- Igbo elders, traditional rulers, and stakeholders have dismissed claims that the Igbo people don’t sell land to non-Igbo individuals.
- They argue that this claim is baseless and intended to incite ethnic division.
- Leaders of the Hausa and Yoruba communities in the Southeast have corroborated the Igbo elders’ stance, stating that they have been living and doing business in Igbo land without any issues.
Igbo elders, traditional rulers, and other stakeholders have dismissed claims that the Igbo people don’t sell land to non-Igbo individuals. They argue that this claim is baseless and intended to incite ethnic division.
Eze Kalu Kalu Ogbu, the paramount ruler of Abiriba Ancient Kingdom, emphasized that strangers willing to buy land and develop it for useful purposes are always given the opportunity to do so. He noted that the claim is an attempt to blackmail the Igbo people, as they are willing to sell land to interested investors.
Similarly, Ezeogo Sunday Oketa, the traditional ruler of Nkaliki Echara Unuhu autonomous community, stated that he has personally supervised the sale of land to non-Igbo individuals, including the Chairman of the Cattle Sellers Association in Abakaliki, Alhaji Salusi. Oketa emphasized that the Igbo people are magnanimous and have sold lands to people from various ethnic groups.
The Association of Igbo Town Unions (ASITU) also disputed the claim, stating that Igbo people are willing to sell land to interested and willing buyers from any part of the country. ASITU emphasized that the only condition is that the proposed buyer must negotiate with the real owner of the land.
In addition, leaders of the Hausa and Yoruba communities in the Southeast have corroborated the Igbo elders’ stance, stating that they have been living and doing business in Igbo land without any issues. They emphasized that the claim is a mere attempt to incite ethnic division and should be disregarded.
