Otuocha is a town and Headquarters of Anambra EastLocal Government Area of Anambra State, Nigeria. It was previously a divisional headquarters of Anambra Divisional council during the first Republic and also the old Local Government Headquarters of Old Anambra local government area that was broken to create the following four prevalent local governments: Anambra East, Anambra West, Oyi and Ayamelum LGAs. It has a large population as many people from different ethnic groups in Nigerian dwell in the land. These people include not only the original Igbo natives of Umuleri and Aguleri but others from other parts of Igbo land including the Hausa, Ijaw, Yoruba, etc. Otuocha is an important town in Nigeria east of the Niger as it serves as the food basket to the entire people of Southeastern States.
Origin
The history of Otuocha has been the source of problem that exist between the two major groups that live in Otuocha land. Oral source had it that Otuocha land was earlier known as Otuoche and was a farmstead belonging to the people of Amukwa-Adegbe Village of Umuleri. The small parcel of land that was later expanded and known as Otuocha was owned by One Ogbuevi Oche from Amukwa-Adegbe Village and the land was then known as "Otu-Oche, being the fact that it is at the bank of the Great Omambala River where many other "ports" or local "wharfs" are located. Though at the beginning, it was a very small portion within the shores of the Omambala River but with migration and expansion, it extends to includes some parts of Aguarkor in the west and Offianwagbo in the East. The name was originally called "Otuoche" but was corrupted by the advent of Europeans who mispronounced the name as "Otuocha". Since then the town has been known as Otuocha. The Umuleri version of origin stated that Oche's descendants brought Eze Idigo, the progenitor of Idigo family to Otuocha being a "nwadiana" or nephew to the Oche's family and that he was the person that brought his people into the land. Where as Aguleri claimed that Idigo founded the land as vacant piece of land and brought the other Aguleri into the land as can be seen from the website:
Natives
The Major people living in the town of Otuocha are the Aguleri and Umuleri people. Whereas, the Aguleri dwell mostly in the northern part of the town, Umueri are found mostly in the southern part of the town, along the tarred road leading from Oya-Agu Abagana to Otuocha market. Another groups found in the town are the Umuoba Anam who co-habits the central part of the town along with the two hosts. There are other groups from other part of Igboland living as tenants and residents in the town and these include the Hausa, Ijaw and Yoruba communities.
Land disputes
The crux of problems that militate the growth of this town lies in the age-long land disputes over Otuocha land which have led to lots of violence and animosities between the two hosts, Aguleri and Umuleri communities. The question is which of the two communities first settled at the land and which of them has superior claim over the territory now called Otuocha? The case was first heard in 1933 when Umuleri leaders sued Aguleri over the land but lost because they had earlier sold the land to Royal Niger Company Limited and therefore had been divested of the rights or title to the land according to the judgement then. The court held that Umuleri 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. In 1964, an attempt by Anambra County Council to alter the name of Otuocha headquarters to "Otuocha Aguleri" led to another suit by Umuleri Community and this was major reasons for the crisis of 1964 in which some people were killed and properties destroyed. The Nigeria Civil War interrupted the legal battles between the two sides as the case was suspended. After the war, the East Central State Government restored the name to Otuocha. In 1975, Aguleri again sued Umuleri claiming exclusive ownership of Otuocha. They lost on the same ground as before. They appealed to the Court of Appeal who reversed the decision of the High Court. The Umuleri Community appealed to Supreme Court which decided that neither community could claim exclusive ownership of Otuocha but the lead Judge Obaseki was unanimous on his judgment that "Otuocha was a vacant piece of land but it was the people of Umuleri who first came into the land and have lived there for at least 100 years before the people of Aguleri infiltrated", though he does not believe that it is the peo
