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HOW UNIVERSITY STUDENT WAS GUNNED DOWN OVER LAND DISPUTE IN ENUGU
Tears streamed down Felicia Onoh’s face as she struggled to understand why her son, Sochima, was gunned down in cold blood, right in the middle of a community land dispute that had dragged on for years.
The 25-year-old 200-level Accounting student of Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic, Uwana, Ebonyi State, had joined other members of Etiti Central Community, Ngwo, in Udi Local Government, Enugu State, to inspect the extent of destruction allegedly carried out by their neighbours from Umugwuakum Attakwu/Akwuke, in Enugu South.
But what started as a peaceful inspection turned deadly.
Gunmen opened fire on the group. Sochima did not survive the onslaught. His mother sobbed: “I don’t know what happened. I was in the market and my late husband’s sister called me to start coming.
I asked her why was she calling me to come back now? I told her that it was raining but, after the rain. I came back and they told me that Sochima was dead.
“I asked, Which type of death. They told me that he was shot by the people of Umugwuakum in the farm. They said that he followed the village people to the place. I want the government to give me my son, let me see him and bury him.”
Her son’s killing reignited anger in Etiti Ngwo, a community that insists it has suffered repeated attacks despite multiple court rulings, including from the Supreme Court, affirming its ownership of the disputed land.
Sochima and others had gone to document the level of demolition allegedly carried out by their neighbours. But as they made their way home, they were ambushed. He was shot and killed.
The community, heartbroken and furious, staged a peaceful protest, calling on Governor Peter Mbah to intervene before tensions explode into a wider crisis. Chairman, Etiti Central Community, Daniel Onyejiuwaka Eze, described the killing as senseless: “On Thursday, July 10, 2025, we went to the office of Deputy Governor, Ifeanyi Ossai, who is the head of the boundary committee of Enugu State, and had the judgement over the dispute we have with the people of Umugwuakum Akwuke in Enugu South LG.
“This is a land that the Appeal Court has given us a judgment on.
The Supreme Court also upheld the judgement. They later protested through their legal counsel to the boundary committee that we are trespassing on their boundary.
The state government came in and intervened and just that same day, they gave us judgement.
“Surprisingly, since that day, they went to the scene and started demolishing all the properties we have there.
They went ahead with demolishing until we decided as law-abiding citizens to contact the secretary of the boundary committee and tell him what was happening.
“He asked us not to retaliate and we adhered to that. We then called on the police to assist us so that we can go to the scene to have documentary evidence to show the people of Enugu State what was happening to us.
“After we had finished and asked the police to go back to their station, we started going back to our various houses. Because we used to go through the pathway, there is a little hill just down there. As the last batch of people were coming back, the people of Umugwuakum and their team laid an ambush and started shooting sporadically until they shot Sochima Onoh who died right there.”
“Part of this problem is being caused by managing director, Enugu Geographical Information System (ENGIS), Prince Chiwetalu Nwatu, who despite the activities of Deputy Governor to resolve this issue, went ahead and started reallocating the land or admitting people of Umugwuakum and giving double allocation to the people who have been defeated in the court.
This is where they gathered momentum to start attacking our people.”
Obinna Onyia, who narrowly escaped death in the attack, was still in shock as he recounted what happened: “The land was slippery because it rained and he fell down, I told him (Sochima) to stand up and he stood up. We continued running and fell down again and went inside the bush to hide and I told him to come out.
“I also fell down because I was tired. Every other person ran away but Chinedu came back and told me he was not going to run again until all of us are safe. Then those people came and met Sochima where he was hiding in the bush and shot him. I saw them but couldn’t do anything because they were all armed with machetes and guns.”
But the Akwuke community denied any involvement. Its President-General, Ogbodo, described the allegations as “false and malicious.” They claimed there was no clash that day and that their youths were at a monthly meeting:
“We empathise over the alleged death if truly there was one. We pray for the repose of the soul of the departed, who died an avoidable death.”
Nwatu also denied any wrongdoing: “The land in question is Crown Land and as such belongs to the government. Rather than taking over the land and demolishing every property there, the administration of Governor Peter Mbah, in its magnanimity, is asking everyone with a property there to come forward for registration.”
The Enugu State Police Command confirmed the incident. Spokesperson, Daniel Ndukwe said: “On July 12, 2025, at about 3:35 pm, the police received a distress report from Isiama Agu‑Ovolo in Etiti Ngwo community, alleging that youths from Umu‑Ugwu Akum Akwuke stormed their area at Ovolo Layout and shot one Onoh Sochima.
“Police operatives responded immediately and found the victim’s lifeless body with suspected gunshot wounds. He was taken to the hospital, confirmed dead, and his body deposited in the mortuary for preservation and autopsy.”
He said investigations are on going and appealed for calm.
