THE government of Anambra state has condemned the land dispute between Umumbo and its adjacent Omor community in Ayamelum LGA which sadly rose to a fatal situation and destruction of valuable properties resulting from taking laws into the hands.
The Commissioner for Information & Public Enlightenment, C. Don Adinuba in a statement on Saturday stated that the government was saddened over the ugly situation adding that the clash is a negation of the strenuous effort the government and people of Anambra State have been making in the past six years to make Anambra not only the safest and most secure state in the federation but also the most socially harmonious.
The Commissioner while assuring that the state government has put all the security agencies on alert stated that they have been instructed to arrest and prosecute the masterminds of the crisis urgently so as to restore peace to the environments.
“Anambra State Government notes with profound sadness the conflict between the people of Umumbo and their neighbours in Omor community, Ayamelum Local Government Area, over land ownership which has in the last two days resulted in one confirmed fatality and the destruction of valuable assets in both places. Security agents drawn from the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Army and the National Security and Civil Defence Corps have since been drafted to the scene to stabilize the situation and maintain law and order. In addition, a curfew has been imposed in the two communities from 6pm to 6am.
“Given that the state government considers the safety of the life and property of every Anambra person an article of faith, those responsible for the violence between the Omor and Umumbo communities will be made to feel the full weight of the law accordingly. The security agencies, including the Anambra Vigilante Group (AVG), are hereby directed to arrest everyone involved in the conflict and bring him or her to justice. The arrests and subsequent prosecution in the law court will be made regardless of the status of each person in society.
“The arrest and prosecution of those connected with the Umumbo-Omor crisis will serve as a lesson to other people who may wish to fan the embers of disunity and crisis in any other part of the state. The utterances and actions of these elements are inimical to the state government’s drive towards the rapid economic and social development of the state.
“The Anambra State Government assures all Ndi-Anambra of its unwavering resolve to make our state the most peaceful in Nigeria and beyond. Though the Umumbo-Omor conflict is an isolated incident, it will attract a robust response from the government. No person can shed the blood of any Anambra person and expect to go scot-free because life is sacred. Anambra State must remain the Light of the Nation”, Adinuba stated.