By Anthony Ochela, Abuja
Six communities in Mbaishii in Ngor-Okpala Local Government Area of Imo State have accused the state government of forcibly acquiring their ancestral farm lands and gifting it to a private individual under the guise of public interest.
Addressing a world press conference yesterday in Abuja, spokesperson for the people of Umuchie Eziama, Umuogba Eziama, Umuocham Ntu, Umuokpo Ntu, Umuhoko Ntu and Alatia-Amala, Dr Ugo Jim-Nwoko decried the way and manner that their land was forcefully acquired and given to Evangelist Ebuka Obi’s Zion Ministry to be turned into a worship centre.
He wondered how lands that sustain the people economically would be, with the connivance of government led by Governor Hope Uzodinma, be given to a religious organisation for its purported plan of building an old people’s home, production of red candles, holy water, olive oil and a Serafic potable water plant.
Lamenting their ordeal, Dr Jim-Nwoko, who was flanked by Dr Sam Amadi and other representatives of the communities, said the communities, through their solicitors, Kelechi Amaliei & Co, had petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, IGP; Chief of Army Staff, National Human Rights Commission, NHRC; resident and humanitarian coordinator of the United Nations; president of the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice, Attorney-General of the Federation, AGF, and Minister of Justice; chairman, Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, and the press conference being part of their effort to seek amicable resolution of the matter.
At the forum with the theme: ‘Looming Economic Genocide: Our Cry To The World,’ Jim-Nwoko said the land measuring 30,000sqm, was the mainstay of the communities who are mostly farmers, but is now being occupied by the military and other security agents under the instruction of Governor Uzodinma.
He noted that in the 2024 farming season, they were able, as usual, to cultivate very large proportions of their farmlands spanning over 10,000sqm with crops like cassava, yams, potatoes, vegetables and other edible roots and grains.
He said while they were expecting to enjoy a bountiful harvest from their 2024 farming season and also commence farming activities for 2025 season, their hopes and high expectations were dashed, as they saw massive deployment of men of the military, police and other security personnel on the instructions of the Imo State government.
Jim-Nwoko said since the beginning of 2025, government agents with the help of security personnel had been destroying their farms and their yields from the 2024 farming seasons, and also preventing them from farming on the lands, all in a bid to forcefully take over their farmlands under the guise of compulsory land acquisition.
He said the act of the state government in destroying people’s only means of livelihood can best be described as an economic genocide which has grossly imperiled their economic survival and existence, and they are already envisaging a prolonged drought, famine and hunger, come next year and beyond.
Jim-Nwoko noted that while the people concede to the right of government to compulsorily acquire lands within the state, they also insisted that such acquisition must be for demonstrable overriding public purpose with strict compliance with the due process of law in consonance with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and the Land Use Act 1978.
He recalled that sometime in 2006, the state government under the governorship of Chief Achike Udenwa had indicated interest in compulsorily acquiring about 2,000 hectares of land for a certain Chinese village.
He added that, however, the move was aborted following the insincerity of the handlers and the consequential widespread opposition and multiple litigations by indigenous land owners and other stakeholders against perceived illegality.
The community urged President Bola Tinubu and other stakeholders to wade into the matter with a view to get the governor to tow the path of reason and allow the people access to their land which is theirs by right.
