Over twenty family members claiming ownership of Ogbodogbo and Ogbogene land in Obosi in Idemili North local government of Anambra state on Saturday protested plots by alleged thugs and hoodlums to take over their ancestral land.

They called on government, security agencies and relevant stakeholders to save them from those who claimed to have bought the land from the traditional ruler of the community, Igwe Chukwudubem Iweka 111.

Speaking on behalf of the protesters, a Septuagenarian, Emeka Anyaefulu alleged that they have been severely prevented by armed thugs from gaining access to the land.

He said they entered a contractual land agreement with a Real estate developing firm, Soul City Integrated Resources limited for the purpose of construction of a smart mega city estate.

According to him: “The Igwe of Obosi and the so-called Obosi land committee has prevented us from access to our land. Our lives are in danger; our land is being sold out to the highest bidder; this is injustice of the highest order.

“We are here to cry to Governor Soludo and all security agencies of the state and federal government to come and save us from the hands of our oppressors, enough is enough,” he said.

Director, Soul City Integrated Limited, Michael Nwokoye also accused the monarch of being behind disruptive plans of building a mega smart city on the contested land.

He said the project, on a massive land of over 273 hectares known as Ogbodogbo along the 2nd Niger Bridge approved by the Nigerian Inland Waterways Authority and government for takeoff has been stalled over the years.

“We are gathered here today because Igwe Chukwudubem Iweka and his cabal have been frustrating our efforts to get the Mega smart city project underway. This has been on here for over three years now.

“He promised to settle boundary dispute between the original owners of the land who are all here with me. But instead of keeping to his promise, he planted hoodlums and militants to scare away the owners of the land.

Reacting, Igwe Iweka described the allegations as fraudulent, insisting the protesters never met with real land owners but connived with extended relations of the families to demonstrate.

The monarch, while speaking through his counsel, Barr. Mega Ikegwuonu, advised that Mr. Nwokoye should get to renegotiate with the authorized family heads that own the land.

“Nwokoye never met with real owners of the land. Instead, he connived with some impostors and extended relatives of the family members to stage a kangaroo protest in an attempt to hoodwink the members of the public and the press.

“He should seize from fomenting trouble and go back to the drawing board to renegotiate with the authorized family heads of the owners of the land rather than parading renegades posed as land owners in the name of Soul City Integrated Resources Ltd,” the monarch added. (The Nation)

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