Community leader alleges contractor altered plan, sold part of approved land

MEMBER of Aku village families that own the land on which the prison was erected, who holds the traditional chieftaincy title of Egbue dike N’oguno, Chief Moses Ekwuilo has alleged that the contractor that built the prison, perhaps in the course of building the place removed the ancient landmark, which clearly showed the boundary demarcating Ezinifite and Ekwulobia.

According to Ekwuilo, whose house is adjacent to the prison walls, said emphatically “I know he sold part of the land mapped out in the survey plan from behind the prison walls. The beneficiaries consequently erected buildings on the ancient landmarks. If proper investigation is carried out today or in future, all those buildings behind the prison walls will go and the land recovered.

He added that to make up with what was sold surreptitiously behind, the contractor then extended the prison premises in front thereby encroaching further into more Ezinifite families lands, until he was physically checkmated by the families. “Go to any of the families there and ask, they will tell you more,” adding he may have done so with intent or unintentionally.

“It is such that the electricity transformer earlier mounted behind the prison was later moved inside the premises, while the concrete stand remains till date,” the community leader maintained.

Also when the gate was being constructed, the contractor chose to put it by the side. I quickly interjected. I went to see the state comptroller of prisons, who called him, to order after going through the relevant documents.

Going back to the beginning of the crisis, Chief Ekwuilo said when he got wind of the plan to transfer the Boko Haram prisoners to his community, he became troubled and quickly informed his traditional ruler, the President General, the Aguata Council chairman, who incidentally is from Ezinifite.

“We all met and deliberated on it and chose to take our time. We resolved not to make the first move or confront anyone, but to wait and watch,” he revealed.

Ekwuilo continued: The next thing we saw was a contingent of stern-looking armed soldiers arrive. It was on Saturday, June 27, 2015. Again, followed the arrival of military Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) that were brought in by low-bed articulated vehicles.