My Husband Paid The Supreme Price Fighting for justice — Widow Laments

It was an emotional atmosphere at Umuenu Umuawulu in Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State when a widow, Mrs Nkechi Obi, wife of the former chairman of Umuenu Quarters Assembly, Umuawulu, Mr Humphrey Obi, broke down in tears to narrate the circumstances that led to her husband’s death while pursuing justice in the community.

The people of Umuenu Quarters of Umuawulu had gathered that day to protest the alleged attempt by another village in the area to usurp their massive Agu Umaauenu land. Elderly men, women, and youths of the community who gathered in the village hall vowed not to give up their inheritance, especially when the battle had taken the life of their former chairman.

“My late husband narrated to me the history of that land, and there was peace in the community until some rich and influential people developed interest in the land. I remember that my husband used to plant rice on the said land and nobody was molesting anybody.

“Until the unfortunate incident that led to his death, most families were going there to farm. We were also harvesting palm fruits, processing them and keeping them there until we were ready to carry them to the market, and nobody was stealing them. It is therefore unfortunate that my husband became a victim of this land dispute”, Mrs Obi lamented.

Bernard Mbolu, President, Umuenu Quarters Assembly, said although Umuawulu is made up of three quarters, namely: Enugwu, Umuenu and Agbana. Umuenu quarters is facing a big challenge because the village is being denied the land its people inherited from their forefathers. According to him, litigation over the land lingered from local authority court to customary court from 1927 to 1963, and it got to the Supreme Court, which decided on the matter in 1963, which was decided in favour of Umuenu.

Mbolu said: “ The highest court in the land decided that Umuenu people are the rightful owners of the land known as Agu Udo Umuoma and Agu ofuu, which were collectively named Agu Umuenu.
“There was no other quarter contesting the ownership of the land with us until 2020.

During the litigation, the other quarter in Umuawulu was testifying in favour of Awgbu Community that they were the rightful owners of the land. When we defeated Awgbu in court, and Awgbu people wanted us to have a permanent boundary demarcation, we did and signed a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, with them.

“Surprisingly, Enugwu Quarters that testified for Awgbu people invaded the land after they had testified for Awgbu people that it was their land.

The matter was taken to Igwe in Council, and the then PG of Umuawulu, Ozo I.K Nkala set up a 20-man committee, with Umuenu and Enugwu quarters nominating 10 members each, while the neutral quarter, Agbana, produced the chairman and the secretary.

“After hearing from the two quarters, the committee decided that the land is owned by the Umuenu people. Surprisingly, Enugwu people rejected the decision, and in 2024 when our people went there to farm in line with the court decision, they attacked our people with dangerous weapons and in the process, cut off the hand of one of our brothers, Mr Humphrey Obi, who later died following the injuries he sustained during the attack.”

He explained that there had also been attempts to resolve the matter amicably, including tabling it during the Umuawulu town hall meeting, yet our neighbours insisted on continuing with the dispute.

“On December 31 , 2024, we all went to the disputed land for inspection, and after the two quarters stated their cases, Umuawulu Community set up another committee made up of all lawyers produced by the community. Barr Azubuike Anazo was the chairman, while Barrister Emeka Orji was the secretary.

“This committee also agreed that the entire land belongs to Umuenu and urged our people to discontinue all the litigations. Surprisingly, on July 7, 2026, we received a message that the state Deputy Governor wanted all of us in his office, following a petition by Enugwu people.

“ We were told that the Deputy Governor wants to create a permanent boundary between Enugwu and Umuenu , which we are rejecting because the matter had since been decided by the highest court in the land and various committees”, Mbolu stated.

According to the chairman, “this Agu Umuenu is the only land we have, and we are rejecting the pressure being mounted on the Deputy Governor to intervene in the matter.

They have even more land than us, and we wonder why they are insisting on taking our land.