Ben Ezechime, Enugu
The Nkomoro Onuogba Nike community, Enugu East Local Government Area, Enugu State, has appealed to former Minister of Power, Professor Bart Nnaji, to stop demolishing their ancestral homes and farmland.
They made the appeal during a peaceful protest in Enugu, alleging forceful takeover of their ancestral land by the ex-minister.
But the former minister who had stoutly claimed ownership of the said land, saying he legitimately bought it over twenty years ago.
During the protest community members carried placards with inscriptions such as “Barth Nnaji has rendered our people homeless,” “His Excellency, Gov. Peter Mbah, please save us,” and “Barth Nnaji leave our land alone.”
The Nkorom Onuogba community who migrated from Ezza in Ebonyi State appealed to Gov. Peter Mbah to save them from being completely rendered homeless.
Speaking, through a representative, Rev. Stephen Itumo, the community claimed it had lived in the area but regretted that Nnaji emerged from nowhere to demolish their homes.
According to Itumo, Nnaji, former Minister of Power, stormed the community with armed security personnel numbering over 100 with eight bulldozers pulling down their houses and leveling their farmlands.
He said the community had land dispute with Onuogba community who then, sold the land to one Titus Alinta.
Itumo said the matter was pending in courts and wondered why Nnaji was the one demolishing their property.
“We woke up Monday morning to find hundreds of police men and bulldozers in our community, pulling down our houses.
“This land belongs to us. We will not let anyone take it away from us. When they came to execute order in 2013, they demolished 264 buildings and raped our women,” Itumo alleged.
Itumo narrated how hey migrated to Enugu State.
“Nkwubor people, a neighbouring community, had land dispute with Onuogba Nike around 1958 that made Onuogba Nike people to approach my people in Ebonyi State who were warriors to help them defeat Nkwubor people.
“We came, fought the war and defeated their enemies which made them to settle our forefathers with this land after a written agreement and oath taking.”
Counsel to the community Jessie -Daniels Onuigbo, said the dispute dated back to 1974 when Onuogba Nike community, neighbours to the Nkomoro, filed a suit in court claiming ownership of the land.
The court gave judgment in favour of the Onuogba Nike community, but the Nkomoro community appealed.
The Court of Appeal upheld the judgment, but the Nkomoro community was not satisfied and appealed to the Supreme Court.
According to Onuigbo, the appeal is still pending at the Supreme Court, but Nnaji, who allegedly bought the disputed land from Alinta, has been trying to take possession of the land by force.
“We were not represented in court when Prof. Nnaji got a judgment to demolish the homes.
“We have filed an appeal against the judgment and are waiting for the court to decide on the matter,” Onuigbo explained.
Reacting, Nnaji, said he had been the owner of the land for over 20 years as he bought the land from Mr Alinta in 2000.
Nnaji who spoke through his surveyor, Mr Okwuchukwu Nnaji, said Alinta purchased the land from Onuogba community in 1977 and got Certificate of Occupancy in 1987 before transferring the ownership to Nnaji in 2000.
He said Alinta went to court with Nkomoro Onuogba community, adding that when he died, his children continued with the matter until 2013 when judgment was given at the Enugu State High Court.
He said execution order took effect immediately.
“It was in the process of executing that order that the Catholic Bishop of Enugu Diocese, Bishop Onaga, intervened.
But, the settlement did not work out. Hence, the recent demolition was in continuation of that execution order.
“They have no evidence of stay of execution order and the land in dispute is approximately 103 hectares. I have letter of authority from Nnaji to parcellate the land,” he said.
