OWERRI, Nigeria – Residents of Umuejechi Community, Nekede, in Owerri West Local Council of Imo State have filed a lawsuit against the state government for what they term “forcible and illegal entry into their ancestral land.”
The land in dispute encompasses the property formerly occupied by the Agriculture Development Corporation, ADC, in Nekede.
The community’s counsel, Ugochukwu Okoro, authored and signed a letter stating that the government ignored a court order which had previously recognized the community as the legitimate owners of the land and had prohibited further trespass by the state government.
The community members asserted that they would not yield the land to the state government unless the judgment acknowledging their ownership and possession of the land is overturned.
They voiced their objections to the alleged deployment of armed security personnel by the state government to intimidate and harass locals.
The community is calling on the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Usman Alkali Baba, to probe the incident and ensure that the involved security personnel are held accountable in order to prevent any disruption of peace, law, and order within the community.
The letter which was made available to journalists on Friday, June 16, 2023, reads in part: “Our clients have been having a running battle with the government of Imo State over their ancestral land comprised in the former Agriculture Development Corporation, ADC, Nekede, leased to the government of the then Eastern Region in 1956 but inherited by the Imo State Government.
“Our clients sued the government of Imo State in Suit No. HOW/603/2018; Dr. Etofolam Osuji & 3 Ors V. Governor Of Imo State & 2 Ors in a claim for a declaration of title over the land.
“By a judgment delivered on 27/5/2019, the trial court declared our clients the owners of the land and restrained the government of Imo State from disturbing our clients in their possession and ownership of the land.”
The letter further stated that the government appealed the decision but the Court of Appeal dismissed the government’s appeal on February 17, 2023, and upheld the High Court’s ruling.
The government then appealed to the Supreme Court, but the appeal has not yet been reviewed or heard.
The community alleges that despite the court rulings, the Imo State government, through the Commissioner for Lands, forcefully entered the land, began clearing it, and removed structures and trees without the community’s consent.
When reached for comment, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Public Communications, Collins Ughalaa, pledged to respond, but no statement has been issued as of the time of this report.
