An 82-year-old former Education Secretary in Abia State, Onukwuo Joseph Onuegbu, has made a desperate appeal to the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 9 Umuahia, and the Abia State government to protect him from alleged death threats over a land dispute.

Speaking to journalists at the Correspondents' Chapel office in Umuahia, Onuegbu alleged that members of the Ogbuti family had physically assaulted him and threatened to take his life over a parcel of land called Ebeh, which he claims to have inherited from his father in 1957.

According to Onuegbu, in March 2025, he and his daughter Christiana were violently chased away from the disputed land, which he says he had been farming or leasing to farmers for decades.

"I reported the matter to the Bende Division of the Nigerian Police Force, but my complaint was not properly addressed. This prompted me to take the case to the Amaogwu village arbitration Panel for amicable resolution," Onuegbu explained.

He further alleged that during the second day of the arbitration proceedings, he was attacked. "They pounced on me, beating me with a big stick, dislocating my left shoulder and inflicting a big injury on my head. They had earlier beaten an 80-year-old man, Iroanya Onukwuo, to stupor," he claimed.

The elderly man, who says he is still recovering from his injuries, expressed fear for his life due to continued threats.

However, Mr. Ogbuti Chukwuemeka, speaking on behalf of the Ogbuti family, denied the allegations. "I am telling you that nobody beat him, nobody chased him or is threatening his life. I don't have boundaries with him; he is the one dragging my own land which I have been operating for over 40 years," Chukwuemeka stated.

Land disputes are common in many parts of Nigeria, often leading to prolonged conflicts and sometimes violence, particularly in rural communities where land ownership is traditionally passed down through generations.

As of the time of reporting, neither the Zone 9 Police Command nor the Abia State government has issued an official response to Onuegbu's appeal for protection.