Otuocha

Otuocha is a town and Headquarters of Anambra East Local Government Area of Anambra State. It was previously a divisional headquarters of Anambra Divisional council during the first Republic and also the old local Government Headquarters of Old Anambra local government area that was broken to create the following four prevalent local governments: Anambra East, Anambra West, Oyi and Ayamelum LGAs.

It has a large population as many people from different ethnic groups in Nigerians dwell in the land. These people include not only the original Igbo natives of Umuleri (Umueri) and Aguleri but others from other parts of Igbo land including the Hausa, Ijaw, Yoruba, etc. Otuocha is an important town in Nigeria east of the Niger as it serves as the food basket to the entire people of South Eastern States.

Origin

The history of Otuocha has been the source of problem that exist between the two major groups that live in Otuocha land. Oral Source had it that Otuocha land was earlier known as Otuoche and was a farmstead (Farmland) belonging to the people of Amukwa-Adegbe Village of Umuleri. The small parcel of land that was later expanded and known as Otuocha was owned by One Ogbuevi Oche from Amukwa-Adegbe Village and the land was then known as "Otu-Oche (referring to the "Port" or shores of Oche), being the fact that it is at the bank of the Great Omabala River where many other "ports" or local "wharfs" are located. Though at the beginning, it was a very small portion within the shores of the Omabala (Anambra) River but with migration and expansion, it extends to includes some parts of Aguarkor in the west and Offianwagbo in the East. The name was originally called "Otuoche" but was corrupted by the advent of Europeans who mispronounced the name as "Otuocha". Since then the town has been known as Otuocha.

The Umuleri version of origin stated that Oche's descendants brought Eze Idigo, the progenitor of Idigo family to Otuocha being a "nwadiana" or nephew to the Oche's family and that he was the person that brought his people into the land. Where as Aguleri claimed that Idigo founded the land as vacant piece of land and brought the other Aguleri into the land as can be seen from the website: [1]

Natives

The Major people living in the town of Otuocha are the Aguleri and Umuleri (Pronounced "Umueri") People. Whereas, the Aguleri dwell mostly in the Northern Part of the town, Umueri are found mostly in the Southern Part of the town, along the tarred road leading From Oya-Agu Abagana to Otuocha Market. Another groups found in the town are the Umuoba Anam who co-habits the central part of the town along with the two hosts. There are other groups from other part of Igboland living as tenants and residents in the town and these include the Hausa, Ijaw and Yoruba communities.

Land disputes

The crux of problems that militate the growth of this town lies in the age-long land disputes over Otuocha land which have led to lots of violence and animosities between the two hosts -Aguleri and Umuleri communities. The question is which of the two communities first settled at the land and which of them has superior claim over the territory now called otuocha. The case was first heard in 1933 when Umuleri leaders sued Aguleri over the land but lost because they had earlier sold the land to Royal Niger Company Limited and therefore had been divested of the rights or title to the land according to the judgement then. The court held that Umuleri has nothing left to justify the court giving them declaration of title. Aguleri sensing the lost of case, sued Umueri in 1935 but lost too on the ground that they too could not establish exclusive ownership of the land. In 1964, an attempt by Anambra County Council to alter the name of Otuocha headquarters to "Otuocha Aguleri" led to another suit by Umuleri Community and this was major reasons for the crisis of 1964 in which some people were killed and properties destroyed. The Nigeria Civil War interrupted the legal battles between the two sides as the case was suspended. After the war, the East Central State Government restored the name to Otuocha. In 1975, Aguleri again sued Umuleri claiming exclusive ownership of Otuocha. They lost on the same ground as before. They appealed to the Court of Appeal who reversed the decision of the High Court. The Umuleri Community appealed to Supreme Court which decided that neither community could claim exclusive ownership of Otuocha but the lead Judge Obaseki was unanimous on his judgment that "Otuocha was a vacant piece of land but it was the people of Umuleri who first came into the land and have lived there for at least 100 years before the People of Aguleri infiltrated". Though he does not believe that it is the people of Umuleri that allowed the Aguleri into the land.

Umuoba Anam, another major community in the town and who also was involved in the crisis of 1999, claimed to have migrated into the land in early years of last century precisely in 1900. According to one of the principal witnesses during the Supreme Court's case of 1984, he stated that on entering the land, they were received by the people of Umuleri who collected some money, cows and many other items as an agreement to sell portions of Otuocha land to them. He went further to state that in 1910, the people of Aguleri invaded their land and attacked them but they engaged in peace settlement with Aguleri by purchasing the land too from Aguleri thereby paying the same price which they had earlier paid to the people of Umuleri.

After 1984 Supreme Court of Nigeria Judgment, there was a relative peace existing between the communities until in September 1995 when Aguleri community invaded the Umuleri, killing, maiming and destroying properties belonging to the people of Umuleri. From the reports of World Organisation Against Torture & Center for Law Enforcement Education, the crisis emanated in 1994 when Aguleri decided to establish a Motor Park/Market at a location on contested Agu Akor land and destroyed the Blessed Virgin Mary statue mounted on Our Lady of Victory Cathedral Otuocha belonging to the Umuleri. They destroyed all the signposts bearing Umuleri and left the ones bearing Aguleri. It was credibly rumored that Aguleri had been planning to attack Umuleri with the supports of the then local Government Chairman who was from Aguleri. Umuleri petitioned and the then State Government who drafted Mobile policemen into Otuocha between December 1994 and April 1995. This action buried the plots and avoided the violence that would have ensued. Following the re-deployment of the anti-riot policemen out of Otuocha, members of Aguleri community attacked Umuleri on 30 September – 3 October 1995, unleashing massive destruction of human lives and poperty.

In 1995, a Judiciary Panel of Inquiry was set up by the then Military Government of Anambra State to investigate the crisis and recommend solutions to avoid future occurrence. The report of the Judiciary Panel of Inquiry amongst many other things indicted the then Chairman of the Local Government(an Aguleri native) and the Divisional Police Office (DPO) for involvement(taking sides)in the conflict. It also recommended that State government rebuild many of the destroyed Public Buildings which including Umueri Technical College, Girls High School, Otuocha Postal Office, General Hospital Umueri, etc. . The Government of the day then declined to implement or accept the recommendations. In apparent retaliation for yet to be redressed violence of 1995, it was said that the Umuleri youths launched attacked on Aguleri in April 1999. The reprisal attacks was said to be carried out because of rumor making round that Aguleri people who at then was engaging in funeral ceremonies of the indicted chairman (who died immediately at the end of 1995 crisis) "wanted seven human heads" to give the former local Government chairman a befitting burial. Another factor was Government disinterestedness in the recommendations of the Panel, amongst many others

Involvement of Umuoba Anam in 1999 Crisis

Umuoba Anam is third of the three Major communities that make up Otuocha. According to a book entitle "Anambra Day break " written By Idediora Nwabunwanne,they bought their settlement from Umuleri in 1900 where as report from World Organization Against Torture and Center for law Enforcement Education the settlement was bought in 1898 from the Umuleri Community but following incessant harassment from Aguleri for the same settlement, in 1910 they entered into another purchase agreement with Aguleri for the same settlement. The Umuoba Anam have always provided a safer zone between the Aguleris and Umuleris in the spasmodic crisis between the two Communities. Umuoba Anam also sheltered the displaced people who fled to them for refuge during the attacks of 1995. The cause of their involvement in 1999 is not yet clear. It is alleged that they (Umu Oba Anam) joined forces with Aguleri to attack Umuleri. According to the Umuleri source, Aguleri and Umuoba Anam, reached a pact that if Umuoba Anam joined them to chase Umuleri out of the area, the Aguleri community would give Umuoba Anam more land to expand their settlement. On the Part of Umuoba Anam, a source said that Umuleri during the course of 1995 "war' shot Nine of their sons; killed one and where treated with disdain by Umuleri when they complained to them about this saying that it is one after the other(meaning that after they the umueri's have finished with Agulueri, it will be the turn of Umoba) . This caused resentment within the Umuoba Community and in retaliation for the killing they joined the crisis.

The crisis was eventually brought to an end by the interference of the federal Government of Olusegun Obasanjo whom personally visited the effected areas and invited the leaders of the three communities to the state house for a meeting.

Infrastructure and government/public buildings

The basic infrastructure of the city was built at a time when the town was the headquarters of Anambra county council and Old Anambra Local Government. Due to crisis and perceived Government Neglects, there is no much improvement in basic infrastructure. The followings are public Infrastructures in Otuocha: The Local Government Secretariat,Divisional Police Head Office along the Otuocha-Oyeagu Road,the Aguleri Post office,Nipost Umuleri etc.

There are many Schools in Otuocha which Includes:St. Joseph ’s Primary School, Ovuakwu Primary School, Ochei Primary school amongst many others. There are also banks which includes First Bank of Nigeria PlC, Aguleri Community Bank, Umuoba Anam Community Bank and Umuleri Community bank.

Religion and places of worships

Though Otuocha just like any other town in Anambra enclave worships Traditional African gods but with advent of Europeans and Christianity, a lot of churches have sprung up in the town amongst the following: Our Lady of Victory Catholic Pro-Cathedral Otuocha; St Joseph's Catholic Church Aguleri; St Augustine's Catholic Church, Umuoba Anam; St Gabriel's Anglican Church Udeabor Umuleri and many other denominational churches.

Market and shopping facilities

Otuocha has a viable Market call "Eke" Market. It is located within the heart of Otuocha at the bank of the Great Omabala River. Though market activities goes along daily in the market, "Eke" Market day is a special market day as traders and buyers from all walks of life comes for business. The market is also a major Yam transit point in East of Niger

References

Christopher Nwabunwanne Ifediora "Anambra Day break Series".

Nigeria law Reports 140; George Okafor & Others (Umuleri) Vs Eze A.E Idigo & Others (Aguleri) {1984} 1 SCNLR,481.

Nigeria Law reports, Okafor Egbuche & another (Umuleri) vs Chief Idigo & another (Aguleri) 1934 11.

World Organization Against Torture and Center for Law Enforcement Education Report Government White Paper on otuocha Crisis para 2:08(i).

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