ENUGU — A fierce land dispute has erupted in Enugu South Local Government Area as the Obeagu Awkunanaw community publicly rejected claims by Private Estates International West Africa Ltd. (PEIWA) over ownership of a large parcel of land linked to the Enugu Lifestyle and Golf City (ELGC) project.
In a statement issued by community leaders on July 21, the group described PEIWA’s claims as “misguided, deceitful, and hallucinatory.” They alleged that the company fraudulently took over 1,097 hectares of their ancestral land, spanning locations including Agbana, Ugwuorie, Onususu, Akparata, Isi Oke, and Ofia Ogonogo.
Signed by Chief Andy Egbo, Chief Chiene I. Chiene, who chairs the community’s litigation committee, and HRH Igwe Mike Nnukwu, the traditional ruler of Obeagu Awkunanaw, the statement accused PEIWA of selling off the land under the guise of development, without compensation to either the community or the state.
“All that PEIWA did was to parcellate our lands and, in the most egregious manner, begin to sell,” the statement read. “While we groan in pain and sorrow, they selfishly smiled to the bank.”
They labeled the Enugu Lifestyle and Golf City initiative a “provocative land heist” and reaffirmed their commitment to reclaim the land through legal channels.
The community also distanced itself from PEIWA’s recent warnings to prospective investors and buyers, stating that some developers currently operating in the area—namely Dignified Garden Estate Ltd., Star Residence Estate, and Consistent Experts Limited—are fully recognized and supported by the people of Obeagu Awkunanaw.
“These companies enjoy, and will continue to enjoy, our unflinching support and protection against any intimidation, harassment, or malicious actions by PEIWA,” the leaders stated.
In response, PEIWA’s Managing Director, Mr. Kingsley Eze, declined to comment on the land-grabbing accusations. “I have no side to the story,” he told reporters. “Unless you want me to say that I am not a land grabber. You can go to established government institutions that hold records of lands and their owners.”
With tensions escalating, the Obeagu Awkunanaw community vowed to intensify their legal efforts, warning the public and investors to be wary of what they described as “land-grabbing merchants.”
