Imo community protests land acquisition, demands more compensation

• Land properly acquired 18 years ago, N360m compensation paid, says govt

While many Nigerians took to the streets to protest against hardship, the people of the Eziama autonomous community in Ngor Okpala Local Council of Imo State chose to protest against the alleged illegal acquisition of their ancestral land.

The community members, who disrupted economic activities in the area accused the Imo State government of not completing the acquisition processes for their ancestral land before it took about 40,000 plots of land from Eziama, Ntu, Alatia, Ikem and Amala autonomous communities.

The protesters, comprising youths, aged men and women, also marched to their monarch, Hyacinth Ikekwe Nwamadi, to lay their complaint.

Leader of the protesters, Chukwuemeka Ekwomadu, and the community’s youth leader, Ahamefula Okereafor, said the then administration of Governor Achike Udenwa, which acquired it, did not complete the necessary processes.

They asked that the current administration of Governor Hope Uzodimma should complete it before handing over part of the land to a private investor.

The protesters, who carried placards, faulted the alleged excision of part of the land to the founder of Zion Ministries, Ebuka Obi.

But Chief Enyinnaya Onuegbu, who held brief for the office of the Commissioner for Lands on behalf of the governor, yesterday, dismissed the allegations, saying that all the necessary processes of acquiring the land and compensations of over N360 million were paid to the land owners when about 2,000 hectares were acquired for use as a licenced Export Processing Zone (EPZ), 18 years ago.

He also said that about a month ago, each community received an additional compensation of N10 million.

He accused the people of Eziama autonomous communities of brewing a fresh crisis.