Enugu community Insists ancestral lands not for sale

July 25, 2025

By Ayinde Adeleke

The Obeagu Awkunanaw community in Enugu South Local Government Area has strongly rejected claims by Private Estates International West Africa Ltd. (PEIWA) over ownership of a vast stretch of land linked to the Enugu Lifestyle and Golf City (ELGC) project.

The community leaders described PEIWA’s position as “misguided, deceitful, and hallucinatory” in a public statement issued in response to a publication by the company on July 21, 2025.

According to the community leaders, PEIWA fraudulently acquired 1,097 hectares of ancestral land, which has been passed down through generations and includes areas such as Agbana, Ugwuorie, Onususu, Akparata, Isi Oke, and Ofia Ogonogo, among others.

The community accused PEIWA of “parcellating and selling the lands” under the guise of development, with no benefit to either the original landowners or the Enugu State Government.

“We will pursue all legal means to reclaim our ancestral lands,” the community leaders vowed, warning the public against being misled by what they termed “land-grabbing merchants.”

The statement was jointly signed by Chief Andy Egbo, Chief Chiene I. Chiene (Chairman of the Community’s Litigation Committee), and HRH Igwe Mike Nnukwu, the traditional ruler of Obeagu Awkunanaw.

When contacted for comment, PEIWA Managing Director, Mr. Kingsley Eze, declined to directly address the allegations of land grabbing.

“I have no side to the story,” he said. “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.”

The community leaders maintained that their ancestral lands are not for sale and that they will take all necessary steps to protect their heritage.