104 yr old woman loses house over land tussle at Nnewi

…SOS sent to Governor Obiano, others

The new year of 2020 started badly for a 104 year old woman, Ma Magret Onwuelo of Umuenem Otolo Nnewi following the demolition of her bungalow apartment over land tussle involving family members who want to take over the land.

The house was demolished by suspected hoodlums with a bulldozer allegedly hired by those interested in taking over the land where the old woman lives.

An eyewitness told our correspondent that the hoodlums who came into the area in droves and in large numbers were sighted in company of some highly placed persons said to be land developers ready to take over the land.

According to the eyewitness, the hoodlums who were mostly strange faces to the area started arriving in batches at about 9am and suddenly increased in numbers while waiting for their backers who came and pointed at the house from about 100meters away.

The eyewitness stated that they descended on every available structure in the area immediately they secured order to act from their backers and enusred the demoliyion of the house where the old woman lives.

“They pulled down the fence, broke the provision store infront of the house and took all the provisions and drank off all the beer, the hot drinks, all the soft drink as well and cigarettes. They finished everything including the money inside the shop, nothing was left” the eyewitness added.

Narrating her ordeal to our correspondent, Ma Onwuelo attributed the attack to land tussle noting that she has been under pressure from some highly placed people close to her family members to give up the land but she refused because the land belong to her.

She said that she aquired the land way back in 1953 with her late husband Chief Edward Onwuelo with 50 pounds adding that trouble started when some people became desperate to take over the land following the death of her eldest son.

She cried out that the pepetrators want her dead by fire by force so that they can take over the land but thank God she escaped by whiskers adding that she lost everything inside the house including her medications.

She said that at the moment she is surviving through the help of her neighbors and relations who were eyewitnesses and called on Governor Willie Obiano, well meaning people of Nnewi, philanthropists, Churches and NGOs to come to her aid.

Contacted the Police Public Relation Officer Anambra State Police State Command SP Haruna Mohammed said the Command is yet to know about the incident advising the woman to report the matter to the police