— As Groups Call On Gov Uzodimma To Uphold Supreme Court Judgement Over Nkaraha Land
Tension in the Nkaraha community of Ohaji-Egbema Local Government Area has taken a dangerous turn as members of the Akpelu family—legal owners of the highly contested land in the Ogburuzo Ogwu Palm Plantation—are now facing threats to their lives, while developers lawfully brought in by the family are reportedly being targeted for assassination.
According to multiple credible sources within the community and legal representatives of the Akpelu family, these threats follow the family’s insistence on enforcing a Supreme Court judgment which in 2013 affirmed Matthew Akpelu as the rightful owner of the 18,000-plot estate after decades of litigation.
The developers, who had begun preliminary site mapping and infrastructural layout for the planned transformation of the land into a modern technology hub and agro-industrial center, have reportedly received anonymous calls warning them to “leave the land or die.” On Wednesday evening, an attempt was allegedly made on the life of one of the project engineers, whose vehicle was trailed by unknown gunmen along the Owerri-Port Harcourt Expressway. He escaped by the whiskers.
In a press statement released on Thursday, the legal counsel to the Akpelu family, Barr. Ifeanyi Odionye, confirmed that the family will file a formal petition with the Imo State Police Command, the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Inspector General of Police, urging urgent intervention.
“What is unfolding in Nkaraha is no longer just a legal or land matter. It is now a direct threat to human life and public safety. Our clients, the Akpelu family, are under siege for simply standing on their constitutional rights. The developers, who are agents of progress, are being hunted down like criminals. This is unacceptable,” Odionye said.
The family accuses certain top government officials in the Imo State Government (names withheld)of actively aiding and abetting the violent attempts to reclaim the land through unlawful and extrajudicial means.
These officials are believed to be acting in favor of Barrister (Prince) Macon Nlemigbo, a politically exposed individual from Mbaitoli LGA who claims to have acquired the land through a Federal Government privatization scheme. Nlemigbo’s claims, however, have been roundly dismissed by legal experts as spurious, with no title document superior to the Supreme Court’s final judgment.
Community leaders and youth groups in Ohaji-Egbema have also condemned the ongoing violence, calling on Governor Hope Uzodimma to swiftly address what they describe as a growing climate of lawlessness. Speaking under anonymity, a respected traditional ruler in the area told reporters:
“If anything happens to any member of the Akpelu family or their developers, Imo State Government will be held responsible. This is their land. The highest court in Nigeria said so. Anyone still contesting it is an enemy of the rule of law. And if people are being attacked or killed over land, then we are returning to the jungle.”
The tension is further heightened by reports that heavily armed thugs have been stationed at strategic access roads around the plantation, allegedly on the orders of influential individuals opposed to the Akpelu family’s development plans. Villagers now live in fear, and construction work has temporarily halted due to safety concerns.
A community youth leader told our reporter that “the kind of weapons these boys are carrying is not ordinary. Somebody big is behind them. We have never seen this level of intimidation before.”
Meanwhile, civil society groups have started mobilizing to take legal and public action. The Centre for Justice and Democratic Accountability (CJDA) has written an open letter to the Nigerian Human Rights Commission and Amnesty International, demanding urgent investigation and protection for the victims.
“Nigeria is a constitutional democracy. If the Supreme Court cannot protect citizens, then we have no country. These developers and landowners deserve justice and security,” the CJDA stated.
At the time of filing this report, there has been no official comment from the Imo State Government, but pressure continues to mount on Governor Uzodimma to sack or sanction the appointees allegedly involved in what has now become a potentially explosive situation.
Members of the Akpelu family are crying for help, while developers are reportedly considering pulling out of the project altogether if their security cannot be guaranteed.
The people of Nkaraha and Ohaji-Egbema are calling on the federal government, human rights groups, security agencies, and all well-meaning Nigerians to intervene before the situation degenerates into bloodshed.
The world watches as state officials fight against the judiciary—and a family fights for its very survival on land that was already legally declared theirs.
