Residents of Umuezeukwu, a community hosting the proposed Abia Airport in Isiala Ngwa North Local Government Area, have intensified calls for the state government to establish a 500-meter buffer zone between their ancestral homes and the project site, citing threats to farmlands and residences. Community leaders allege their appeals have been ignored despite multiple revisions to the airport’s land size, which initially spanned 1,850 hectares before being reduced to 1,550 hectares—excluding neighboring areas like Agburuike and Umuogu—and later trimmed further to just over 1,000 hectares, sparing Ikputu, parts of Umule, and Umuode.
Chief Uche Ubani, a community representative, stressed that Umuezeukwu was excluded from these concessions. “We demand urgent action to implement the 500-meter setback to protect our homes,” he stated. Ebere Adieze, President General of the community, dismissed claims of prior negotiations with officials, clarifying, “We seek no compensation—only the right to safeguard our existence and future.” Another leader, Chidiadi Ehilegbu, criticized plans to acquire more land for an access road, warning it would further erode livelihoods.
The state government, however, rejected these claims. Special Adviser on Land Matters, Okor Aji, noted the airport—a federal project under the Land Use Act—had already seen significant land reductions in response to earlier concerns. He emphasized the state’s collaboration with the federal government to advance the project, which aims to boost regional connectivity and economic growth.
The dispute arises two years after Abia announced its partnership with the federal government to upgrade the initially proposed airstrip into a full-scale airport, backed by private sector interest from Access Bank. Construction began in December 2024, but Umuezeukwu leaders now urge Governor Alex Otti to intervene directly, alleging misrepresentation by his aides.
