There is palpable anxiety, confusion and fear seemed to have enveloped Ette community and indeed other parts of the state following claims and counter claims of ceding the community to Kogi state, North Central geopolitical zone.
WITHIN NIGERIA gathered that for decades, there has been long running dispute between Enugu state and Kogi state over the legal ownership of Ette community.
However, while Enugu state government claimed that the community which is in Igbo-Eze North local government belongs to Enugu state, over 90% of the community pay their huge political allegiance to Kogi state.
Our reporter gathered that the reason was hinged on the alleged political marginalisation being meted out on them by Enugu state government.
In any case, on December 7, 2025, the National Boundary Commission, NBC issued a statement, directing the Enugu state government to desist from further encroachment on the community
In a statement signed by Aisha Abdullahi for the Director of the Commission asked the local government chairman, Engr. Uche Ogalla to stop further forceful erection of signpost in the community.
The letter entitled “RE: URGENT: FORCEFUL ERECTION OF SIGNPOST IN ETTE COMMUNITY, KOGI STATE IN DISREGARD OF STATUS QUO ANTE DIRECTIVE” directed to Enugu state governor and made available to WITHIN NIGERIA partly read thus;
” The National Boundary Commission is in receipt of a letter from His Royal Highness Dr. Oguche Adah Matthew, the Ochai Adogo I of Ette on the above referred subject dated 27th November 2025.
” The letter drew the attention of the Commission to an alleged forceful erection of signpost in Ette community of Kogi state by Hon. Engr. Michael Uche Ogalla, the Executive chairman of Igbo-Eze North local government area of Enugu state.”
The Commission, through the letter also directed the Enugu state government to stop further encroachment, parcellation and fencing of land in the community.
It also directed that the proposed chieftaincy coronation by the Enugu state government in the community on December 29, 2025, be suspended pending the determination of the Commission after the emplacement of the permanent pillars along the boundaries.
Nevertheless, following this development, there has been ill feelings by the people of Enugu state over the alleged “secret ceding” Ette community to Kogi state.
As the feeling continued to resonate in the social media, on December 19, 2025, the Enugu state government issued a statement, debunking the rumour of ceding the community to Kogi state.
The release, which was signed by the Secretary, Enugu state boundary Dr. Solomon Ejim, entitled ” Enugu state debunks fake news on the Enugu state-Kogi state boundary dispute,” partly reads thus;
“The attention of the Enugu state government has been drawn to a fake and misleading online report claiming that the National Boundary Commission (NBC) has made a decision on age-long interstate boundary dispute between Enugu state and Kogi state to the effect that Ette community in Igbo-Eze North LGA of Enugu state has been administratively ceded to Kogi state.
” Enugu state government wishes to state categorically that the report is fake. The Director-General of NBC has also been contacted by the government and he vehemently debunked and disowned the report as outright false and not emanating from the Commission.”
The Enugu state government, however, asked the people of the community to go about their normal businesses without any fear of molestation.
