The Luke Chibueze Adonwe Human Foundation (LACH Foundation) has called for an impartial investigation into alleged human-rights violations arising from a land and family dispute in Odomoke Village, Ndiebor Ishieke Community, Ebonyi Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
In an urgent appeal on Sunday by the Foundation's Director General, Barrister Luke Chibueze Adonwe, to the Oha Izhi Nnodo, traditional rulers, community leaders and relevant authorities, the organisation said the complaints concerned Mr Solomon Ezike Nwibo, members of his family and other persons connected with the dispute.
The allegations include degrading and inhuman treatment, public humiliation, intimidation, threats to life, alleged forced displacement and ostracisation, as well as interference with family land, properties and economic interests.
The organisation also alleged attempts to compel Nwibo to surrender land against his will and claimed that some members of the family had been branded as witches or wizards and excluded from their ancestral community.
It further raised concerns over alleged interference with compensation arising from government road construction, alleging that one Udoka Kelvin Ukpa purportedly collected a cheque valued at N8.5 million and additional sums without Nwibo's authorisation.
Children and other vulnerable members of the family were reportedly among those affected by the alleged displacement.
LACH Foundation also referred to video recordings reportedly made in or around 2024 which, according to the organisation, allegedly depicted degrading treatment of persons connected with the dispute.
Some of the materials were subsequently circulated on social-media platforms, allegedly subjecting the affected persons to further public humiliation.
The allegations have not been judicially established. The organisation therefore cautioned against treating any person mentioned in the complaint as guilty.
Among those reportedly named in connection with the matter are Mr Livinus Nwiboko and Mr Chukwuma Boniface Nwebonyi Ebi, alongside about 20 others.
“The precise role of every person must be established through proper investigation and, where necessary, judicial proceedings,” the organisation said.
For security and investigative reasons, the identities of other persons allegedly connected with or supporting the matter have not been published.
Relevant information, according to LACH Foundation, would be made available to competent authorities through appropriate confidential channels.
The intervention, it stressed, was not directed against the Izhi people, their culture, traditions or traditional institutions.
“The alleged conduct of particular individuals must not be regarded as representative of the values, culture or traditions of the entire Izhi Clan,” it said, adding that the protection of human dignity and vulnerable persons should remain central to the resolution of the dispute.
LACH Foundation disclosed that a petition had been submitted to the Police and that two persons had reportedly been arrested following police intervention, with investigations continuing.
It also acknowledged information concerning a counter-petition reportedly lodged at Zone 9, Umuahia, and said all aspects of the dispute should be examined objectively.
The organisation urged the parties to refrain from threats, violence, retaliation or any action capable of escalating tensions, particularly where children and other vulnerable persons may be affected.
It said the matter would continue to be pursued before the appropriate institutions, including the courts, Police and National Human Rights Commission, while stressing that it was not seeking to determine the underlying land dispute through public statements or social media.
“Our intervention is not an online prosecution of the matter,” it said.
The Foundation added that it would neither encourage violence nor pronounce any individual guilty before the conclusion of appropriate proceedings.
It also urged all parties to respect existing court judgments and lawful processes and allow competent authorities to determine any civil or criminal liability arising from the allegations.
The organisation said the dispute presented an opportunity for the Izhi community to demonstrate that contentious land and family matters could be addressed without threats to life, degrading treatment or displacement of vulnerable persons.
“No land dispute justifies threats to life. No community dispute justifies degrading treatment or forced displacement. No person is above the law,” it said.
