Omor and Umumbo Crises: The Truth and the Fallacies

The Lower Anambra Irrigation Project (LAIP), Omor, Ayamelum Local Government Area in Anambra State of Nigeria is an irrigated rice cultivation project executed by the Anambra-lmo River Basin and Rural Development Authority (AIRBRDA). It has a potential area of 5000 hectares of irrigable land identified suitable for rice production in 1974, through a feasibility study conducted by a Japanese firm, Nippon Koei Engineering Consultants. Anambra-Imo River Basin Development Authority (AIRBRDA) is one of the twelve River Basins established in 1976 by Decree No. 25. It is a Federal Government Parastatal under the Federal Ministry of Water Resources. AIRBRDA was established to develop and manage surface and ground water resources within the scope of old Anambra and Imo states which today cover almost the entire states of the South East.

The implementation of LAIP was commenced in 1981, completed and commissioned in 1987 with a net irrigable area of 3,850 hectares for irrigated rice production and an additional 350 hectares for rainfed rice production. The land for the project was acquired by the Federal Government of Nigeria mainly from Omor, Umerum and Umumbo communities and compensations for economic trees were paid to the landowners as appropriate. Invariably, the communities handed over their right of ownership of the land to the federal government. Hence, the project field was developed in clusters of Turnouts designed in Western and Eastern Axis. The project thus has in its Western Axis W1 to 14 and Eastern Axis has E1 to E18.

The major agricultural production activity in LAIP is rice cultivation by project participating farmers from the area comprising of Omor, Umerum, Ifite Ogwari and Umumbo communities. It is a sole cropping system where rice was cultivated in rainy and dry seasons in a year.


Procedures for Allocation of Plots to Farmers

Initially, the Authority (as it was fondly called) provided some agricultural services ranging from irrigation water supply, land preparation and some inputs to participating farmers. The Authority was solely responsible for allocation of plots of land to participating farmers who pay for use of such plots to the Management of the Project. About 3000 farmers were participating in the clusters of the project at their allocated plots. The Project Field were allocated to individual farmers who applied to the government for rice production and not to communities such that farmers from Omor, Umerum, Ifite Ogwari, Umumbo and their environs cultivated their allocated plots of land irrespective of town or community of origin. The Authority did their last plot allocation in 2002 and participating farmers have continued to cultivate their plots as appropriate.


The Issues Canvassed

Consequent upon the foregoing background, participating farmers at LAIP project are those who cultivate plots of rice field assigned to them or their proxies by the LAIP Management. Participating farmers do not have boundaries and limits to clusters where they could be allocated plots and allocations were not community specific because as a Federal Government owned project, it is managed by LAIP authorities. However, during the planting season of 2019, a cluster of farmers at E71, E72, E8, E9 and E10 at the Eastern Axis as well as W1, W2, W4 and parts of W7 in the Western Axis were invaded by a group of young men led by Mr Udemezue Chukwuemeka (Omekannia), Okonkwo Idah (Akataka), Igwe Aluminium, Enegbuachala, Ukpaka, Ogwudile Asoanya, Udoji Nwa Mangi, Onyeka Nwa Mangi, Sunday Okonkwo (Ogbuolie) and others representing Umumbo Youths. The invaders accosted and directed the participating farmers to cease from cultivating their allocated plots or face the wrath of Umumbo community. The participating farmers who later converged under the leadership of Mr James Nnonyelu informed the Umumbo invaders that the plots of land in question were duly allocated to them and that they paid for the use of the land at the appropriate quarters. The Umumbo youths led by the above-mentioned persons on their own told the farmers that Umumbo community has decided to eject all non-indigenous farmers in the clusters stating that the land belongs to Umumbo people and that they have come to take possession of the lands. The youths further emphasized that non-natives of Umumbo community would not be allowed to cultivate the plots in those clusters.

At that, the youths forced the unsuspecting farmers out of the plots of land and continued cultivation of the plots from where the participating farmers stopped. The unsuspecting farmers reported the matter to the management of LAIP in Omor. As a result, the Management of LAIP sent a delegation to Umumbo and were told that Umumbo community has decided to take their land from the project. A response which management of LAIP advised the community to drop and toe the path of law and order. LAIP management reiterated that the Project belongs to the Federal Government and that no community can claim ownership of the project field. They requested Umumbo people to return the plots to the allottees. As a follow up to their complaints, the farmers cluster again, reported the matter to Umumbo community leaders especially Hon. Justice Mike Okonkwo requesting him to prevail on youths of the community to allow the participating farmers in those clusters to cultivate their allocated plots. Justice Okonkwo thus summoned a meeting of the farmers, representatives of the youth and select natives of Umumbo and Omor communities to a meeting at his residence. The meeting resolved that the issue would be settled amicably, hence that all Umumbo natives who obtained and cultivated any plots of land allocated to Omor native farmers in the clusters should pay the Omor farmers for cultivating the plot for the 2019 season and such other expense that might have been incurred before their invasion. It was specifically agreed also that Umumbo natives who obtained those plots of land from participating farmers from Omor should vacate and allow the allottees to continue with the cultivation of their plots of land from the 2020 planting season.

A committee made up of 3 representatives each of the 2 communities headed by Hon. Kenneth Okolo (former Transition Committee Chairman of Ayamelum Local Government Area) was constituted to oversee the implementation of the resolution. The committee enumerated all the plots under contention and identified the original allottees as well as the usurping Umumbo natives.

However, true to the execution of threat by members of the Umumbo youths, the resolutions reached at Hon Justice Mike Okonkwo’s residence was not implemented. Umumbo people harvested the rice and refused to pay for the land and refund expenses as agreed. Despite the unceasing efforts of the Committee Chairman, Umumbo people refused to pay the agreed N12000 for using the land and refund of expenses to allottees. All entreaties by the members of the farmers’ cluster were treated with disdain. Hon Justice Okonkwo who presided over the peace meeting did not only fail to get his people comply with the gentleman agreement reached in his house but abandoned the farmers’ cluster that approached him for settlement on recognition of his position as a leader in the community.

The farmers’ cluster now wrote petitions to the Divisional Police Officer at Anaku, Ayamelum Local Government Area but the issues were not resolved. They wrote another petition to the Commissioner of Police and the Executive Governor of Anambra State but there were no remedies to their injuries. In fact, Umumbo people were celebrating victory over the cluster and singing praises to Justice Okonkwo for indirectly supporting their decisions to wrestle the land from the farmers. The farmers' cluster thus reported the matter to Omor Council of Elders who after hearing their plight sent emissaries to Umumbo community. The traditional Ruler of Omor, HRH Igwe Dr. Chris Oranu Chidume, wanted matters arising from LAIP to be handled by the management of the project and warned that Omor community should not be dragged into it. He, therefore, asked the farmers' cluster to follow due process of law in making their case.
Upon the foregoing development, Umumbo community went into another round of celebration that ndi-Omor have started having problems within themselves. All efforts to achieve peaceful settlement between the farmers’ cluster and Umumbo youths/community proved abortive as a result of the utmost resolve by the Umumbo community to ensure that the farmers were completely ejected from the farm.

Meanwhile, Umumbo community as a whole through their 'Ojiana age group', the custodians of the towns land borders have given the youths order to eject every other farmer that is not an indigene irrespective of what it will cost. In fact, it was gathered that Umumbo Town Union branches in diaspora were mandated to contribute funds for the community to prepare for onslaught with any person, group(s) of persons and even neighbouring communities that resist their land grabbing ventures in the federal government project. Majority of the farmers in the clusters did not cultivate their plots in the project in 2019. The scramble for plots in the area by Umumbo youths gathered momentum.
Copies of the petitions and letters written to the various law enforcement agencies as proof of compliance with due process as advocated by Igwe Omor, HRH Igwe Dr. Oranu Chris Chidume, are available. The law enforcement agencies invariably allowed this matter to degenerate when they failed to undertake measures to resolving the matters reported to them thereby empowering Umumbo youths to prepare and consolidate on their exploits in the clusters for the next planting season.


The Immediate Cause of the Skirmishes

With the dawn of planting season this year - 2020, in line with the agreement reached at Hon Justice Okonkwo’s residence in 2019 and pursuant to the advice to the community by LAIP management, members of the farmers’ cluster in the areas resumed their normal farming activities in the plots allocated to them by LAIP authorities. Land preparations, in forms of spraying of herbicides, ploughing and harrowing as well as broadcasting of rice seeds, are in progress.
Unfortunately in their overbearing and power drunk form, having been sent by the high and mighty of the community as clearly stated by Mr Udemezue Chukwuemeka (Omekannia) and confirmed by Mr Sunday Okonkwo (Ogbuolie – younger brother to the Hon. Justice) that they have been directed by the Umumbo community to ensure that all the allottees were ejected, fully armed members of Umumbo youth came again on the 4th day of May, 2020 to execute their ejection order. A serious fight broke out between the Umumbo youths and the farmers' clusters whereby machete and gunshot injuries were inflicted on some members of the farmers’ clusters. Farm implements such as knapsack sprayers and motorcycles belonging to the farmers were destroyed.

The farmers returned to their various homes but news began to filter that Umumbo people have embarked on abduction spree on Omor natives. Incidentally, the youths of Umumbo went into the farms and started attacking, waylaying, kidnapping and maiming unsuspecting Omor natives who were doing their normal farming business elsewhere in other clusters of the project field. Those whose relatives and loved ones went to farm to those areas started making phone calls to ascertain the whereabouts of their relatives only for us to realize that Umumbo people have abducted no fewer than 6 Omor natives. Their attacks were not limited to only farmers. Some workers who went to work for Architect Chief Joseph Anumudu at his site in the community were held hostage, attacked and a labourer who was digging shallow well (Sewage) was covered with mud in the pit.

Immediately, the matter was reported to the Igwe, HRH Igwe Dr. Chris Oranu Chidume who, directed that more entreaties be sent to Umumbo community. Plea calls were put across to stakeholders of Umumbo including their traditional ruler, HRH Igwe Simeon Chidubem, but the community refused to release the abductees. They threatened to kill all of them. Only one native escaped his abductors.

As a show of brotherhood and demonstration of Omor peoples’ readiness for peaceful co-existence between the two communities, a native of Umumbo community whom deprived youths accosted was released to the police that evening on the directive of HRH Igwe Dr Chris Oranu Chidume. Until 4am on May 5, 2020 the abducted natives were not released and their phones were no longer available. We were reliably informed that the community had murdered in cold blood Omor natives whose only offence was going to farm on that fateful day. Families and relatives waited for their children to no avail.


The Clash

As a result, members who were searching for their brothers together with members of the farmers’ clusters went to Umumbo community very early in the morning to ask after their loved ones. The belligerent Umumbo youths, who were armed to their teeth, upon sighting the delegation opened fire and started attacking the people. This again led to many fatalities including the killing of 2 Omor natives.

The inability of the security agencies to effectively treat and settle the matter when reported to them earlier in 2019 and the unreserved determination of Umumbo youths to compulsorily eject all none indigenes from the irrigated land is definitely not unconnected with the escalation of the crisis.

Up till now, the wanton attack, kidnap and killing of Omor natives who are not members of the farmers cluster by Umumbo people is still ongoing. Mr Chukwukelu Anyagbue, a farmer in his late 60s was learnt to have been abducted by Umumbo people by Ukpatu axis of Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu state. Other natives who are migrant farmers in other Ayamelum communities such as Omasi and Umueje are still awaited. Umumbo people have gone into the hinterland and nearby farms attacking and killing Omor natives while law enforcement agents deployed to restore normalcy parade the villages.


The Real and True Situations

It is imperative to state that there is no communal clash between Omor and Umumbo communities in Ayamelum Local Government Area of Anambra State. The communities are not dragging anything and there is nowhere in records where the two communities have any issues in contention. We have been co-existing peacefully. Omor is not in land dispute with Umumbo community. What happened was a clash between Umumbo people and members of a farmers’ cluster which Umumbo community took too high and started attacking Omor people.

Before May 5, 2020, Omor and Umumbo communities were good neighbours and brothers in the same Clan. Natives of the two communities have inter married and shared achievements and successes together. Specifically, Igwe Omor and members of his Royal Cabinet attended in grandeur the wedding of Engr. Tony Nnamuma (President General of Umumbo Town Union) in January. In fact, being the centre of the Clan, many Umumbo natives live in Omor while several Omor farmers live and eke out their living from Umumbo farmlands located outside LAIP Project Field.

Umumbo people fought with members of farmers’ clusters in E71, E72, E8, E9 and E10 but desperately embarked on wanton attacks on Omor natives. They have murdered about 6 Omor natives, injured over 50 and are still preying around, abducting farmers in the bushes.
Umumbo people attacked and killed some of the natives who went to Umumbo to ask after their brothers whom were abducted on the 4th day of May, 2020. The people attacked did not go to Umumbo with guns but had to react in defence of their dear lives.