Residents of Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area in Imo State are facing heightened tension following allegations of a government-backed plan to establish settlements for Fulani herdsmen on their ancestral farmlands. Community leaders have raised alarms over what they describe as an invasion by individuals claiming to be government officials, accompanied by armed security personnel, who have forcibly displaced farmers and destroyed crops and economic trees. The affected communities, including Umuapu-Ohaji and Obitti-Ohaji, rely heavily on farming for sustenance and view the alleged encroachment as a direct threat to their livelihoods.
Luke Chukwu, a former Imo State lawmaker and council chairman representing Umuapu-Ohaji, criticized the state government for bypassing legal protocols outlined in the Land Use Decree. He emphasized that rural land acquisition requires consultation with local government authorities and adequate compensation to landowners, processes he claims were ignored. Chukwu stressed that the community, while open to development, rejects any attempt to repurpose their farmland for cattle ranching or RUGA settlements, citing cultural and economic ties to the land.
Further compounding the crisis, Obitti-Ohaji community spokesperson Chinaza Ajukwara reported that armed Fulani herdsmen have already occupied farmlands, consuming crops ready for harvest. He described a climate of fear, with residents feeling unprotected by authorities. Ajukwara warned that establishing herdsmen settlements in agrarian zones risks violent clashes, exacerbating food insecurity and destabilizing the region. He referenced nationwide farmer-herder conflicts as a caution against policies that could ignite similar unrest.
In response, Imo State Commissioner for Lands, Survey, and Physical Planning, Enyinna Onuegbu, denied allegations of forceful land acquisition, stating that consultations were ongoing. However, he declined to clarify the purpose of the proposed land use. Meanwhile, farmers in the area continue to report harassment and crop destruction by herdsmen, deepening anxieties over displacement and hunger. Community leaders have vowed to resist the settlement plans, framing the struggle as a fight for survival amid dwindling access to their primary source of food and income.
