Ebonano Community Petitions Gov. Soludo Over Alleged Land Grabbing by Pineleaf Estate

The villages of Umuobia, Umuechem, Ifite, and Uruedeke—collectively known as the Ebonano Community of Umuoji in Idemili North Local Government Area, Anambra State—have petitioned Governor Chukwuma Soludo over alleged land grabbing by Pineleaf Estate, owned by Chief Bishop Onyeka Nzekwesi.

The petition, dated September 12, 2025, and filed by the law chambers of Ifeanyi Enemo, accused Pineleaf Estate and Properties Ltd. of “continuous harassment, destruction, and threats to lives” on the disputed Mpia land in Umuoji, allegedly carried out with the backing of armed soldiers and security operatives.

According to the petition, the community had previously reported invasions in December 2024 and February 2025, during which farmlands were destroyed by bulldozers under heavy security escort. The matter is already before the High Court in Ogidi, with Pineleaf Estate listed as the third defendant in Suit No. HID/201/2025, where preliminary motions are scheduled for hearing on December 2, 2025.

Despite the ongoing litigation, the petitioners allege that on September 11, 2025, officials of Pineleaf Estate again led armed soldiers and policemen to clear vast portions of the Mpia communal lands, destroy crops, erect signboards, and threaten to “shoot at sight” anyone who resisted.

The petition stressed that Pineleaf Estate has “no single registered document” to justify its claim over the disputed land, accusing the company of acting with impunity and disregard for the Nigerian constitution, which vests authority in the courts to determine disputes.

The petition, copied to top security chiefs including the National Security Adviser, Chief of Defence Staff, Inspector General of Police, DSS Director General, and the Anambra State Commissioner of Police, urged Governor Soludo to intervene urgently to prevent a breakdown of law and order.

Efforts to obtain a response from Pineleaf Estate’s Public Relations unit were unsuccessful, as calls and messages to their office remained unanswered at the time of filing this report.