An Onitsha business man, Mr. Chibuzor Ezeamaka, has made passionate appeal to the Inspector General of Police (IG), Usman Alkali Baba, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State and the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone Five, Benin, to come to his rescue over the dispute arising from the land he bought from Umu Odogwu, Ogboli family of Ibuzor in Oshimili South Local Government Area of Delta State.
Briefing newsmen in Asaba, Delta State capital, Ezeamaka narrated his inability to access the land in which he paid four million, five hundred thousand naira (N4.5m) on October 2021. Chibuzor alleged that all his efforts to take possession of the land had been frustrated by one Chief Anthony Uwechue, who is a well known land grabber in the area.
Chibuzor also alleged that the Delta State Police Command has not helped the matter. It is alleged that the top hierarchy seemed to have been working in concert with Chief Uwechue.
The business man said his appeal has become neccessary to avoid unnecessary bloodshed over the land, saying that the release of those who were engaged in a shoot-out with the members is RRS would embolden Uwechue and his boys.
Chibuzor said he bought the land from one Rev. Gideon Ogbonna who claimed that the land was given to him by Rev. Owen Ebubechukwu of Reality Ministries.
Rev. Owen equally claimed that he bought the land 12 years ago from Nwalama family of Umu-Odogwu, Ogboli family of Ibuzor.
Confirming the ownership of the land which was sold to Chibuzor, Iwuanya Nwalama said the land in question was their family land .
He said that they had common boundary with the Umuodase Quarters of Ibuzor and they with Umuodase people have been in court with Asaba people.
Iwuanya said they have been witnesses to each other in the matter, saying that Uwechue got his judgement against Asaba people, started selling his land but when his own finished, he connived with some people, changed the original map to include their own land.
“He started claiming our land and disturbing our clients. Uwechue used hoodlums to disturb our clients where they were developing their land,” Iwuanya said.
But Chibuzor said this matter had been reported to the State Police Commissioner who asked an officer to handle it.
They invited Uwechue but unfortunately he turned down the invitation, and rather told the Police to come to his house, wondering how an accused can have such audacity to refuse Police invitation.
Chibuzor said, in search of justice, he took the matter to Rapid Response Squad (RRS ) who went with him and his workers to the site but Uwechue allegedly used his armed boys to openly attack them.
In the ensuing cross-fire with the Police, about eight of Uwechue’s boys were arrested, two pump action riffles and expended pellets were recovered too.
But instead of arraigning Uwechue and his boys, the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Mr. Olajide Kolawole, took over the matter and dismissed it , saying that the parties should go to court since Police does not adjudicate over land matters.
Chibuzor queried what happened to people who were caught carrying arms and ammunition which has become a criminal matter, accusing the Delta State Police Command hierarchy of working for Chief Uwechue to perpetuate illegalities.
