'We are able to die in our dwelling' – Imo household vows as govt invades ancestral land

The Nkwazema household of Nekede, Owerri West LGA of Imo State, has vowed to stake their lives to guard their ancestral land from allegedly being taken away from them by officers of the state authorities.

The indigenes lamented that some authorities officers led by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Monitoring and Compliance, Nze Chinasa Nwaneri, allegedly invaded their land with armed safety males and forcefully evicted occupants.

Speaking on behalf of the affected household, Felix Uchenna Ihemeze Nkwazema alleged that Nwaneri ordered a gaggle of boys, stated to be thugs, to invade and destroy homes and different properties within the land, which they claimed initially belonged to them.

Nkwazema stated that they have been shocked at how Nwaneri and his alleged thugs began erecting fences instantly after destroying their property.

He hinted that Nwaneri solely mapped out the graves of their dad and mom and began fencing the land, which he claimed was over 10 plots with residential homes.

Nkwazema famous that no authorities official, together with Nwaneri, approached the household about taking their land, nor was any sort of financial compensation made.

He added that the household has owned the land from time immemorial and there was no time the federal government indicated curiosity in buying it.

“Even if the government indicated interest in the land, there is a procedure for that which was not followed.

“The authorities must also make its goal of buying the land identified to us. But surprisingly, none of those steps was utilized earlier than the invasion,” he said.

Nkwazema further hinted that the Owerri City survey-plan documents of the land revealed that the family has been in possession of the property since 1943 and wondered why a sane government could wake up and decide to displace citizens and grab an ancestral home whose occupants are still alive.

He said that the family has vowed to use every legal means to ensure their rights are not trampled upon.

He condemned the manner in which one of their brothers was allegedly arrested and the sporadic shootings that forced residents to scamper for safety.

Nkwazema, on behalf of the family, called on the Governor of the State, Hope Uzodinma, the Inspector General of Police, the Commissioner of Police and other relevant bodies to compel Nwaneri to leave their ancestral land alone.

“Our ancestral land has by no means been in dispute. We have been by no means approached nor notified that the Imo State Government needs to take our land. We weren’t compensated and at the moment are road urchins as Nwaneri and his thugs had rendered us homeless and stressed,” Nkwazema lamented.

Efforts made to reach out to Nwaneri and other relevant government official proved abortive as calls and text messages sent were not acknowledged at the time of filing this report.