By Mick Oseji, Asaba
The Asagba of Asaba, His Royal Majesty, Prof. Epiphany Chigbogu Azinge, SAN, OON, has brokered a peace agreement between Ajaji Quarters and Ezeafadia Village over a long-standing communal land dispute, resolving the contentious issue through a series of royal directives aimed at restoring harmony between the two communities.
The reconciliation was reached on Wednesday at the Asagba’s palace in Asaba, where he received the leadership of Ajaji Family, led by its Okpala Ukwu, Ogbueshi Thomas Enyenabo, alongside elders of Ezeafadia Village, led by its Diokpa, Ogbueshi Patrick Onyemenam.
As part of the resolutions, Ezeafadia Village is to receive 25 per cent of the proceeds accruing from the unshared communal land in dispute, while the remaining 75 per cent will be shared equitably among the six villages that constitute Ajaji Quarters.
The Asagba also maintained the existing embargo on the sale of the disputed communal land until December 2026, when he is expected to lift the restriction.
The intervention followed an earlier effort by the monarch to resolve the dispute.
According to a press release issued by Chukwura Ogechukwu Charles, Palace Media Assistant to the Asagba, His Majesty recalled constituting a committee on October 25, 2025, to examine the dispute between Umuaji Quarters and Ezeafadia Village.
The committee’s findings, presented to the royal throne, indicated that Ajaji Quarters had a communal landholding.
However, during deliberations, Ogbueshi Chike Onyemenam, SAN, drew attention to a 1952 Supreme Court judgment, arguing that it took precedence over the 1946 judgment relied upon by Ajaji Quarters.
After listening to the submissions from both sides, the monarch emphasised the need to prioritise peace and reconciliation over prolonged disagreement among communities linked by common ancestry.
In a further move to consolidate the settlement, the Asagba directed Ezeafadia Village to withdraw its pending court case against Ajaji Quarters, describing reconciliation as essential to restoring peaceful relations.
He also directed Enyenabo, the Okpala Ukwu of Ajaji, to convene an inclusive stakeholders’ meeting involving members of the six villages to promote transparency and ensure collective participation in decisions concerning the communal land.
The monarch urged members of Ajaji Quarters to maintain unity and brotherly relations, while calling on Ezeafadia Village to address its internal differences through greater harmony and cooperation to prevent a recurrence of the dispute.
Earlier, Obi Agbogidi Sammy Ogochukwu and Onyemenam expressed appreciation to the Asagba for his intervention and efforts to reconcile the parties. They also offered prayers for divine guidance, protection and wisdom for the monarch as he continues to lead the Asaba Kingdom.
The meeting ended on a celebratory note, with representatives of both communities joining the monarch for a group photograph, according to the palace statement.
The settlement marks a significant step towards resolving the dispute, although the implementation of the agreed terms, including the proposed withdrawal of the court case and the eventual lifting of the land-sale embargo, remains central to sustaining the peace.
