Residents of the Amawom community in the Ikwuano Local Government Area of Abia State have cried out over the landslide threatening to cut it off from other communities.
It was gathered that the landslide, which had been affecting the area for some years, was likely to get worse if nothing was done urgently to contain it.
Residents told our correspondent that the problem began like a small gully before metamorphosing into a landslide in recent months to the chagrin of members of the community, whose farmlands, family land and the local stream had been overrun.
It was learnt that many property in the area might be swallowed up before the middle of the year during the rainy season and property owners, including that of a massive hostel building, private had abandoned them in order not to be consumed.
A resident, Nnaemeka Nnanna, stated that the community had made several efforts at getting the relevant agencies of government for proper documentation and solution, which had not paid off in the past three years.
He said, “This is a very huge degradation and it may erase this community before long if the nonchalant attitude of the government agents is not checked.
“Our fear is that the next rainy season may be the last straw that will break the camel’s back as we are already alarmed about the damage it will do to our land.”
Nnanna said he found a stone at the depth of the slide, which suggested that there was human habitation around the area many years ago just like his grandfather told him about the early settlers, who used stones tied on huge sticks for hunting.
Another resident, Love Chukwuma, expressed apprehension over the fate that might befall the people of the community if the menace was left unchecked.
She called for urgent intervention from the government so as to save the community from further destruction.
