No fewer than 40 houses were yesterday burnt by a mob, following a clash between Umusieme village in Nkpor and Ikenga village, Ogidi, both in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State.

About 10 persons sustained bullet wounds, following gunshots in the area.

Sources stated that the mayhem was induced by the decision of Ikenga Ogidi community to effect a Supreme Court judgement, which granted the community a portion of land that had been in dispute between Ikenga Ogidi and Umusieme Nkpor.

Investigation revealed that Umusiome community had sold a large portion of the land in question to individuals and groups, thereby complicating matters.

It was reliably gathered that those who purchased the land in the area joined the Umusieme community to resist the Ikenga villagers from taking over the land, apparently in order not to lose their buildings and the land they had purchased at high cost.

When Daily Sun visited the area, it was discovered that several buildings had been burnt, while many of the residents had vacated the area for fear of being attacked.

Contacted, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) for Ogidi Division, Mr. Isa Abubakar, confirmed the incident, saying the land dispute had been a major issue in the area.

He told journalists that his men had been deployed in the area in dispute to maintain peace.

The DPO appealed to the warring groups to give peace a chance, adding that the state police command was on top of the problem.

•Source: Daily Sun. Photo shows Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State.