A looming communal crisis is threatening Ozalla, the host community of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) in Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu State, following allegations that ancestral family lands were offered to the state government without the consent of their owners.
The controversy stems from a statement reportedly made by the President-General of the Ozalla Town Union during a thank-you visit to Governor Peter Mbah, announcing that the community had agreed to release parcels of land in Umuanee and Obeagwu autonomous communities for agricultural purposes.
However, affected families have rejected the claim, insisting that the lands are ancestral family property and that no consultation or approval was obtained before the announcement. They warned that any attempt to acquire the land without due process could trigger serious unrest.
The development has also raised concerns because the meeting was reportedly attended by the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Kingsley Udeh, an indigene of Umuanee, who is said not to have been aware of any community resolution approving the land transfer.
Observers note the irony that the announcement was made in Owo, Governor Mbah’s hometown, which is currently involved in a separate land dispute with the Nigerian Army over ancestral land ownership.
Stakeholders have called on the Enugu State Government to urgently intervene through dialogue to prevent the dispute from escalating. They also urged communities to follow legal procedures in land administration, secure proper land documentation, and resolve grievances through lawful channels rather than violence.
