KEY POINTS

• Residents of Ewulu community accused police of releasing a murder suspect linked to a deadly land dispute.
• The suspect, Emeka Anukwu, allegedly shot and killed a community member during a meeting over alleged fraudulent land sales.
• Community members expressed outrage after the suspect was reportedly released a day after his arrest despite ongoing murder allegations.

Tension has gripped the Ewulu community in Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta State after residents accused the police of releasing a man identified as Emeka Anukwu allegedly involved in the killing of a community member during a violent dispute over land sales.

The suspect, identified as Emeka Anukwu, popularly known as “Ikanda,” was accused of shooting and killing Nwabgoniwe Ezim during a heated meeting held on September 30, 2024.

According to community members, the meeting was convened by the traditional ruler of the community, Obi S.G. Onyeweuwa, to address allegations of fraudulent land dealings and growing violence surrounding the sale of communal farmland.

Residents said the community had agreed to sell parts of its land to raise money for urgent developmental projects.

However, controversy erupted after allegations surfaced that Emeka, who chaired the committee overseeing the land sales, allegedly inflated the number of plots sold and exceeded the quantity approved by the community.

The alleged irregularities reportedly angered many youths in the community, who demanded the refund of about N9 million believed to have been lost in the process.

Monarch Dissolves Land Committee Over Fraud Allegations

Following the accusations, the traditional ruler reportedly dissolved the land committee headed by Emeka Anukwu.

Community sources alleged that the committee was scrapped after it was discovered that several land transactions were carried out without proper approval and were allegedly designed to enrich certain individuals.

Eyewitnesses claimed that during the tense meeting, an argument broke out between Emeka and some members of the community. In the middle of the confrontation, Emeka allegedly walked to his vehicle, retrieved an AK-47 rifle, and opened fire.

Nwabgoniwe Ezim was reportedly shot and died on the spot, throwing the gathering into chaos.

The incident was first reported at the Nsukwa Police Station before the case was transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Asaba for further investigation.

In a related incident linked to the same crisis, another man identified as Chadiji Collins, said to be an associate of Emeka, allegedly shot a resident, Chukwude Anukwu, in the leg during the unrest.

Sources said Collins also allegedly used an AK-47 rifle during the attack.

The victim survived the shooting and was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Asaba, where he received treatment.

That case was also transferred to the State CID in Asaba for investigation alongside the murder case.