Intersociety hails Soludo’s intervention in Onitsha market, family land dispute

By Jeff Agbodo, Abakaliki

The International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) has commended the Anambra State Government for intervening in the lingering dispute between the Onitsha Ozomagana Building Materials Market Association and the Modebe Family over ownership of a property in the state.

The human rights organisation said the intervention was timely, noting that the dispute, which resurfaced in November 2025, required a comprehensive and impartial resolution.

In letters dated Friday, July 24, 2026, and delivered the same day to the Secretary to the Anambra State Government, Mrs. Amaka Nnaka; the Attorney General of the State, Tobechukwu Nweke, SAN; and the Commissioner for Commerce, Mr. Nomso Ebonwu, Intersociety commended the government for stepping into the matter.

In a statement by its Chairman, Mr. Emeka Umeagbalasi, the group called for a thorough investigation and speedy conclusion of the intervention process initiated by the State Ministry of Commerce.

Umeagbalasi said a copy of the letter addressed to the Secretary to the State Government was also delivered to Governor Chukwuma Soludo.

Intersociety urged the state government, through the office of the Secretary to the Government and in collaboration with the Ministry of Commerce, to consider setting up a special panel of inquiry to complement the ministry’s investigation and provide a comprehensive solution to the dispute.

The group said such a move would help restore normalcy and ensure a secure and conducive business environment at the market.

Meanwhile, in a separate letter to the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Tunde Disu, Intersociety called for an immediate halt to what it described as the criminalisation of the civil dispute by the IGP’s Special Investigation Unit (SIU) and other police formations involved in the matter.

The organisation alleged that some leading traders in the market association had faced arbitrary arrests, unlawful detention and alleged extortion since April 2026.

It demanded that the case file be returned to the Anambra State Police Command and transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), while urging full enforcement of the July 7, 2026 directive issued by the state government to all parties involved.

Umeagbalasi called on the IGP to direct officers and personnel of the SIU, Legal Department and other units involved in the matter to immediately withdraw from the case and stop further arrests and detention over what he described as a purely civil property dispute.

He said any officer found to have acted improperly should be investigated and sanctioned, while those allegedly detained unlawfully should be released.

“The IGP was also called upon to issue a directive returning or transferring the case file(s) to the Anambra State Commissioner of Police for onward transfer to the State Criminal Investigations Department (SCID) for continuation or discontinuation of any investigation and total enforcement of the State Government’s July 7, 2026 directive to all the parties involved,” Umeagbalasi stated.