— Land Acquisition Lacks Policy Backing, Budgetary Provision, Or Legal Basis
— Over 8,000 Plots Allegedly Hidden For Private Sale
The controversy surrounding the unlawful acquisition of over 18,000 plots of land in Ogburuzo Ogwu, Nkaraha, in Ohaji-Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State has taken a deeper twist as the State Commissioner for Lands, Barrister Enyinnaya Onuegbu, appeared on television claiming the land is being acquired by the state government for “public interest.”
But this declaration has been met with a wave of outrage and outright rejection by community leaders, legal experts, and the Ohaji-Egbema Youth Movement (OEYM), who have described the commissioner’s claim as a “deliberate falsehood, intended to disguise an illegal land grab.”
According to OEYM President, Comrade Gerald Ukah, no policy of government exists indicating that the Ogburuzo Ogwu land is earmarked for any form of development or public utility. “There is no Executive Council decision, no gazetted plan, and no budgetary allocation for any project in Nkaraha. What public interest is the Commissioner talking about?” Ukah asked. “If this land were truly meant for public use, why are verified reports confirming that certain individuals are already buying parts of the land from government agents? What we are seeing is not acquisition for development—it is acquisition for profit.”
Further fueling suspicion is Commissioner Onuegbu’s controversial assertion that the land in question is only 10,000 plots, when in fact, documentation and court judgments confirm the land exceeds 18,000 plots. Observers say this deliberate underreporting is part of a coordinated scheme to “hide” the remaining 8,000 plots, which will then be secretly parceled out and sold off to politically connected individuals.
Legal practitioners have slammed this move as a gross violation of both the Supreme Court ruling in Suit No: SC/205/2005, which granted ownership of the land to Mr. Matthew Akpelu, and the fundamental principles of due process in land acquisition under Nigerian law.
Prominent land rights lawyer, Barrister D.C. Uwadi, noted that Section 28 of the Land Use Act of 1978 only permits revocation of statutory or customary rights of occupancy by a state governor for overriding public interest. However, such revocation must follow strict procedures, including issuance of proper notices, compensation, and demonstrable proof of public use.
“In this case, none of those requirements have been fulfilled,” Uwadi stated. “There is no documented public interest; there is no compensation plan. And worst of all, the party whose interest is now being promoted by the government is the one that lost at the Supreme Court. This is an open contempt of court and a direct affront to judicial authority.”
Section 44(1) of the 1999 Constitution also guarantees protection from compulsory acquisition of property without due process and compensation. By sidestepping these constitutional safeguards, the Commissioner for Lands, according to legal experts, breached both the letter and spirit of the law.
The OEYM is demanding answers from Commissioner Onuegbu, questioning why he has chosen to work closely with the very individuals who were defeated at the Supreme Court over the same land. “What exactly is the interest of the Imo State Government in a matter already decided by the apex court?” asked Comrade Ukah. “Why is the government promoting land racketeering by parties who lost in court?”
This latest development has intensified suspicions that the entire process is politically motivated, especially as Prince Marcon Nlemigbo, a key figure alleged to be behind the land grab, is widely touted as Governor Hope Uzodimma’s preferred successor in the 2027 gubernatorial election.
Civil society organizations, including the Niger Delta Human Rights Watch, have called on the Federal Government, the National Assembly, and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to step in and halt what they term a “blatant abuse of executive power” and “weaponization of land administration for political and personal enrichment.”
Meanwhile, tension continues to build in Ohaji-Egbema, where the local youths under OEYM have vowed to resist any further encroachment on their land. They accuse Onuegbu of plotting to instigate unrest through forced displacement of rightful landowners, warning that any attempt to impose false narratives of ‘public interest’ would be met with lawful but fierce community resistance.
As this scandal unfolds, all eyes are now on the State Ministry of Lands to explain their actions and provide clarity on what is rapidly becoming one of the most contentious land disputes in recent Imo State history.
The people of Ohaji-Egbema, emboldened by the rule of law and the judgment of the Supreme Court, have made their stance clear: they will not give up their ancestral land to political profiteers hiding under the cloak of government.
