Supreme Court of Nigeria has laid to rest, a decades-long land dispute between the Onuogba Nike community in Enugu East Local Government Area of Enugu State and the Ezza Nkomoro migrant community from Ebonyi State, upholding the Court of Appeal judgement in favour of Onuogba Nike community.
Delivering the judgment in Abuja on Friday, July 3, 2026, a panel of the Supreme Court, presided over by Justice Abba Aji , upheld the earlier ruling of the Court of Appeal, reinforcing the legal position of the Onuogba Nike community over the disputed land., ending one of the longest-running communal land disputes involving the two neighbouring communities.
Supreme Court of Nigeria on Friday, July 3,2026 upheld the Appeal Court ruling over Onuogba–Ezza Nkomoro land dispute
Reacting to the judgment, former President-General of the Onuogba Nike community, Emmanuel Ubosi, described the verdict as a triumph of justice, saying it had vindicated the position consistently maintained by the community throughout the legal proceedings.
“This judgment is a victory for justice. Our forefathers gave portions of the land to the Ezza Nkomoro people to settle, but they failed to honour the agreement that governed that arrangement,” Ubosi said.
He alleged that the dispute escalated after members of the Ezza Nkomoro community extended beyond the areas originally allocated to them.
“Places such as Ogbanu and Ndume were never part of the land made available to them. The problem started when they moved beyond the agreed boundaries,” he said.
Ubosi called on members of the Ezza Nkomoro community to embrace peace and comply with what he described as the original agreement reached by both communities’ forefathers.
“We urge them to accept the judgment in the interest of peace and abide by the original understanding. If they fail to do so, we will take lawful steps to reclaim our land,” he warned.
The dispute, which has lingered for several decades, reportedly resurfaced after portions of the disputed land were sold by members of the host community, triggering fresh disagreements and renewed legal battles between the two communities.
As of the time of filing this report, the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the Supreme Court judgment had not been released to the public.. Efforts by Newslineglobally to obtain the reaction of representatives of the Ezza Nkomoro community were to no avail, and their position on the judgment could not be immediately confirmed.
Further updates are expected as more details emerge following the release of the full judgment.
