Atali Women Protest Alleged Land Invasion

Over 300 women from Atali community in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State on Friday staged a peaceful protest over an alleged invasion of their Egbelu Rumukamalu Atali land by their neighbouring Umuazu and Umuakonu communities of Igbo in Etche Local Government Area of the state.
The women who dressed in black attire carried various placards marched to the state Government House main entrance gate in Azikiwe Road to register their anger over the alleged invasion of their land.
Some of the inscriptions on the placards displayed read: “Government save our souls; our women do not go to farm again; we don’t want violence and government kindly intervene,” among others.
Speaking to journalists at the venue of the peaceful protest, the president of Atali women council, Mrs Christiana Ekezie said the two Igbo communities had continued to forcefully occupy their land despite an alleged court injunction restraining them from taking possession of their land.
Mrs Ekezie also alleged that the Umuazu/Umuakonu community had graded and was selling their farm land without regards to the owners of the land, adding that the community has no other land left for them to cultivate.
According to her, the protest was to urge state government’s timely intervention in the matter, adding that the continued forceful occupation of their land by the neighbours was a direct provocation on Atali community.
Also speaking, the secretary of the group, Mrs Joy Amadi and a stakeholder, Mrs Anthonia Efekuru appealed to the state government to mediate over the dispute and stop the Etche communities from continued selling of their land in order to avoid confrontations that would lead to violence.
When contacted , the Umuakoru and Umuazu communities of Etche Local Government Area of the state who spoke through their Legal Counsel, Mr Azubuike Ihemeje said it was untrue that there was a subsisting court order against them.
Azubuike said the land purportedly in dispute which was being challenged in a court, was ancestral land belonging to his clients and berated the people of Atali community for staging a protest when the matter was currently under litigation and described such as contempt of court.