HUNDREDS of residents of Ebenesi community in Nnobi, Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State, took to the streets on Monday in a furious protest against the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) over plans to demolish more than one thousand houses to make way for high-tension power lines.
The protesters, carrying placards bearing various inscriptions, lamented that the TCN had marked over one thousand buildings across seven villages that make up Ebenesi, a quarter of Nnobi.
They alleged that the company had issued affected landlords and residents a mere fourteen-day notice to vacate their properties, warning that any structures not removed would be demolished at the owners’ expense.
Marching through the major roads and streets of Nnobi, the demonstrators appealed directly to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Federal Government, and Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo to intervene.
They called for the provision of an alternative residential area or, failing that, urged the TCN to reroute the power lines underground to spare their ancestral homes.
Monarch Promises to Relay Grievances to Governor
Addressing the crowd at the palace, the monarch of Nnobi, His Royal Majesty Engineer Muodum Nick Obi—represented by the palace secretary, Chief Obianumba Ajaghaku—expressed sympathy for the protesters and assured them that their concerns would be conveyed to Governor Soludo.
“Nnobi is a densely populated area. There are sparsely populated areas, but I feel your pains. I will take your request to the Governor,” he said.
PG Warns of Delicate Balance Between Development and Displacement
At the residence of the President General of Nnobi, Chief Olubialu, who was flanked by executives of the Nnobi Welfare Organisation (NWO), the community leader acknowledged the need for development but insisted that the matter required careful handling. He disclosed that he had already raised the issue with a state commissioner.
“We cannot overlook development. In one of my discussions with the commissioner, I told him to tell the TCN to come to us for discussion. This TCN line affected half of Awuda community and half of Ebenesi community. We want development, but we want it in a way it won’t affect our people adversely,” Chief Olubialu stated.
He reminded the protesters that under the Land Use Act, the government is the legal owner of land, but pledged to continue engaging with the authorities in a positive manner.
Ancestral Homes at Risk, Says Community Leader
Chief Patrick Nwayaku, Chairman of Amadunu, told the gathering that the affected lands were ancestral homes and had never previously been marked for demolition for a TCN line. He revealed that the dispute had been ongoing for approximately fourteen years and that the matter was already before the courts.
“We are saddened to tell the TCN, the government, and the Physical Planning Board that the affected lands are our ancestral homes. There was never a time it was previously marked for demolition,” Nwayaku declared.
Governor’s Aide Sparks Chaos with ‘Cost of Development’ Remark
Trouble erupted when Dr. Nelson Omenugha, an aide to Governor Soludo on Youth Reformation, addressed the protesters along Awka-Etiti Road. While assuring the crowd that the government would look into their grievances, Omenugha added that “development comes with a cost”—a statement that infuriated the protesters and quickly degenerated into a heated exchange of words and blows.
Omenugha was forced to beat a hasty retreat as security operatives intervened, escorting him to his vehicle and driving him away from the volatile scene.
Fourteen-Day Notice ‘Causing Deaths’, Says Protest Leader
Earlier, the leader of the protesters and Chairman of Ebenesi Community, Chief Ikechukwu Oraka, condemned the TCN’s fourteen-day ultimatum as grossly inadequate. He alleged that the situation had already caused deaths, with some residents falling gravely ill upon learning that their homes were to be demolished.
Oraka urged the government to shelve compensation offers and instead provide alternative settlements for displaced families or compel the TCN to route the lines underground.
One of the affected landlords, Chief James Okeke, echoed these sentiments, stressing that the community was not opposed to development but was demanding proper planning and resettlement.
“We are not saying that government should not bring development. We are saying let it be planned well. Not just to come suddenly to displace us. Let them give us a place to resettle,” Okeke pleaded.
The protest highlights growing tensions between critical national infrastructure projects and the rights of communities whose ancestral lands lie in the path of development, with residents vowing to resist any demolition until their demands are met.
