Youths and women of Umunenweze Okpuala community in Okaigu, Umuahia North LGA of Abia State on Wednesday, stormed the Abia State Government House to protest the alleged grabbing and sale of their farms and ancestral lands.
The villagers who appealed for the immediate intervention of Governor Alex Otti, accused the traditional ruler of their community, Eze Paul Onuigbo Uzuegbu and other individuals of presenting forged letters to the Abia State government on behalf of the villagers.
According to the Umunenweze natives, several plots of land belonging to the present and future generations have been forcefully sold off or donated to private estate developers, thereby stripping the people of their communal property.
Speaking on behalf of the protesters, the Secretary of the Umuneweze community, Okechukwu Uzuegbu, alleged that bulldozers brought in by estate developers were allegedly used to destroy farms and economic trees belonging to indigenes, without their knowledge and consent.
“Those grabbing and selling our lands are writing false letters and forged documents to the government, saying we have given up our rights to our land.
“Any further trespass will be viewed as deliberate incitement to chaos,” the village Secretary, Uzuegbu warned.
Addressing the protesters on behalf of Abia State government, the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Alex Otti on local government and chieftaincy affairs, Magdalene Ugoanusi, appealed to the Umunenweze indigenes not to use violence in their community or any part of Umuahia.
Mrs Ugoanusi, who said a letter about the matter was brought to the office of Chief of Staff to the Governor some time ago, promised that the State government would revise the issue.
She urged the villagers to itemise all their complaints and submit to the Abia State government for action, adding that the member representing Ikwuano/Umuahia Federal constituency, Obi Aguocha, would be engaged to work for the peaceful resolution of the land dispute.
