Abuja – Eight autonomous communities in the Mbaishi area of Ngor-Okpala Local Government Area, Imo State, have called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene and halt what they describe as an unlawful military siege on their ancestral farmlands.
At a press conference held in Abuja on Wednesday, the spokesperson for the affected communities, Dr. Ugo Jim-Nwoko, alleged that armed military personnel have occupied over 30,000 hectares of their land for the past nine months, preventing residents from accessing their farms.
The affected communities include Umuchie Eziama, Umulu, Umuegirige, Umuogba Eziama, Umuocham Ntu, Umuokpo Ntu, Umuhoko Ntu, and Alatia—all located within Ngor-Okpala.
Dr. Jim-Nwoko said the military occupation has led to ongoing intimidation, harassment, and in some cases, brutalization of locals, cutting them off from their primary means of livelihood.
He traced the roots of the dispute to 2006 when former Imo State governor Achike Udenwa attempted to acquire 2,000 hectares of the land for a proposed Chinese Village. The project was later abandoned following strong resistance from the communities and legal battles. According to Jim-Nwoko, two court rulings annulled the acquisition and issued a perpetual injunction restraining the state government from further encroachment.
Despite the court orders, the community leader claimed that the current Imo State government under Governor Hope Uzodinma has resumed efforts to take over the land. He further alleged that the land has been unlawfully allocated to a religious body, Zion Ministry Church, for the construction of a factory to produce red candles, olive oil, holy water, and a worship center—without consultation or consent from the land’s traditional owners.
“This blatant disregard for the law and the rights of our people violates the 1999 Constitution, which allows land acquisition only for projects serving the overriding public interest—not for private or religious enterprises,” Dr. Jim-Nwoko stated.
He warned that the ongoing occupation and land seizure pose a serious threat to peace and security in the area.
“We are peace-loving and law-abiding citizens. We have chosen not to take the law into our hands. However, our people have been cowed by the presence of military, police, and other security personnel, while our farmlands are being destroyed and economic trees uprooted,” he lamented.
Dr. Jim-Nwoko appealed to President Tinubu, the Chief of Army Staff, and the Inspector General of Police to order the immediate withdrawal of security forces from the land to allow the people to return to farming.
Also present at the press conference were public affairs analyst and mediator Dr. Sam Amadi, legal practitioner Barrister Armstrong Ukwuoma, and other community leaders who echoed the call for urgent federal intervention.
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