Abia Community Petitions Police Over Trespass

Leaders of Erote Community in Amaforo Ibeku Umuahia North LGA, Abia State have petitioned Nigeria Police Force Property Development and Construction Company over a case of trespass, which according to them may likely cause a breach of peace in the locality.

The copy of the letter signed by the village head Fred David Okwordu and youth leader Ogechi Okwordu yesterday in Abuja said some part of their land was given to the Nigerian Police Force for Police College as the alter-ego of Chidacos Integrated Services Ltd (developer) was seen bulldozing the said land while heavily guarded by the officers of the Nigerian Police Force.

The leaders noted that their ownership of the land was consolidated by Supreme Court Judgement in suit number SC/291/1989 delivered on the 7th April, 1995.

The natives in the letter stressed that they never gave the Nigeria Police Force any document transferring the ancestral land to them.

The letter reads in part: “That our land is not under any form of Abia State Government acquisition and not within land designated as Urban Areas to warrant the issuances of the certificate of occupancy without first a transfer of title from us the community.

“Assuming without conceding there was government acquisition, a letter of Offer of Allocation must be given to the Nigerian Police Force and Compensation paid to us.

“That if a document to contradict our above stance exists, that we are furnished with a copy to understand what transpired as we have no knowledge of them. That till the date of this letter no document has been given to us to clarify all these issues.”

It added that it is disheartening to witness that their ancestral land and inheritance will be taken forcefully, as the developer continues to damage their food crops.