By Izunna Okafor, Awka
What could be best described as pandemonium erupted in Awka, the Anambra State capital, over the week, following a controversial eviction exercise allegedly carried out by the Catholic Diocese of Awka with the backing of a court order, which left tenants devastated and counting losses running into tens of millions of naira.
The eviction, which reportedly took many shop owners and tenants unawares, was said to have stemmed from a ruling by a Magistrate Court that declared the Catholic Church as the rightful owner of the said property, located along the Secretariat Road in Awka.
Reports have it that the disputed property was originally constructed by a late Reverend Father, who allegedly handed it over to his nephew, the man the tenants knew and addressed as their landlord prior to the court ruling.
It was, however, gathered that after the Reverend Father’s passing, the Awka Catholic Diocese filed a suit claiming ownership of the building, stating that it belonged to the church rather than an individual.
The ruling, according to reports, invalidated the ownership claims of the man whom the tenants had for years known and dealt with as their landlord.
However, the tenants, who had neither been informed of the legal tussle over the property nor served any prior notice before their instant eviction, described the action of the Diocese and security operatives as shocking, inhumane, and utterly unjust.
Many said they were jolted out of sleep on Thursday morning with urgent calls and videos showing uniformed security agents and court bailiffs breaking into their shops under the rain and flinging their goods out onto the flooded street.
Among those affected was renowned human rights activist and Convener of the Recover Nigeria Project, Comrade Osita Obi, who recounted how he was undergoing physiotherapy when he received a distress call about the invasion. According to him, his wife, who is the rightful tenant of one of the shops, was out of town when the said enforcers came. And by the time he rushed to the scene, valuables and stock thrown out from their shop had already been destroyed by the downpour.
Obi said he alone lost goods worth over ₦5 million, while other shop owners — including some of those who had just paid rent and invested heavily in shop renovations and perishables — recorded collective losses exceeding ₦9 million. He lamented that such cruelty could be meted out to law-abiding citizens running legitimate businesses in their state without even a day’s notice to vacate.
He noted that while no one is contesting the court’s ruling in favour of the Diocese, the humane and lawful thing would have been to serve the tenants a formal notice, as stipulated in property eviction procedures. He wondered how a religious institution like the Church could resort to such a brute-force approach, leaving vulnerable families and young entrepreneurs in sorrow, shock, and financial ruin.
“This is not about who owns the property. It is about the rights of tenants who were never told about any case in court and who deserved at least 48 hours’ notice to evacuate their shops and safeguard their goods. What happened here is pure wickedness,” he lamented.
According to eyewitnesses, the stern-faced security operatives barricaded the area, broke padlocks, forced shop shutters open, and ordered the evacuation of wares into the rain. It was gathered that no resistance was entertained, while some shop owners who were too shocked to respond, reportedly collapsed upon arriving to witness the wreckage.
Nearby traders said they had never witnessed such a high-handed approach in executing a court judgment and called on the government and rights groups to wade into the matter.
Comrade Obi, who vowed not to let the issue die silently, said he had already petitioned the Awka Area Commander of the Nigeria Police, who, in response, have invited him for a formal discussion. He said the actions of the Diocese and the enforcement agents must be scrutinized, and justice must prevail to avoid setting a dangerous precedent for property disputes and tenant rights in the state.
He also called on Governor Charles Soludo and the Anambra State Judiciary to intervene and to investigate the process of enforcement of the said court ruling, which he emphasized lacked empathy, fairness, and legality. He further urged all affected tenants to remain calm and unite in seeking redress through lawful channels.
