Authorities of the Correctional Service and landowners in Avu community, Imo State, have condemned persistent land grabbing in the state, calling on the government to return 38.76 hectares forcefully taken from them by suspected agents of the state.

The land, originally 61 hectares, was allocated to the Prisons Service under the 1977 master plan of Imo State.
Speaking to journalists, Chief Sam Anokam, attorney for the Corrections Service and affected allottees, decried the encroachment:

“I am protecting the MoU the government signed with the Prisons and their compensatory rights. They broke the Correctional Service fence and demolished houses under the pretext of chasing criminals. This is not how you chase criminals. Our demand is clear: restore the land immediately, or all allottees and the Correctional Service will occupy it.”

Anokam also warned that individuals illegally buying land in Owerri West, originally excised to host communities by the Federal Government, risk losing their purchases.

Deputy Controller of Corrections, I. Stanley Chima, representing the Controller, Mike Okorie, confirmed the service had reported the encroachment to relevant government agencies. “This is their land. Any demolition without due process is unacceptable,” he said.

Elder Vincent Njoku, PRO of the Avu Elders Council, added: “Some persons, accompanied by security agents, broke fences and demolished structures. Land grabbing is a serious problem here. If nothing is done, the community risks losing its land entirely. The intimidation must stop.”

In response, Imo State Commissioner for Lands, Chief Enyinnaya Onuegbu, said Governor Hope Uzodimma ensures due process in land administration.

“The Ministry handles all documentation appropriately, ensuring lawful allocation and compensation where necessary,” he stated.