Imo government denies alleged forceful take over of communal land by its agents

The Imo State Government has reacted to an allegation leveled against it by people of Umuelu village in Umuagwo Autonomous Community, Ohaji/Egbema LGA , of the state over what the community described as forceful take over of their ancestral land.

Addressing Journalists in his office, the Commissioner of Lands, Survey and Physical Planning, Enyinna Onuegbu said, though the government has a plan of taking some parcel of land in the area for developmental purposes, the plan was still on the development stage and that the government has never instructed anybody or group of people to enter the area.

Onuegbu maintained that the government was still in the process of engaging with the community.

He explained that the state government is on the move to acquire the land, even though a perimeter survey has been made by the Surveyor General of the Ministry, remarking that the native owners of the land and private estate developers will be duly compensated before any further action is taken.

“Pursuant to section 28 and 29 of the Land use act of 1978, the state government intends to acquire all parcel of the land known and called Ogburuzo Ugwu, measuring 500,008 hectares and government is ready to pay compensation to anyone who has verifiable interest in the said parcel of land,” Onuegbu said.

Earlier, addressing Journalists, the spokesperson for the Community, Marcellenius Chukwu alleged that agents of the state government invaded their ancestral land and destroyed cash crops and other structures without any notification.

He said they came to the Ministry to find out if the government was aware of those that besieged their farms with security men armed to the teeth claiming to be government officials.

Chukwu hinted that the people of the community were shocked seeing some unidentified group of persons surveying and bulldozing the said land with heavily armed military and police men, shooting recklessly and scaring away the villagers who came around to inquire why they invaded their land.

He noted that some portions of the said land were bought by private estate developers who have been using them productively, saying the land rightfully belongs to Umuelu Umuagwo, not Nkarahia Mgbuishi.

The spokesperson of the community, added that the particular land has never been in dispute since it was handed over to them by their fore fathers.

He recounted that cashable crops worth millions of naira and valuable structures built by some developers were destroyed.

Chukwu pointed out that if the State Government is interested in the Land, that due process should be followed, saying they are law-abiding people and cherish positive development having before now, donated their Land to Government for the establishment of University of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences.

“Before now, there was a land matter between us and our sister community which has already been decided by the Supreme Court and this said land was not part of the dispute. Government owns every land. But it should follow legal process in acquiring our land.”he maintained.

Adding his voice, another Community leader, Joseph Anokwuru Lechi, said the Community will resist any attempt by the government or individuals using force to enter their land.

He urged the government to first consider the interests of the original land owners and those who legally bought some portions of the land before any further move.

Lechi asked the state government not to allow land grabbers use its name to steal away people’s land.

Imo government denies alleged forceful take over of communal land by its agents