Ebonyi reviews 19 long-running boundary disputes, commissioner says

The Ebonyi State Government has launched a peacebuilding initiative to address boundary disputes, leadership tussles, land disagreements and issues involving the enforcement of court judgments, Commissioner for Border, Peace and Conflict Resolution Paul Nwobasi said. Nwobasi told journalists in Abakaliki that the ministry was handling 19 major boundary cases, some dating to 1912 and 1933. He said officials were using dialogue, mediation, fact-finding, community engagement, traditional institutions and technical boundary processes to resolve them.

The commissioner said parties to the disputes had been directed to stay off contested land until final boundary determinations were made. He said dialogue could ease immediate tensions, while surveying and demarcation were needed to identify the underlying source of disagreements. The ministry is also handling 10 community election disputes and 29 kindred or family cases.

After the deadly Okporojo incident on February 6, 2026, Governor Francis Nwifuru created a committee on the Amasiri-Edda boundary. The committee submitted an interim report on September 8, 2026, after field surveys and stakeholder meetings. Nwifuru subsequently directed parties to maintain the status quo and avoid trespassing.

He also reinstated the dethroned traditional rulers of Ndukwe and Amasiri. Nwobasi denied claims that the ministry demanded gratification, saying security logistics for field missions were standard arrangements coordinated through local government chairmen.