BY ANTHONY OCHELA
Elders of Umuocha Village of Avu Autonomous Community in Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State have slammed a N10.4 billion fundamental rights suit against the Inspector-General of Police, IGP, and four others for illegally attempting to use brute force to seize community land for Engr Christian Onyekachi.
The suit, marked CV/701/2026 and filed on February 17 at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory by a former Attorney-General of Imo State, Chukwuma Ume (SAN), seeks redress for fundamental human rights breaches.
It disclosed that the applicants, Elder Godwin Okpara, Elder Chijioke Maduike, Sir Reginald Mbajunwa, Engr Franklin Mbajunwa, Mr Ikechukwu Uba, Mr Davison Uba, and Mr Ifeanyi Uba, were mercilessly beaten by the police when they complained against the demolition of their land known as ‘Mgbabo Uzji.’
The applicants were said to have been beaten, their land and houses demolished by bulldozers, while a camera and phone of a journalist assigned by Imo Broadcasting Corporation, IBC, to cover the demolition were forcefully and unlawfully damaged.
Beside the beating, the applicants were arrested and moved to Abuja overnight.
The IGP, DSP Charles Peace, Onyekachi, Vertex Estate Nigeria Limited and Imo State Housing Corporation were listed first, second, third, fourth and fifth respondents, respectively.
The are praying for an order of the court restraining the respondents from interfering in the land dispute.
They are also asking for declaration that it was unlawful and ultra vires the power of the first and second respondents to move aid the third to fifth respondents against the applicants for the purpose of taking the applicants land.
They also want a declaration that the act of the first and second respondents restraining and preventing the applicants from entering their land was unlawful and ultra vires the power of the Nigeria Police Force.
They also asked for further declaration that the physical assault and merciless beating of the applicants, as well as the demolition of their land and houses by the respondents was a violation of their fundamental human rights, among others.
Therefore, the applicants are praying for an order of the court for special damage of N20 million against the respondents covering costs of hospital bills for the treatment of the applicants that were mercilessly beaten and sustained injuries.
They also want an order of the court for aggravated damages of N10 billion against the respondents for their false imprisonment.
