By Izunna Okafor, Awka
Residents of Odumodu-Ani Village in Umunya, Oyi Local Government Area of Anambra State, have raised an alarm over what they described as an alleged invasion and destruction of their ancestral farmland and property by an alleged land speculator, identified as Chinedu Ezekwesili, popularly known as Edu Baron.
The villagers, who appealed to the Anambra State Government and their representatives at various levels to urgently intervene, said the development had left many families facing serious hardship after their farmlands, crops, economic trees and some buildings were allegedly destroyed.
The aggrieved residents, including aged men and women, as well as youths and children, recently staged a protest in the community, carrying placards with various inscriptions including, “Please, Governor Soludo, they have destroyed our farmlands and economic trees”; “Please, come to our aid, Mr. Governor”; “We are homeless”; “Governor Soludo, our lives are in danger”; and “Governor Soludo, Please come to our rescue”, among others.
They also marched through parts of the village while chanting songs of sorrow, calling for government intervention over what they described as an escalating land dispute.
When newsmen visited the area, large portions of the disputed land were seen to have been graded, while some buildings had been pulled down. Several economic trees were also seen to have been uprooted, with access roads opened through portions of the farmland.
Members of the Eziudo Family, which claims ownership of the land, told journalists that the property covered more than 1,000 plots and had been handed down through generations.
They explained that the land was not merely agricultural property to the community but a major source of livelihood, as residents had traditionally cultivated crops there to feed their families and generate income.
According to them, the crisis started when Ezekwesili allegedly arrived at the land with some suspected thugs and earth-moving equipment, claiming that he had acquired the property.
The villagers alleged that even while they were yet to find out who reportedly sold the land to the speculator as claimed, his men began to chase farmers away and commenced the grading and demolition activities. They further claimed that crops which they had already planted were uprooted or crushed, while mature economic trees were felled.
The residents also alleged that a stream which served as a major source of natural water to the community had been blocked with sand in the course of the development, further worsening their concerns about their access to water and other impacts of the activities on the environment.
According to the villagers, the alleged invasion had affected virtually every aspect of their lives in the community, particularly farming, which they said remained the mainstay of many families.
Odumodu Umunya, according to reports, is known for garri production, but the residents said the ongoing destruction had affected and also prevented them from accessing and cultivating their farmlands this year.
Several victims recounted how they had invested their savings and other resources in cultivating their farms, only for the crops and other investments to allegedly be destroyed by caterpillars.
They said the loss had created difficulties in feeding their families, trading and meeting other basic needs, while some residents were also worried about where they would live following the reported demolition of buildings.
Speaking to newsmen, the 94-year-old Prince Ozoekwe Nwoye, traced the history of the disputed land, stressing that the land was inherited from their forefathers and was never intended to be sold.
According to him, the ancestors had preserved the land so that their descendants could build houses, live there and continue to derive their livelihood from it.
Nwoye and the other family members therefore expressed concern that the alleged destruction could deprive future generations of their ancestral inheritance.
Another affected resident, 75-year-old Israel Mbamalu, joined others in lamenting the scale of destruction allegedly caused to the community’s farmlands and properties.
Mbamalu, alongside Chinonso Mbamalu, Mrs Akpuaka Victoria, Mr. Chukwuma Ananaya and other residents, said the development had imposed severe economic and emotional pressure on families who depended on the land.
They specifically appealed to Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, the President-General of Umunya, Chief Chinedu Ekwugha, and the member representing Oyi Constituency in the Anambra State House of Assembly, Hon. Innocent Ojike, among others to intervene.
Recounting how the trouble started, the villagers said that the alleged land speculator arrived with more than 300 men and caterpillars and proceeded to take control of the land and demolish structures.
They further alleged that he had threatened them and boasted that they had no influential person to speak on their behalf or stop him from carrying out his activities on the property.
The residents also claimed that the alleged land speculator threatened their lives and told them that he could do whatever he wanted with the land, including demolishing structures thereon.
A video reportedly obtained from the area also appeared to show the alleged land speculator directing a group of young men during a visit to the land.
In the footage, he was allegedly heard instructing the men to carry out demolition work, including the pulling down of a particular residential building standing on the land. He was also seen directing the men to get some officers from a particular police station to provide security for them while carrying out the demolition.
The affected residents said they were particularly worried about the alleged threats to their safety and appealed to the authorities to act before the situation escalated.
They maintained that their demand was for the government and relevant authorities to investigate the matter, protect their lives and property, prevent further destruction on the land, restore the property to them and permanently resolve the ownership dispute to restore peace.
The villagers also appealed to their community leadership and political representatives not to allow the matter to linger, stressing that the destruction of the farmlands had already placed many families in difficult circumstances.
They called for urgent steps to halt further activities on the disputed property and restore peace in the community.
Some videos from the scene:
