UMUAHIA — Indigenes of Umuawafor, Umuokereke and Umunwogu villages in Isiala Aro-Ngwa Autonomous Community, Osisioma Ngwa Local Government Area, have appealed to the Abia State Government to stop further acquisition of their ancestral land for development projects .
CDA News Nigeria gathered that the community made the appeal during a protest against reports that the state government had acquired land in the three villages for a proposed Smart City project. The protesters said the affected communities had already donated large portions of their ancestral land for various government projects, including the trailer park and the permanent site of the Abia State Polytechnic .
CDA News Nigeria reports that the villagers also expressed concern over the alleged acquisition of land already purchased by individuals for development. Spokesman for the affected villages, Comrade Friday Appolos, said the communities had suffered significant land losses over the years as a result of acquisitions and transactions involving persons claiming to be acting on behalf of the government .
“We recall that the Abia State Government in the past acquired land for the permanent site of the Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic, Osisioma Ngwa, and the larger part of it belongs to Umuawafor village, which has about 95 per cent of the land there,” Appolos said . “Development must not start and end in Aro Ngwa. There are other villages with enough land to give out. Ours is finished” .
Meanwhile, counsel to some investors in the area, Mr. Obiora Edward, said his clients had approached the court after learning of the alleged government acquisition of their land. The matter is before the court in Suit No. HOS/168/2025 .
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