Land Dispute: Anambra Community Petitions IG Over Police Intimidation, Extortion

Some aggrieved natives of Awka, the Anambra State capital city, have petitioned the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Disu, alleging arbitrary arrests and the extortion of their relatives by some police officers of the state police command over a land dispute.

The petitioners are the people of Umuike, Awka community, in the Anambra State capital city.

They described the land in dispute as Obuagu Land, which, according to them, is also known as Egbeana-Obibia Land, adding that the dispute is between their Umuike, Awka community, and their neighbouring Umuomamu Ifite Nibo community.

In the petition, signed on their behalf by one Sunday Ezebunamadu, a copy of which was made available to LEADERSHIP the aggrieved Umuike, Awka natives alleged that one police officer attached to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Monday Umunna backed by a “Deputy Commissioner of Police” has at different occasions arrested and detained their people over the land on trump up allegation of “conduct likely to cause communal war”.

They stated that the land dispute dates back to 1974, that both the Awka High Court and the Court of Appeal, Enugu Division, have adjudicated on the matter, and that each delivered judgment in favour of their community.

The petitioners lamented that even though the matter is currently pending at the Supreme Court, Monday Umunna has been arresting and detaining their people for entering the land, even when the judgments of the Awka High Court and the appellate Court empowered them to do so.

Urging the Inspector General of police to order an urgent investigation into what they described as “abuse of police powers” by Monday Umunna of the SCID, the Umuike community people lamented that one of them, Chief Ezekwesili, was arrested by Monday Umunna, detained, and was extorted N300,000 before he was granted bail.

The petitioners quoted Ezekwesili as narrating, “I was taken to the Deputy Commissioner of Police and warned never to set foot on the land again.

“I was also compelled to pay ₦300,000 for bail before I was released”, Ezekwesili quoted further in the petition.

The petitioners further alleged that portions of the disputed land have been sold even while litigation over the land is still ongoing at the Supreme Court, and that the named police personnel at the SCID were the ones aiding the illegal sales because they were compromised.

When contacted, the public relations officer of the state police command (PPRO), Superintendent of police, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, told LEADERSHIP that he is not aware of the matter.

“I am not aware of the land dispute you are talking about. Send the petition to me, so that I can make the necessary inquiries and get back to you “.

The state police command’s spokesperson, who responded by phone yesterday, said he was outside the state on official duty.