- Youths, elders draw battle line over land deals
From Aloysius Attah, Onitsha
ALL is not well at Uruebo, a community in Nkwele Ezunaka, Oyi Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The community leaders and some youths are at war over some land deals, among other contentious issues.
While the aggrieved youths said that they were fighting to ensure justice in the proceeds from the communal land, the village’s governing body, tacitly supported by the elders, described the youths as rascals.
Five men in the village have been remanded at the Onitsha Prisons in connection with the bitter war in the community. They include Oduche Obinna, 46, Vincent Anyakorah, 41, Okezie Morah, 36, Chukwuemeka Okoye, 27, and Pascal Nweka, 25. They were initially arrested and detained by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigeria Police before they were arraigned at the Nteje Magistrate Court on March 30 on a 14-count charge, bordering on kidnapping, attempted kidnapping and conspiracy to kidnap.
In the charges against the five men, the prosecution said, among others, that the suspects, armed with guns and other offensive weapons, conspired and actually kidnapped Batholomeo Obimma and three other victims. The prosecution had also alleged that they collected N160, 000 ransom from Obinma, N3,700 from Godwin Okoye, N66,000 from Izunna Edogwugu and N56,000 ransom from Francis Onwuzurike before the victims were set free.
Counsel to the defendants, Sylvester Ezeokenwa, who appeared with Humphrey Udechukwu, had argued that Justice DOC Amechina of Otuocha High Court had given an order on March 18, restraining the police from arresting the defendants.
But the presiding Magistrate, Chukwuma Ibemesi, dismissed the argument and ruled that the suspects should be remanded at the Onitsha Prisons before adjourning the matter. Ibemesi also ordered that the original police file of the matter and the inventory of the exhibits should be transmitted to the office of the state Attorney General.
But youths from the community, who called themselves Umuofia Surveillance Team, staged a peaceful protest in Nsugbe community and declared that those remanded in prison custody were actually innocent. Leader of the group, Tony Okafor, told reporters that the victims were being haunted because they challenged the village leader, Charles Obimma, on how he handled proceeds from the sales of the communal land.
Okafor also alleged that Obimma unilaterally opened a personal account where he lodged monies raised from land sales without rendering account to anybody. But when contacted, Obimma dismissed all the allegations against him, describing them as mere fabrications.
The aggrieved youths said a group, Awgbu Youths Association, Onitsha Branch, bought 100 plots of land from the executives of the same Uruebo community and had already paid N6 million to the leaders during the tenure of Ambrose Tochukwu Anyakorah with an outstanding balance to be paid at a later date. They said when the Obimma-led executives took over, they refused to ratify the transaction.
Counsel to the Awgbu Youths and the Uruebo Youths, S.C Onyendilefu & Associates, has petitioned the Inspector General of Police against the officers of the (SARS), Awkuzu, Mr. Charles Obimma, and two others.
In the petition, a copy of which was made available to Daily Sun, the petitioner said the Obimma-led executive council was not enjoying the blessings of the detained youths as a result of the manner in which the executives emerged. He said the Obimma group was punishing the youths for refusing to accord them recognition.
The petition partly read: “The said Charles Obimma boasted that he would never ratify the land transaction deal between our clients and the Awgbu Youths Association notwithstanding the fact that the transaction has been concluded long before he came into office. Thus every attempt made by our clients to resolve the issue with the new village Executive Committee in respect of the above stated land transaction proved abortive. Mr. Charles Obimma boasted that he would deal decisively with anybody that dared to question his decision, concerning the land.
“Ostensibly sensing danger, our clients forwarded a petition to the Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department, dated 10th of March, 2016 intimating him of the plans of Mr. Charles Obimma to use the men of the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS), Awkuzu, or any other police formation to arrest and intimidate our clients. Our clients further approached the High Court of Justice Otuocha Judicial Division in Suit No. OT/MISC29/2016: Tony Okafor and Ors Vs Charles Obimma and ors for the enforcement of their Fundamental Rights. Thereafter, His Lordship, Hon Justice D.O.C Amaechina granted an interim order of injunction, restraining the respondents (including the Inspector General of Police and officers under his command and control) from arresting our clients or in any other manner whatsoever infringing on our clients Fundamental Rights pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit. The said order which was granted on 17th day of March, 2016 was served on all parties to the suit, including your esteemed office.”
The petitioner regretted that, in utter defiance of the court order, operatives from (SARS) Awkuzu, Anambra State stormed the youths’ homes and whisked them away on March 29.
“One of our clients, Mr. Obinna Oduche was in our office to brief us concerning the decision of the Awgbu Youth Association to file a proper land suit to enforce the land transaction on the said 29th March 2016, The men of the Special Anti Robbery Squad stormed our office, pulled down the door and arrested the said Obinna Oduche. One of the officers slapped our litigation clerk severally and another officer hit her with a gun for daring to question their mission in our office.”
The lawyer asserted that the fundamental rights of his clients enshrined in sections 34, 35 and 41 of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria had been violated. He urged the Inspector General of Police to cause a full-scale investigation into the matter.
But when Daily Sun contacted Mr. Charles Obimma, he noted that both the lawyer, representing his accusers and the detained youths were twisting the story to suit their own side.
To buttress his claims, Obimma fixed an appointment at the village assembly hall where the bulk of the elders and other members of the village gathered to state their own side of the story.
Obimma stated that the boys, who staged a protest in Nsugbe community were on the run, as a result of the many atrocities they had committed in the village. He said since he took over the leadership of the village, he had distanced himself from the issue of land sales and its proceeds by appointing a committee that oversaw such issues on land without any interference.
He noted that there was no dispute over any land in Uruebo village and asserted that there was no group known as Surveillance Group or Umuofia in the village. He said some youths under the influence of drugs and alcohol wanted a culture of lawlessness and brigandage to be enthroned in the community.
The oldest man in the village, Chief Akukalia Odikpo, the Ezeani in charge of land matters, Paul Onwuzulike, Ogbuefi Etusionu and Ogbuefi Francis Edebuogu all supported Obimma. They said it was abominable for the youths to seek to dictate to the elders on how land matters were handled. They averred that children could never sell lands while their fathers were still alive and advised the Awgbu Youths, who said they had bought some land from the past village executives to see the elders and resolve the issue. They said the communal land owned by the village would be shared on a one-man, one-plot basis.
The elders confirmed that some of the youths were presently on the run because of their evil deeds, including kidnapping. But they said any youth that turned a new leaf would be accepted back to the community.
Secretary of the Uruebo community, Innocent Okoye, noted that most of the problems occasioned by land sales in some communities in Anambra could be traced to the attitude of some Onitsha-based traders. He accused such traders of dispensing cash in exchange for land without confirming the authenticity of such transactions.
Officer-in-charge of SARS, Awkuzu, Ben Abang, a Chief Superintendent of Police, said the actions of the police in the course of arraigning the suspects in court all fell within the ambit of the law. He said the police never flouted any court order. According to him, the suspects were picked up as a result of another petition, bordering on a different criminal act and not on the issues raised in the restraining court injunction.