The indigenes of Umuelu in Umuagwo Community in Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State have decried the invasion and forceful acquisition of their land located along Port Harcourt Road by the Imo State Government and a few individuals.
They alleged that the government and certain individuals have, over the years, been encroaching on their land and provoking disputes.
In a chat with Ohaji/Egbema Practising Journalists in Owerri on Thursday, Marcellinus Chukwu, a prominent leader in the area, stated that they visited the Ministry of Lands, Survey and Physical Planning, Owerri, to ascertain whether the government is aware of the encroachment on their ancestral land.
Chukwu expressed shock that an unidentified group of persons had entered their land to survey and bulldoze it, accompanied by heavily armed military and police officers who were allegedly shooting recklessly and scaring away peaceful, unarmed villagers who came to inquire about the invasion. He further alleged that crops and properties were destroyed and the land was forcibly taken.
He noted that some portions of the land were purchased by private estate developers who have been using them productively, asserting that the land rightfully belongs to Umuelu Umuagwo, not Nkarahia Mgbuishi.
He said: “the land is not in dispute as the Supreme Court clearly did not mention such in its judgement”.
