There is a precarious situation in Umuijem community in Avu, Owerri West local government of Imo State over what they described crude aggression against their people by some agents of government in collusion with gangsters to forcefully take over their land.
In a statement signed by the elders and heads of the family of Umuokata, Elder Roland A. Nwachukwu and Elder Jephter J. Opara, the community cried out over how Imo State Housing Corporation led by Chinedu Mbakwe had destroyed the fences they built to secure the land, especially the economic crops from the rampaging herdsmen.
They group accused Mbakwe of playing Pontius Pilate by claiming to be ignorant of the criminal intention while claiming to be fighting insecurity.
They extolled Governor Uzodimma’s 3R Government for recovering people’s land that were illegally acquired by the past administration, wondering the reason for the sordid development occasioned by the action of the incumbent Imo Housing Boss in connivance with some unscrupulous elements guided and protected by armed men.
The Elders vow to pursue the matter to a logical conclusion through legitimate means and that they are ready to lay down their lives in the course of recovering their ancestral land.
Meanwhile, NewsTrack Nigeria spoke to the General Manager of Imo State Housing Corporation, Hon. Chinedu Mbakwe who denied the land grabbing incident but rather said he had only supplied the assailants with tractors and security to clear the bush following reports of the insecurity in the area by some armed herdsmen,
he also said that apart from the reason for which he had deployed machines and security, “I am ignorant of any other thing that is happening at the sight.
“I have done my part”, he concluded.
It is suggestive that the General Manager follows up on the matter and find out if the people he sent to do a job has gone beyond the job description. they are being accused of already giving people allocation to the the ancestral land.
Meanwhile, NewsTrack learnt from the statement of the community that the matter is already in court, an issue that should be dealt with before and other action.
The statement reads:
Tell Imo Housing Corporation To Leave Our Land Alone, Avu Community Urges Gov Uzodimma
Umuokata family in umuijem, Avu Owerri West local government area of Imo State wishes to appeal to the Governor of Imo State, Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma to intervene on the ongoing crude aggression against our family and entire Umuijem clan over our ancestral land.
While we appreciate the alleged intervention of the state Government through the office of the General Manager, Imo State Housing Corporation, Chinedu Mbakwe, we are also aware that there is a hatched plan to dispossess us of our ancestral land.
It is a fact that Chinedu Mbakwe is playing Pontius Pilate because he is taking advantage of the said security challenges to grab our land by proxy, thereby playing mafioso don, an act that is highly reprehensible in public service.
Working with unscrupulous elements led by Okey Nwelue and Mr. Erege to forcefully and criminally annex our ancestral land will not work, except you want us all dead.
Recall that towards the end of 2022, Imo Housing Corporation botched its promise to meet with our people because they want to subterraneously grab our land.
We must remind that it is the contempt of the court since the matter is already in court. Imo Housing Corporation has never made any appearance because they have no defence. For avoidance of doubt, the suit number is HOW/789/2019.
We are heartbroken by the sad incident of knocking down our fence and total obliteration of our economic crops worth hundreds of millions by gangsters working for the Imo Housing Corporation supervised by one Okey Nwelue and Mr. Erege.
Our people were tortured by a troop of hungry and angry gunmen, with Nwelue and Erege laughing to scorn, as our people were thoroughly beaten and subjected to varying degrees of inhuman treatments by armed men in our own land.
While we abhor illegality and dangerous doctrine of necessity, we appeal to His Excellency, Senator Hope Uzodimma to call these Mr. Mbakwe to order and ask them to leave our land.
We applaud the effort of the 3R government under Uzodimma’s watch to recover government and Imo citizens’ property that were illegally grabbed, and that is why we are shocked by this sheer level of recklessness.
Meanwhile, we call on the general public to keep off from the ancestral land of Umuokata and by extension Umuejim ancestral land, do not commit your money to it as such investment is tantamount to waste. We shall ensure we follow every legitimate means to recover our land even if it means killing all of us.
