2 hours ago
1
The people of Umuene, Amigbo village in Ishi-Ozalla community, Nkanu West Local Government Area, Enugu State, on Thursday, protested the alleged forceful takeover of their ancestral land.
The aggrieved descendants of Nwafor Ogbodo Nwachi accused one Mike Onu of conniving with other alleged land grabbers to unlawfully take possession of their family land without any valid documentation.
During the protest, the demonstrators marched around the community and later moved to parts of Enugu metropolis carrying placards with inscriptions such as: “Our grandfather’s land is not your property, hands off now,” “Mike Onu stop the land grabbing,” “No consent, no construction,” and “Enugu State Government please come to our aid.”
Other placards read: “This land belongs to our family, not you,” “Trespassers will face the judgment of God,” and “Justice must prevail.”
Speaking to journalists during the protest, Dr. Modester Chekwube Muoneke alleged that members of the family had been marginalized and treated as if they had no one to speak on their behalf.
“My people are being marginalized and treated as if they don’t have anybody to speak for them,” she said.
Muoneke explained that sometime in 2025, the family noticed that a man identified as Mike Onu had entered the land which she described as the ancestral property of her grandfather, Nwafor Ogbodo Nwachi.
According to her, when the family filed a petition, Onu claimed he had purchased the land. However, she alleged that investigations revealed that the person he claimed sold the land denied ever selling it.
She further alleged that Onu entered the land with armed thugs and began construction without presenting any ownership documents.
“He entered our ancestral land with armed thugs and started building without any documents. He is erecting structures on our land now,” she said.
Muoneke also alleged that the case the family instituted at Agbani was later moved to Enugu, claiming that the suspect was attempting to use the judiciary to frustrate the legal process.
“We are crying out for the world to hear us and appealing to the Enugu State Government to come to our aid. We are saying no more land grabbing in Nkanu land,” she said.
She further alleged that the accused had been threatening the family, claiming he had influence within the police, the judiciary, and even government authorities.
Muoneke warned that what she described as a growing trend of land grabbing could lead to the loss of ancestral lands belonging to the people of Ozalla community if urgent intervention was not taken.
“We have approached him peacefully to present the documents for the land he claimed to have bought and take back his money, but he could not provide any document. Instead, he threatened us with his influence,” she added.
She questioned the legitimacy of the alleged sale, insisting that no member of the family had the authority to sell their ancestral land.
“How can my son come back and sell my father’s land, claiming my father asked him to do so when he never even met my father alive?” she queried.
The protesters called on the Enugu State Government and security agencies to intervene and ensure justice is served.
Reacting to the allegations, Onu maintained that he followed all due processes in acquiring the land and possesses the necessary documents to back his claim.
Onu, who declined to comment extensively on the matter because it is already before the court, said he lawfully acquired the property.
He insisted that the protesters were not the rightful owners of the land.
“The protesters are not the owners of the land. I followed every due process in acquiring it and I have all the documents with me. However, the case is already in court,” he said.
Meanwhile, despite the ongoing legal dispute, Onu is currently erecting a structure on the land.
