By Isaac Mission
A land dispute involving members of the Umu Ogbonogo Clan in Ohodo, Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area of Enugu State, has intensified following allegations surrounding the acquisition of about 40 acres of ancestral land for the Federal Polytechnic, Ohodo.
The clan, through its lawyer, has petitioned the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, calling for an investigation into what it described as alleged fraudulent dealings in the acquisition of the land and the handling of a ₦1 billion compensation allocation reportedly meant for affected landowners.
The petition, dated February 21, 2025, was signed by Okwuchukwu C. Ugolo on behalf of the clan. Copies were also sent to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Inspector-General of Police.
The family alleged that three community figures—Alphonsus Ugwuafia, Hyacinth Eze and David Asogwa—were involved in the preparation or execution of documents that purportedly transferred more than 60 per cent of the clan's ancestral farm areas without the consent of the families concerned.
The clan said heavy equipment moved onto the land in 2021, destroying crops, economic trees and ancestral graves. It was subsequently informed that the area had been acquired for the construction of the Federal Polytechnic.
According to the petition, the Federal Government approved a ₦2 billion takeoff grant for the institution, with ₦1 billion reportedly designated as compensation for landowners whose properties were acquired.
The clan alleges that people who were not the legitimate owners claimed the compensation using disputed or allegedly forged documents.
The family has asked the NSA and relevant law enforcement agencies to investigate the matter, identify those responsible and recover any funds found to have been improperly obtained.
The dispute has also involved attempts at reconciliation. The clan said an invitation was issued for a meeting involving family representatives and the management of the polytechnic on March 16, 2025.
However, members of the clan alleged that the institution's Rector did not attend the meeting despite their waiting throughout the day. They interpreted the absence as an attempt to delay discussions while construction and fencing activities continued.
The landowners had earlier raised concerns with the Enugu State Police Command in a petition dated September 18, 2024. Their lawyers alleged that a significant portion of the clan's residential and agricultural property had been affected by the acquisition.
Some of the community leaders named in the petition have acknowledged signing documents relating to the land, but said they acted on instructions from the former Enugu State administration.
David Asogwa acknowledged that the affected land belonged to individual families rather than the entire community. He, however, defended the signing of the documents, saying government officials had directed community representatives to do so.
Asogwa said the government had issued acquisition documents and maintained that anyone seeking compensation for crops or other losses should pursue the matter with the state government or through the courts.
He also disputed the clan's account of the proportion of land affected, claiming the Umu Ogbonogo family controlled only about 30 per cent of the disputed area.
Ugwuafia, a former president-general of the Ohodo community, also confirmed that he signed land-related documents after being invited by government officials to do so. He did not respond in detail to the allegations concerning forgery and compensation.
Hyacinth Eze, identified as the traditional ruler of Achara Ohodo Autonomous Community, reportedly declined to comment when contacted.
Members of the Umu Ogbonogo Clan maintain that they are not opposed to the establishment of the polytechnic but want the land acquisition and compensation process to be handled according to the law.
They also complained that members of their families have allegedly not benefited from employment opportunities associated with the institution despite the loss of their farmland and residential property.
A clan representative further alleged that employment opportunities initially intended for the host community were diverted and sold to outsiders. That allegation was not independently established in the report.
With construction continuing at the site, concerns have reportedly grown among some residents over restricted access to farmland and traditional shrines.
Community members are now calling for intervention by federal authorities to establish the ownership of the affected land, determine whether compensation was properly distributed and address the competing claims surrounding the development.
The allegations contained in the petitions and statements remain subject to investigation and responses from the relevant government agencies, community leaders and the management of the Federal Polytechnic, Ohodo.
