Geoffrey Anyanwu, Awka
Women from Abba community, in Anambra State have stormed Government House, Awka, in protest of use of police and judiciary to dispossess them of their land.
Following the protest, Anambra Governor Willie Obiano, warned that his government would not tolerate harassment and intimidation of citizens or any community in the state by any person no matter how highly placed.
He said the state was not lawless but democratically ruled, hence, would not accept any lawless action from anybody, community or institution.
Governor Obiano spoke through his Special Adviser on Security, Safety and Emergency, Chikodi Anara, at the Government House, Awka when the women came on protest over alleged harassment, intimidation, arrest and detention of their husbands, children and fellow women by the police working for the interest of a billionaire from their neigbhouring community.
He also charged the police to be neutral and not take sides or allow anybody use them, just as he urged the judiciary to do the needful to ensure that justice was done to all the parties.
The Abba women dressed in black attire and carrying placards with different inscriptions chanted protest songs to register their displeasure over what they tagged “use of the police and judiciary to dispossess them of their heritage” and the arrest and detention of 14 persons including two women by the police.
Some of their placards read: “Abba is a peaceful town,” “Judiciary should not allow itself to be compromised,” “Enough is Enough” and “We ask for due process in our case.”
While addressing the women, Anara said: “The state is not lawless, it is democratic, therefore, we (government) are going to stand by the truth and your message will get to the governor today. Governor Obiano does not like intimidation of anybody or community by anyone, no matter how highly placed, even if you are working for him, he detests injustice and intimidation and will not allow it and he will do justice in this matter.
“You know, you don’t take sides in matters like this, as you are laying claims to the land, your opponents may also be laying claims to the same land, but you have touched many important issues in your speeches, which must be looked into.
Because you are Abba community in Njikoka Local Government and Ukpo is in Dunukofia Local Government, it will be easy to find the truth and a lasting solution because every local government in this state has a map and that map is with the surveyor general of the state.”
Joy Modilim and Helen Modilim, who spoke on behalf of the protesters, lamented how they had gone to their usual market, Oye Abba, early on the market day, only to meet armed policemen, who asked them to go home.
“When we inquired why, they said they had orders to make sure that Ukpo community mounted a billboard signifying that the land where the market situates now belongs to Ukpo community. They chased us away with tear gas and destroyed the goods we came to sell in the market.”
Florence Maduabuchi, on her own account said: “Our women were beaten, school children were shot with teargas just because we wanted to know why we were not allowed to do our normal market business.
“All the wares we took to the market were all destroyed. That is why we are calling on the state Governor, Chief Obiano to harken to our cry and rescue us from our oppressors. We are peace-loving people and that is why we have not taken laws into our hands.”
We gave the governor landslide victory in our town, during his re-election and this is the time for him to show us that the confidence we reposed in him with our votes, is not misplaced.”
Also speaking, a member of the Igwe’s cabinet, Obinna Chukwuma, expressed worry why their neighbours would be in a hurry to possess the land, when the matter was in court and hearing has been fixed for early next month.
“It is imperative to state that both communities have been asked by the Supreme Court to go back to the trial court and start afresh, since the records of proceedings of an earlier judgment on the matter, is missing. Abba community has obeyed that order of the court and gone back to court, but, our neighbours, for whatever reason has decided to take laws into their hands under the protection of persons who feel they are above the law.
“All we asking is that due process be followed. Even if at the end of the day, the court asks us to leave our own ancestral home, we will oblige, but let the right thing be done. We appeal to our governor to use his good office to prevail on Ukpo community to allow the law take its course. As I speak now, they have about 30 of our people on their list that they want to arrest, just to keep us in perpetual fear. That is why we have come to seek the intervention of the state government on the matter.”
communities in Anambra State have stormed Government House, Awka, in protest of alleged harassment, intimidation, arrest and detention by the police.
Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano, has warned that his government would not tolerate harassment and intimidation of citizens or any community by any person, no matter how highly placed. He stated that Anambra state was not lawless but a democratically ruled state, hence, would not accept any lawless action from anybody, community or institution.
The governor said his government must always stand for justice.
Governor Obiano spoke through his Special Adviser on Security, Safety and Emergency, Chikodi Anara, at the Government House, Awka when the women of Abba community came on protest over alleged harassment, intimidation, arrest and detention of their husbands, children and fellow women by the police working for the interest of a billionaire from their neigbhouring community. He also charged the police to be neutral and not to take sides or allow anybody use them, just as he urged the judiciary to do the needful to ensure that justice was done to all the parties.
The Abba women, in their numbers dressed in black attire and carrying placards with different inscriptions had chanted protest songs to register their displeasure over what they tagged “use of the police and judiciary to dispossess them of their heritage” and the arrest and detention of 14 persons including two women by the police.
Some of their placards read: “Arthur Eze should invest his wealth in productive venture instead of dispossessing people and communities of their lands,” “Abba is a peaceful town,” “Judiciary should not allow itself to be compromised,” “Enough is Enough” and “We ask for due process in our case.”
While addressing the women, Anara said: “The state is not lawless, it is democratic, therefore, we (government) are going to stand by the truth and your message will get to the governor today. Governor Obiano does not like intimidation of anybody or community by anyone no matter how highly placed, even if you are working for him, he detests injustice and intimidation and will not allow it and he will do justice in this matter.
“You know, you don’t take sides in matters like this, as you are laying claims to the land, your opponents may also be laying claims to the same land, but you have touched many important issues in your speeches, which must be looked into.
Because you are Abba community in Njikoka Local Government and Ukpo is in Dunukofia Local Government, it will be easy to find the truth and a lasting solution. This is because every local government in this state has a map and in it is the beginning and end of the community and that map is with the surveyor general of the state.”
Earlier, some of the women, who spoke on behalf of others, Joy Modilim and Helen Modilim, lamented how they had gone to their usual market, Oye Abba early on the market day, only to meet armed policemen, who asked them to go home.
“When we inquired why, they said they had orders to make sure that Ukpo community mounted a billboard signifying that the land where the market situates now belongs to Ukpo community. They chased us away with tear gas and destroyed the goods we came to sell in the market.”
Florence Maduabuchi, on her own account said: “Our women were beaten, school children were shot with teargas just because we wanted to know why we were not allowed to do our normal market business. All the wares we took to the market were all destroyed. That is why we are calling on the state Governor, Chief Obiano to harken to our cry and rescue us from our oppressors. We are peace-loving people and that is why we have not taken laws into our hands. We gave the governor landslide victory in our town, during his re-election and this is the time for him to show us that the confidence we reposed in him with our votes, is not misplaced.”
Also speaking, a member of the Igwe’s cabinet, Obinna Chukwuma, expressed worry why their neighbours would be in a hurry to possess the land, when the matter was in court and hearing has been fixed for early next month.
“It is imperative to state that both communities have been asked by the Supreme Court to go back to the trial court and start afresh, since the records of proceedings of an earlier judgment on the matter, is missing. Abba community has obeyed that order of the court and gone back to court, but, our neighbours, for whatever reason has decided to take laws into their hands under the protection of persons who feel they are above the law.
“All we asking is that due process be followed. Even if at the end of the day, the court asks us to leave our own ancestral home, we will oblige, but let the right thing be done. We appeal to our governor to use his good office to prevail on Ukpo community to allow the law take its course. As I speak now, they have about 30 of our people on their list that they want to arrest, just to keep us in perpetual fear. That is why we have come to seek the intervention of the state government on the matter.”