Otuocha

Otuocha
Town
Coordinates: 6°20′18″N 6°51′02″E
Local Government Area	Anambra East
State	Anambra State
Country	Nigeria
Area
• Total	238.0 sq mi (616.4 km2)
Languages
• National language	Igbo
Time zone	UTC+1 (WAT)

Otuocha // is a populated town in Nigeria and serves as the capital of Anambra East, a local government area of Anambra State, Nigeria. It was previously a divisional headquarters of the Anambra Divisional Council during the First Republic of Nigeria (1963–1966). Otuocha was located on the northern side of Biafra, a short-lived nation, and was one of the food baskets of the nation due to its large market during the Nigerian Civil War. It was also regarded as the oldest Local Government headquarters of old Anambra before 1991 when it was split to make up the four prevalent local governments: Anambra East, Anambra West, Oyi, and Ayamelum.

It has a large population, as many people from different ethnic groups in Nigeria dwell in the area. These people include not only the Igbo natives of Aguleri and Umueri but also others from various parts of Nigeria, including the Igala, Hausa, Ijaw, Yoruba, etc. According to oral sources from Umueri, Otuocha land was earlier known as "Otu-Oche" and was a farmstead belonging to the people of Aguleri and Amukwa-Adegbe Village of ancient Umueri Kingdom.

Origin

Founding and etymology

Part of Otuocha land owned by one Ogbuevi Oche from Amukwa-Adegbe village, previously called Otu-Oche (referring to the "port" or shores of Oche), lies on the banks of Omambala river, where many other waterport and local wharf dwells. Though it was a small land, but expands due to the advanced trade immigration and transportation that took over the land. It extends to includes some parts of Aguarkor in the west and Offianwagbo in the East. It was later called "Otuocha", caused by the mispronunciation of its original name "Otuoche" by the early Europeans. Later years, it was believed that Oche's descendants brought Onyekome Idigo, the progenitor of the Idigo family to the land, and called them "nwadiana" or that the nephew to Oche's family brought his people into the land. Till date, Onyekome Idigo's descendants makes up the ruling royal family in Aguleri.

The majority of the inhabitants of Otuocha land are Aguleri, Umuoba-Anam, and Umueri. Due to geographical balance, the Aguleri people dwell mostly in the northern part, while Umueri natives were dominants of the southern part of the town, and the people of Umuoba Anam settles on the central part.

Land dispute

Crisis between Umuleri and Aguleri

Aguleri and Umuleri over the years, had crisis over the town of Otuocha. The traditional based war, was a clarity of the first descendants of the land between the two communities at war. It was lead in view, which of them has superior claim over the territory. The crisis initially arouse in 1933, when Umueri leaders sued Aguleri people over the land, but lost because they had earlier sold the land to Royal Niger Company and therefore had been divested of the rights or title to the land according to the judgement then. The court held that Umueri has nothing left to justify the court giving them declaration of title. Aguleri sensing the loss of case, sued Umueri in 1935 but lost too on the ground that they too could not establish exclusive ownership of the land.

Migration of Umuoba-Anam into Otuocha

Umuoba Anam, another major community in the town and who also was involved in the crisis of 1999, claimed to have migrated into the land in early years of last century precisely in 1900. According to one of the principal witnesses during the Supreme Court's case of 1984, he stated that on entering the land, they were received by the people of Aguleri who collected some money, cows and many other items as an agreement to sell portions of Otuocha land to them. He went further to state that in 1910, the people of Umuleri invaded their land and attacked them but they engaged in peace settlement with Umuleri. As wealthy settlers, they purchased the land too from Umuleri, thereby paying the same price which they had earlier paid to the people of Aguleri.

After 1984 Supreme Court of Nigeria judgment, there was a relative peace existing between the communities until in September 1995 when Umueri community invaded the Aguleri, killing, maiming and destroying properties belonging to the people of Aguleri. From the reports of World Organisation Against Torture & Center for Law Enforcement Education, the crisis emanated in 1994 when Aguleri decided to establish a Motor Park/Market at a location on contested Agu Akor land and destroyed the Blessed Virgin Mary statue mounted on Our Lady of Victory Cathedral Otuocha belonging to the Umueri. It was rumored that Aguleri had been planning to attack Umueri with the support of the then local Government Chairman who was from Aguleri. Umueri petitioned and the then State Government who drafted Mobile policemen into Otuocha between December 1994 and April 1995. This action buried the plots and avoided the violence that would have ensued. Following the re-deployment of the anti-riot policemen out of Otuocha, members of Umuleri community attacked Aguleri on 30 September – 3 October 1995, unleashing massive destruction of human lives and property. In 1995, a Judiciary panel of inquiry was set up by the then Military Government of Anambra State to investigate the crisis and recommend solutions to avoid future occurrence. The report of the Judiciary Panel of Inquiry amongst many other things indicted the then Chairman of the Local Government(an Aguleri native) and the Divisional Police Office (DPO) for involvement(taking sides)in the conflict. It also recommended that State government rebuild many of the destroyed Public Buildings which including Umueri Technical College, Girls High School, Otuocha Postal Office, General Hospital Umueri, etc. The Government of the day then declined to implement or accept the recommendations. In apparent retaliation for yet to be redressed violence of 1995, it was said that the Umueri youths launched attacked on Aguleri in April 1999. The reprisal attacks was said to be carried out because of rumor making round that Aguleri people who at then was engaging in funeral ceremonies of the indicted chairman (who died immediately at the end of 1995 crisis) "wanted seven human heads" to give the former local Government chairman a befitting burial. Another factor was Government disinterestedness in the recommendations of the Panel, amongst many others.

Role and involvement of Umuoba Anam in 1999 crisis

Umuoba Anam was one of three land communities formed in 1991, when Otuocha was split and Anambra State created. Nigerian writer Ifediora Nwabunwanne, in her book entitled "Anambra Day break", argued that the Umuoba-Anam people bought their settlement from Umueri in 1900. This is slightly different from a report from the World Organization Against Torture and the Center for Law Enforcement Education, which said that the settlement was bought in 1898 from the Aguleri community, but following the incessant harassment from Umuleri for the same settlement in the 1910s, they entered into another purchase agreement with Umueri. The people of Umuoba-Anam have always provided a safer zone between the Aguleri and Umueri during the dispute; they sheltered the displaced in 1995. In 1999, the cause of their involvement wasn't clear. It is alleged that they joined forces with Aguleri to attack Umueri. According to sources, Aguleri and Umuoba-Anam reached an agreement, that Umuoba Anam joined them to chase Umueri out of the area, the Aguleri community would give Umuoba-Anam more land to expand their settlement. Umueri during the course of 1995 war, shot nine of Umuoba Anam's sons; killed one and where treated with disdain by Umueri when they complained to them about this saying that it is one after the other(meaning that after they the Umueri's have finished with Aguleri, it will be the turn of Umuoba). This caused resentment within the Umuoba Community and in retaliation for the killing they joined the crisis. The crisis was intervened and resolved during the administration of the Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo, who reportedly visited the land, and calling for the unity of the land in a meeting with the leaders of the three communities.

Infrastructure and government/public buildings

The basic infrastructure of the city was built at a time when the town was the headquarters of Anambra county council and Old Anambra Local Government. The public infrastructures in Otuocha include the Local Government Secretariat, the Divisional Police Head Office, the Aguleri Post office, and Nipost Umueri.

There are many schools in Otuocha, including St. Joseph's Primary School, Ovuakwu Primary School, and Ochei Primary school. Banks with offices in the town include First Bank of Nigeria plc, Aguleri community bank, Umuoba Anam Community Bank, and Umueri Community bank.

Religion and places of worship

The worship of traditional African deities was displaced by Christian and other missionaries. Churches have developed in the town, including both protestant and Catholic congregations. There is an Islamic mosque in Umuoba Anam.

Market and shopping facilities

Otuocha has a viable market called the Eke Market. It is located in the heart of Otuocha on the banks of the Great Omabala River. The market is noted as a major yam transit point in the east bank of the Niger.

Climate

In Otuocha, the wet season is warm, and overcast and the dry season is hot, muggy, and humid. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 19 °C (66 °F) overnight in December to 32 °C (90 °F) by day in February and is rarely below 15 °C (59 °F) or above 33 °C (91 °F). The wet season lasts from April to October, with September the wettest month.

Bibliography

• Obiezuofu-Ezeigbo, E. C. (2007). The Biafran War and the Igbo in Contemporary Nigerian Politics. Genius Press. ISBN 9789780821616.
• Ọgbalụ, F. Chidozie (1982). Animo: A directory of Anambra and Imo States. University Publishing Company. ISBN 9789781602320.

Further reading

• Obiakor, Nwachukwu (2016). "History, Land and Conflict in Nigeria: The Aguleri-Umuleri Experience, 1933-1999". UJAH Unizik Journal of Arts and Humanities. 17 (2): 167. doi:10.4314/ujah.v17i2.10.