, a farming community in Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu State, following the alleged forceful takeover of ancestral farmlands by suspected land grabbers, an action residents say could spark a full-blown communal crisis.
The disputed land, known as Ugwunzu Ezioha, was reportedly invaded on December 10, 2025, when heavy-duty machinery moved in and razed cultivated farmlands in broad daylight. The operation, according to accounts obtained by SaharaReporters, left crops worth millions of naira destroyed and displaced scores of indigenous farmers who depend on the land for survival.
Eyewitnesses said three bulldozers were deployed to the site, clearing farmlands that had been cultivated over several farming seasons. Community members described the action not as development, but as a deliberate attack on their economic lifeline.
Reacting to the incident, the Mgbowo Stakeholders Forum accused unnamed interests of orchestrating what it called an assault on both livelihoods and governance.
“What is happening at Ugwunzu Ezioha, Mgbowo is no longer just an attempted land grab. It is a brazen assault on livelihoods, a collapse of local governance, and a dangerous signal that brute force now overrides the rule of law in rural Enugu State,” the Forum said in a statement.
According to the group, the operation was carried out without notice, consultation, or consent from either the landowners or community authorities. Farmers who were present reportedly pleaded with the bulldozer operators to allow them harvest already-matured crops, but were turned down.
“Crops nurtured over several farming seasons were flattened within hours. Farmers begged — not for compensation —but simply for time to harvest what they had labored for. They were ignored. This was not development. This was deliberate economic violence,” the statement added.
The stakeholders also accused those behind the operation of deliberately bypassing the traditional leadership of the community. They said His Royal Highness, Igwe Greg Ikwuagwu Ituma (Onyima II) of Ekpulato Mgbowo Autonomous Community confirmed that no government agency, ministry, or private developer sought the palace’s consent before the land was entered.
“In Igbo land, to ignore the traditional ruler of any community is to invite chaos. Whoever ordered this invasion understood that fact—and proceeded anyway,” the Forum stated, stressing that the disregard for due process was intentional.
Attention has also turned to the Chairman of Awgu Local Government Area, Hon. Uchenna Okolo, whom the community accused of failing to act despite being alerted to the unfolding crisis. As the Chief Security Officer of the council, the Forum said the Chairman had a responsibility to intervene but allegedly did not.
“The Local Government Chairman refused to halt the operation, relying solely on an unverified claim by the leader of the invading group, Mr. Kingsley Okeke — a man of no known legitimate means of livelihood — that he possessed a 99-year Federal Government lease over the land,” the statement said.
The Forum expressed outrage that such claims were accepted without scrutiny.
“No document was produced. None was sighted. None was verified. Yet, the destruction continued under the watch of local authorities. We hold the Chairman… morally and administratively complicit in this attempted land grab—by omission, endorsement, or willful silence.”
The crisis, the community said, worsened when attempts to seek police intervention allegedly hit a dead end. According to the Forum, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Awgu Division declined to formally document the incident when affected farmers tried to file a report.
“When citizens are denied access to law, they are being pushed—dangerously—towards self-help,” the statement warned, describing the refusal to record the complaint as a threat to public order.
The Forum also raised questions about the history of the land, noting that Ugwunzu Ezioha had previously been offered to the state for an agricultural programme but was rejected on the grounds that it was earmarked for an “Awgu Games Village extension.”
“Why was the same land… suddenly available for alleged private acquisition? Who benefits from this silence and speed?” the stakeholders queried.
Referencing judicial precedents under the Land Use Act, the community insisted that land acquired for public use but later abandoned or diverted automatically reverts to the host community.
“Where land acquired for public purpose is abandoned or diverted, it reverts to the host community. No bulldozer can erase that principle,” the Forum stated.
With tension rising, community leaders said they have sent a Save Our Souls (SOS) appeal to Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, urging immediate intervention to prevent the situation from degenerating into violence.
While commending the restraint shown by Mgbowo youths, the leaders warned that continued inaction could have grave consequences.
“This SOS is not a threat. It is a warning born of restraint. The people are appealing to the conscience of government… Government must not wait for angry youths, protests, or bloodshed before acting. Restraint, once exhausted, cannot be legislated.”
The community is demanding the immediate halt of all activities at Ugwunzu Ezioha, a full investigation into the conduct of the Awgu Local Government Chairman, and compensation for farmers whose crops and livelihoods were destroyed.
