Urum Community raises alarm over sale of Ochiokwa land
By Chukwudi Ebele
Residents of Urum Community in Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra State have raised concerns over the alleged sale of more than 1,000 plots of communal land at Ochiokwa to a private developer, without the community’s consent.
Community leaders say the land was reportedly sold to Mr Chukwuemeka Okechukwu Kingsley, also known as Nwagu Ata Ahihia, for the development of what is described as Heaven Estate. They insist the transaction was carried out without the knowledge or approval of the town’s President General or its Town Union leadership.
The community has described the alleged sale as an affront to its authority, insisting that Ochiokwa land is communal and historically significant. Leaders say the land lies at the boundary between Urum, Achalla and Amanuke and forms part of the community’s ancestral heritage.
In response, youths, elders and community leaders, led by the President General of Urum Community, Hon Sir Felix Godwin Oranye, visited the site to warn the developer to stop further entry and development.
Mr Oranye said the land was reclaimed by Urum after past communal conflicts, during which lives were lost, describing it as sacred land that must not be encroached upon.
The community has also warned the Anambra State Ministry of Lands and its officials against issuing any Certificate of Occupancy or processing documents relating to the land in favour of the developer or his associates.
Community leaders allege that farmlands owned by Urum women and economic trees valued at millions of naira were destroyed during what they described as illegal development activities.
They have questioned claims that the land sale was endorsed by traditional authorities, saying no such approvals had been presented to the recognised community leadership.
In a video circulating online, Mr Kingsley is seen at the disputed site calling on investors to ignore opposition from the community. He said his intention was to bring development to the area, citing its proximity to Awka and Regina Caeli Junction.
Meanwhile, the community has published a caveat emptor notice in Vanguard Newspapers of 12 February 2026, warning the public against buying or investing in the Ochiokwa land.
The notice states that the land is currently the subject of two lawsuits pending before the High Court of Anambra State and urges government authorities to suspend all land-related actions, including registration and issuance of Certificates of Occupancy, until the cases are determined.
According to the publication, solicitors to the Urum community accused the defendants of attempting to initiate land registration processes despite full knowledge of the ongoing litigation, an action they described as fraudulent and contemptuous of the court.
The notice further demanded that restrictions be placed on relevant land registry records pending the outcome of the suits.
