Africa-Press – Nigeria. Some pensioners and staff members of the National Orientation Agency, NOA, in Enugu State have cried out as activities of alleged land grabbers threaten their life-time investment.
This is despite a valid court order.
The workers had invested their lifetime savings in acquiring land for settlement, but that dream is now being threatened by activities of some land grabbers.
The NOA workers and their retired colleagues are now crying out to Governor Peter Mbah to come to their rescue.
It was gathered that years after they acquired the 90 plots of land and construction work commenced in most of them, certain strangers swooped on the property claiming it had been resold to them.
The land is located at Uhuagu Obeagu-Uno in Enugu South local government area of Enugu State.
The NOA staff members and pensioners, who staged a peaceful protest at the location of the land, accused one Pius Ugwu and his son Ebuka Ugwu of reselling the land to some land grabbers.
They told journalists that they bought the land from an estate agent identified as Lion of Judah, who earlier bought the land from Pius Ugwu with relevant papers.
The protesters, who carried placards with various inscriptions, accused Pius Ugwu and his son of re-selling the land to land grabbers masquerading as estate developers, who had refused to obey court orders stopping their activities.
Speaking on behalf of the others, Venerable Emeka Agana explained that the NOA staff genuinely bought the land totalling 90 plots in 2017, adding that they completed all necessary payments and documentations.
Agana, who is an Anglican priest, alleged that the said Ebuka Ugwu connived with the land grabbers to take over the land, a development which made the NOA staff to approach the court for its intervention.
He alleged that recently some land grabbers, who are claiming ownership of the land came and destroyed their fences and foundations on the land, saying despite the injunction which they got from the court, the land grabbers had continued to destroy and resell their plots of land.
“We paid development fees to Obeagu welfare which is about 250,000 naira each and we also paid to the community about 250,000 naira each, we have all the documents.
“They are not denying that they sold the land to us; we went to court and got a court injunction but they ignored the court,” he stated.
He alleged that the land grabbers have repeatedly ignored court orders and had continued to demolish structures, including fences, on the land in order to forcefully take it from them.
Agana appealed to the state government to assist them reclaim the land, noting that many of them invested their life savings, and even took loans to buy.
“We are telling the state government to come and help us and retrieve this land because the land belongs to NOA staff members; some of them are widows and pensioners, some took loans to buy the land,” he appealed.
The protesters warned those buying land at the said area to desist from such as the matter was still pending before the court.
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