Ojiegbe Petitions Nwifuru, Seeks Autonomous Community, Boundary Demarcation

By Ifeoma Nweke

The people of Ojiegbe in Isu community, Onicha Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, have petitioned Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, seeking the creation of an autonomous community, boundary demarcation and implementation of a government directive allegedly issued in 2024.

The demands were contained in a petition dated October 11, 2026, submitted by the Ojiegbe Development Association through its President, Mr Nicholas Orogwu, on behalf of the community.

In the petition, the community commended Nwifuru and his Deputy, Princess Patricia Onyemaechi Obila, for their recent intervention in the reported misunderstanding involving Ojiegbe and Aguotu communities.

However, it expressed concern that certain historical and administrative issues might not have been adequately presented to the state government, particularly in a press release issued by the Office of the Deputy Governor on October 9, 2026.

Ojiegbe maintained that there was no existing boundary dispute between Ojiegbe Isu in Onicha Local Government Area and Aguotu village in Ezzagu, Ishielu Local Government Area, insisting that the boundary requiring government attention was between Ojiegbe Isu and Obeagu Isu.

According to the petition, following the peaceful resolution of an earlier communal crisis involving Ojiegbe, Obeagu and Mgbalukwu communities, some Ojiegbe indigenes who had relocated to Aguotu began returning to their ancestral homes.

The association said only about 10 per cent of the affected population had returned, adding that those who came back had begun reclaiming and cultivating ancestral lands and economic trees belonging to individual families.

It argued that such properties should not be mistaken for communal lands or interpreted as evidence of a boundary dispute with Aguotu.

On the administrative question, the community recalled that Nwifuru allegedly directed in 2024 that Ojiegbe people in Isu, Onicha LGA, and Aguotu people in Ishielu LGA be brought together under Ishielu Local Government Area for administrative convenience, citing their common Ogboji and Ezza identity and historical relationship.

The association lamented that the directive had yet to be implemented and urged the governor to ensure its execution.

It also called for an impartial investigation and immediate geographical and historical demarcation of the boundary between Ojiegbe and Obeagu Isu to remove uncertainty and facilitate the safe return of displaced residents.

The community's major demand is the creation of an autonomous community for Ojiegbe.

It argued that it possesses a distinct historical identity, ancestral heritage, population and traditional institutions, maintaining that its people have occupied their ancestral homeland and preserved their identity for more than 200 years.

According to the association, autonomous status would strengthen traditional administration, preserve cultural heritage, promote grassroots development and provide an institutional framework for peaceful coexistence with neighbouring communities.

The petition also raised concerns about the handling of the matter by the Ministry of Border Peace and Conflict Resolution, alleging that the Commissioner, Prof. Paul Awo Nwobashi, might have presented an inaccurate account of the situation to the Deputy Governor.

The association recalled submitting an earlier protest letter to the governor over what it described as an attempt to portray Ojiegbe people as tenants on land their ancestors had occupied for generations.

It therefore urged Nwifuru to investigate the information presented to his administration and ensure that the community's recognised representatives were consulted before decisions affecting their future were taken.

Other demands include government protection of ancestral lands and individual properties, the safe return of displaced indigenes and assurances that administrative or security decisions would not trigger fresh communal tensions.

Despite its grievances, the community stressed that it was not seeking confrontation with neighbouring communities, maintaining that its demands were based on justice, historical recognition and peaceful coexistence.

It insisted that sustainable peace could only be achieved through the fair resolution of historical grievances and respect for the rights of all affected communities.

The petition concluded with an appeal to Nwifuru to intervene decisively, expressing confidence in his administration's commitment to conflict resolution and harmonious coexistence across Ebonyi State.