The people of Ojiegbe in Isu community, Onicha Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, have petitioned Governor Francis Nwifuru, seeking urgent intervention in lingering communal concerns, the demarcation of disputed boundaries, implementation of a 2024 government directive and recognition as an autonomous community.
The appeal was 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.
Key Highlights
- Ojiegbe community seeks autonomous status, citing its history, ancestral heritage and traditional institutions.
- The community wants the Ebonyi State Government to implement a reported 2024 directive on its administrative placement.
- It insists that the boundary requiring demarcation is between Ojiegbe Isu and Obeagu Isu, not Aguotu in Ishielu LGA.
- The association calls for the protection of ancestral lands and the safe return of displaced residents.
- The community urges an impartial investigation into information presented to the state government.
Community Clarifies Boundary Concerns
In the petition, the community commended Governor Nwifuru and his deputy, Princess Patricia Obila, for intervening in a reported misunderstanding involving Ojiegbe and Aguotu communities.
However, it expressed concern that 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 LGA and Aguotu village in Ezzagu, Ishielu LGA. It argued that the boundary issue requiring government attention was between Ojiegbe Isu and Obeagu Isu.
According to the association, 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 about 10 per cent of the affected population had returned so far. Those who returned, it explained, had begun reclaiming and cultivating ancestral lands and economic trees belonging to individual families.
It insisted that these properties should not be mistaken for communal lands or interpreted as evidence of a boundary dispute with Aguotu.
Community Seeks Implementation of 2024 Directive
The petition recalled that Governor Nwifuru allegedly issued a directive in 2024 for Ojiegbe people in Isu, Onicha LGA, and Aguotu people in Ishielu LGA to be brought together under Ishielu LGA for administrative convenience.
The community said the directive was based on their shared Ogboji and Ezza identity and historical relationship.
However, it lamented that the directive had yet to be implemented and appealed to the governor to ensure its execution.
Ojiegbe also called for an impartial investigation and immediate geographical and historical demarcation of the boundary between Ojiegbe Isu and Obeagu Isu.
According to the association, a clear boundary determination would eliminate uncertainty and help facilitate the safe return of displaced residents.
Ojiegbe Demands Autonomous Community Status
A major demand in the petition is the creation of an autonomous community for Ojiegbe.
The association argued that the community has a distinct historical identity, ancestral heritage, population and traditional institutions. It claimed that its people had maintained their identity and occupied their ancestral homeland for more than 200 years.
It said autonomous status would strengthen traditional administration, preserve cultural heritage, encourage grassroots development and establish an institutional framework for peaceful coexistence with neighbouring communities.
The Ebonyi State Government has not, in the document made available for this report, provided a response to the request.
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Association Raises Concerns Over Conflict Resolution Process
The association also raised concerns about the handling of the matter by the Ministry of Border Peace and Conflict Resolution.
It alleged that the ministry’s commissioner, Prof. Paul Awo Nwobashi, might have presented an inaccurate account of the situation to the deputy governor.
The community 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 urged Nwifuru to investigate the information presented to his administration and ensure that its recognised representatives are consulted directly before decisions affecting the community’s future are taken.
The association further called for 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.
Community Calls for Peaceful Resolution
Despite its demands, Ojiegbe stressed that it was not seeking confrontation with neighbouring communities.
The association said its requests were based on what it described as justice, historical recognition and peaceful coexistence. It maintained that sustainable peace would require the fair resolution of historical grievances and respect for the rights of all affected communities.
The petition concluded with an appeal to Governor Nwifuru to intervene decisively, expressing confidence in his administration’s commitment to conflict resolution and harmonious coexistence across Ebonyi State.
The governor’s response to the specific demands in the petition was not included in the document made available for this report.
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