The Mbaishi autonomous communities in Ngor-Okpala local government area of Imo State have called on President Bola Tinubu to immediately stop the siege allegedly laid on their 30,000 hectares of land by some personnel of Nigeria’s Military.
The autonomous communities are Umuchie Eziama, Umulu, Umuegirige, Umuogba Eziama, Umuocham Ntu, Umuokpo Ntu, Umuhoko Ntu, and Alatia, all located in the Ngor-Okpala local government area of Imo.
Addressing a press conference on Wednesday in Abuja on the disputed land, the spokesperson of the communities, Dr Ugo Jim-Nwoko, alleged that fully armed military personnel arrived and have laid siege on their 30,000 hectares of farmlands for nine months.
He said that the traditional owners of the land have since been prevented from accessing their farms through a series of intimidation, harassment and brutalisation by the military personnel.
The community leader traced the land issue to 2006 when a former governor of the state, Achike Udenwa, indicated interest in acquiring 2,000 hectares of the land to build a Chinese Village but the project was abandoned due to opposition against the fraudulent acquisition.
Specifically, Jim-Nwoko said two villages dragged the Imo State government to court and got two judgments that annulled the acquisition of the land and also granted perpetual order against the government, restraining it from further trespassing on the land.
However, the community leader lamented that in spite of the subsisting order, the current government of Imo State under Hope Uzodinma suddenly made moves to forcefully take over the land by all means.
To worsen their plight, Jim-Nwoko alleged that Imo State government unlawfully allocated the land to a Zion Ministry Church to build a factory for the production of Red Candle, Olive oil, holy water and Worship Center without consulting the real traditional owners of the land.
He accused the Imo State government of breaching the 1999 Constitution, adding that such land can only be acquired by the government in the overriding public interest and not to serve the interest of any church or individual, no matter how highly placed or connected.
Insisting that the unlawful actions of Imo State government was capable of causing security challenges, the community leader pleaded with President Tinubu to wade into their plight.
He urged the President to order the withdrawal of the military personnel from the land so as to enable them to begin their yearly farming.
“We state further that ever since the deployment of the military, police and other security personnel, our indigenes are being intimidated and cowed, thereby giving the Imo State government and the Zion Ministry the latitude to encroach on our farm lands.
” They have in the process, destroyed all economic trees and other crops which are the main economic sustenance of our agrarian economy,
“We are a peace loving and law abiding citizens who will not take laws into our hands, hence, the need for the media to help us call on Mr President, the Chief of Army Staff and the Inspector-General of Police to withdraw the security personnel from our land and stop them from intimidating law abiding citizens.”
At the press conference were public affairs analyst and mediator, Dr Sam Amadi and Barrister Armstrong Ukwuoma, among other community leaders.
