Bloodbath looms in Abia Community, as traditional ruler allegedly connives with subject to steal from private palm plantations

Investigations revealed that sometime in February 2020, a group which identified itself as 'Umuabali Group of Villages, Umunneato Osokwa Nvosi Autonomous Community, Isiala Ngwa South LGA, Abia State', wrote to owners of private palm plantations in Umuabali Village to notify them that the "Village Executive Council unanimously agreed for one month closure of palm harvest with effect from 28th February 2020 to 1st week of April 2020ÔÇØ. Afnews gathered that the implication of the said "closure of palm harvestÔÇØ, according to the said notice, is that starting from the end of the first week of April 2020, owners of private palm plantations would be barred by the villagers from harvesting their produce, while the villagers would harvest the produce thereafter for a period of one month starting from Tuesday April 14th.

Further investigations by AFNews revealed that the owners of private palm plantations in Umuabali Village have vowed to resist any attempt by the villages to harvest their palms, based on the fact that such harvest is illegal, being that the palm plantations are private investments. The illegality, as gathered, also derive from the position of the Abia State Small Holder Oil Palm Project of the State Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources. From a letter written by Small Holder Oil Palm Project to the traditional ruler of Umunneato Autonomous Community, Eze Linus O. Nwogu in September 2007 when the issue first occurred, a copy of which was made available to AFNews, the illegality of such "closure of palm harvestÔÇØ regarding private palm plantations became established.

We further confirmed this fact in a telephone conversation with the Abia State Commissioner for Agriculture, Professor Ikechi Mgboji. He revealed that the community has no right to harvest the palm fruit of a private investor.

We also confirmed that it is the same traditional ruler, Eze Linus O. Nwogu, who hails from Umuabali village, that is now aiding his subjects to illegally harvest palm produce from private plantations under the Small Holder Oil Palm Project, 13 years after he was informed by the Small Holder Management Unit of the illegality of such harvest.

Based further investigation, we gathered that there are about 24 owners of private palm plantations in Umuabali Village, who have vowed to resist the attempt by the villages to harvest their palms. Among them are Professor Ocho Njoku, Chief I.U. Nwokocha (Enyi Abia) - a former National President of Nigeria Union of Teachers and one of the founding fathers of Abia State - and Engr. Steve Uba Nwankwo (who is also the Traditional Prime Minister of Apu Ukwu Autonomous Community in Isiala Ngwa South).

AFNews confirmed that lawyers to Chief I.U. Nwokocha and Engr. Steve Nwankwo have written to the traditional ruler asking him to call his subjects to order. The traditional ruler is said to have ignored the letters. The lawyers have also reportedly written to the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Omoba Division in Isiala Ngwa South, SP Emeka Oganyi, seeking his intervention. Consequently, the DPO is said to have thrice invited the parties involved to his office in order to make peace, but on the three occasions Eze Linus O. Nwogu refused to honour the DPO's invitation, thereby frustrating his intervention.

At the moment, we gathered that the lawyers have sent formal petitions to the Abia State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ene Okon, following the refusal of the traditional ruler to honour the DPO's invitations. It was not clear, at the time of filing this report, if the Commissioner of Police had acted on the petitions.

What is clear however, from the findings of AFNews given the prevailing situation, is that barring the intervention of relevant security agencies, Tuesday April 14, 2020 may witness a very fatal clash in Umuabali Village, between the villagers who are reportedly pressing ahead with their plan, and owners of private palm plantations who have vowed to defend their investments against undue trespass.