The Deputy Governor of Anambra State, Dr. OnyekaChukwu Ibezim, has assured
Agbani Ifite Awka And Okpuno Communities in Awka South Local Government Area, that the Boundary Committee would expedite action to resolve the dispute.
The intervention came during a meeting convened by the Anambra State Boundary Committee Technical Team (ASBCTT) and presided over by Dr Ibezim, who is also the Chairman of the State Boundary Committee.
Dr. Ibezim also ordered the immediate suspension of all development activities within the disputed area, pending the final determination of the boundary to avert a breakdown of law and order.
Angel Network News (ANN) reports that
Anambra State Government on Wednesday, January 28, 2025, stepped in to resolve a boundary dispute between the communities following rising tensions linked to land ownership.
During the meeting, presentations made by both communities revealed that there was no record of a historical boundary dispute between them, as they had co-existed peacefully for decades.
However, recent real estate developments and the sharp increase in land value in the area reportedly triggered disagreements over land ownership, resulting in sporadic violence and several police cases.
While Agbani Ifite Awka claimed that Mmili Imo Awka serves as the natural boundary between the two communities, Okpuno countered that the river is not a boundary but lies entirely within its territory.
Concerned about the growing tension, both communities jointly approached the Anambra State Boundary Committee, the statutory body responsible for boundary matters, requesting government intervention to prevent further escalation.
The meeting had stakeholders of both communities including the Managing Director of the Awka Capital Territory Development Authority (ACTDA), Hon. Ossy Onuko, the Senior Special Assistant on Boundary Matters, Hon. Okoye Bethel Ekenechukwu, the Secretary of the State Boundary Committee, Dr. Olisa Mba, the President General of Okpuno, Engr. Luke Egwuatu, who led the Okpuno delegation, and Chief Emeka Okoye, who also headed the delegation from Agbani Ifite Awka,
alongside other government officials.
