ANIWALO: ONE PIECE OF LAND, CONTESTED BY THREE ANIOMA COMMUNITIES

 ANIWALO: ONE PIECE OF LAND, CONTESTED BY THREE ANIOMA COMMUNITIES 

By Emeka Esogbue

Have you heard of Aniwalo, properly pronounced as "Ani-Nwalo?" The "Aniwalo" name defines "The Land of the Child of Alo" yet, the children of the Alo that should own the land are not known giving rise to the current conflict. It is for this reason that a number of three Anioma communities are currently at loggerheads over the ownership of the land of the Child of Alo - Aniwalo. However, claims of ownership are stronger between Akwukwu-Igbo and Illah, two neighbouring communities that now seek the judgement of the court to determine the rightful owner. By this judicial venture, Ezi Kingdom, the third claimant has gone out of the full picture.

Information available to Pen Master shows Aniwalo to be a large portion of land that geographically connects Illah to Akwukwu-Igbo community. It was originally a camp that acted as a temporary accommodation with tents and other makeshift structures perfunctorily erected to accommodate farmers of the Igbo, South East, Nigeria who seasonally occupy it. In recent years, the area is now seeing development with relative modern structures that are beginning to spring up including a Catholic Church and another Anglican Church where inhabitants now worship. 

The development is the enabling risk of pulling the dagger between each other especially by sisterly Illah, the land of Stephen Keshi and Akwukwu-Igbo, the land of Okolie-Agu, the progenitor. Relying on legendary claim, Akwukwu-Igbo avers that Nwalo Odor, from whom the name of the camp is derived, was an Issele-Uku slave who was driven out of the Issele-Uku Kingdom but was given that piece of land gratuitously by Ogbeobi Quarters of Akwukwu-Igbo to settle. 

Reiterating the above, one Akwukwu-Igbo indigene that spoke to Pen Master narrated:

"Nwalo Odor (a slave) was given that place by our Ogbe Obi ancestors out of mercy to stay after he was chased away from Issele Uku for disobeying the land and him being from the slave quarters in Issele Uku. Now, it has become a problem. Mistakes of our benevolent but illiterate ancestors!"

On the contrary, another Illah indigene who countered the legendary claim, said that Illah, from time immemorial exercised rights of ownership of the camp. Still, both feuding communities from those spoken to, maintain earliest inhabitants to be Issele-Uku migrants and also claim that the inhabitants paid tributes to them. In other words, tributes were received by both Akwukwu-Igbo and Illah, a claim that makes solution uneasy. 

Land disputes are not uncommon in Aniomaland. At the Supreme Court of Nigeria, Ibusa has won the parcel of land presently accommodating the Admiralty University against Ogwashi-Ukwu after close to a century tussle. The same Ibusa is in land battle with Oko, on one hand and Asaba, on the other hand. Okpanam community also shares tussle with Ibusa. Akwukwu-Igbo and Ogwashi-Ukwu are also engaged in similar land tussles. Asaba and Okwe are in the same 'business'. In Ndokwa axis, Amai and Umuebu are engaged in similar tussle while the communities of Ika region are not left out. As disputes of this nature go on the increase with loss of lives and properties due to clashes that arise, the Delta State Government would need to look into delineation of boundaries as a lasting solution, something that nearly every administration has not ventured into.