Peace has finally returned to Oba, Idemili South Local Government Area, Anambra state, following the dumping of an Ogbaru high court judgment by both the plaintiff, Ezele Mbana quarter of Ezele Village and defendant, Umuezegbute quarter of Isu village, all in Oba town.
The warring communities on Tuesday at the palace of the late traditional ruler of the town, Igwe Peter Ezenwa also signed a memorandum of understanding to toe the path of peace.
The defendant, (Umuezegbute), had on 28th day of February 2020, got judgment in its favour in suit No. HID/92/1999, when it was sued by the plentiff, (Ezele Mbana) over land issue.
The Umuezegbute, had on 3rd August 2020, executed the court judgment by entering the land with armed policemen and bulldozers, and reportedly destroyed residential buildings, vehicles, motorbikes and other possessions worth millions of naira of the defeated plaintiff (Ezele Mbana), with scores sustaining various degrees of injury.
Following the development, the Ezele Mbana people who had claimed the controversial land for many years, sent a save-our-soul message to the town union executive of the Oba Patriotic Union, OPU, the regent of the community, Prince Noel Ezenwa and stakeholders who quickly set up an eight-member Peace committee led by the regent as chairman.
The committee charged with the responsibility of enthroning a permanent peace, came up with resolutions/rulings endorsed by both warring villages including the setting aside of court judgment in favour of Umuezegbute while the execution of the order be discontinued forthwith as the agreement both endorsed hereby shall subsist.
The agreement include: “That the Ezele Mbana remained the owner of the controversial land in perpetuity on the perfection of this agreement and a sum of 10million paid to Umuezegbute as total and final settlement for Iru-ani in perpetuity. They also agreed that all present occupants in possession of the land other than the occupiers of the homestead of Ezele Mbana portion shall pay to Umuezegbute the sum of N1.5million per occupant in possession, per plot and same paid into Umuezegbute’s account.”
Speaking at the ceremony, the Oba regent had while thanking the warring villages for allowing peace to reign, stressed the need for all to be their brothers’ keepers.
He thanked God for giving them the wisdom to achieve the peace adding that it was an uphill task especially on the part of the opposition to peace restoration.
A member of the committee, Chief Benneth Chibueze paid glowing tribute to the regent for ensuring that peace was achieved and prayed God to reward him abundantly, describing him as a replica of his father, Igwe Ezenwa, when it comes to achieving peace.
Among those that expressed satisfaction with the way the committee handled the issue, included the President General of Oba Patriotic Union, Chief Clifford Maduwa Enendu, who recalled that when the execution commenced, “we cried and called on the regent who responded and restored peace with Nze Ifeanyichukwu Onwupenata and others too numerous to mention and through their efforts peace has been restored.”
