Ex-minister Nnaji, Enugu community bicker over land

The Nkomoro Onuogba Nike community, Enugu East Local Government Area, Enugu State, has appealed to former minister of power, Barth Nnaji, to stop demolishing their ancestral homes and farmland.

They made the appeal during a news conference on Friday in Enugu, alleging that the former minister had forcefully taken over their ancestral land.

The community members carried placards with inscriptions such as “Barth Nnaji has rendered our people homeless”, “Gov. Peter Mbah, please save us”; and “Barth Nnaji leave our land alone”.

The Nkorom Onuogba community, which migrated from Ezza in Ebonyi State, appealed to Governor Peter Mbah to prevent them from becoming homeless.

The community’s claim

Speaking through a representative, Stephen Itumo, the community claimed it had lived in the area for decades and regretted that Mr Nnaji “emerged from nowhere to demolish their homes.”

According to Mr Itumo, former minister of power, stormed the community with armed security personnel numbering over 100 and eight bulldozers pulling down their houses and leveling their farmlands.

He said the community had a land dispute with the Onuogba community, which then sold the land to Titus Alinta.

Mr Itumo said the matter was pending in courts and wondered why Mr 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 the order in 2013, they demolished 264 buildings and raped our women,” Mr Itumo alleged.

Mr Itumo narrated how they migrated to Enugu State.

“Nkwubor people, a neighbouring community, had a land dispute with Onuogba Nike around 1958 that made Onuogba Nike people 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 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 the 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 Ms Onuigbo, the appeal is still pending at the Supreme Court, but Mr Nnaji, who allegedly bought the disputed land from Mr 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 we are waiting for the court to decide on the matter,” Ms Onuigbo explained.

Counter-claim from Nnaji

Reacting, Mr Nnaji, said he had been the owner of the land for over 20 years as he bought the land from Mr Alinta in 2000.

Mr Nnaji who spoke through his surveyor, Okwuchukwu Nnaji, said Mr Alinta purchased the land from Onuogba community in 1977 and got Certificate of Occupancy in 1987 before transferring the ownership to Mr 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.

He said the execution order took effect immediately.

READ ALSO: Enugu govt explains how much private schools should pay as taxes

“It was in the process of executing that order that 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 Mr Nnaji to parcellate the land,” he told the News Agency of Nigeria.