Property developer, business man intensify war over land ownershi –police, ASUDEB intervene
Julie Sylvia, Oniitsha
War over ownership of a piece of land at Otigba Estate, along the Onitsha-Otuocha-Nsukka road, Nkwelle-Ezunaka community, Oyi local Government Area, Anambra State, between a property developer/real estate mogul, Chief Chinazor Ezeayom Ikemba and an Onitsha based business man, Chief Ifeanyi Anaeme, has been intensified.
Consequently, it was gathered that both the police and the Anambra State Urban Development Board, ASUDEB, intervened with a view to settling the ownership issue but to no avail as both warring factions laid claim to ownership.
According to Chief Ifeanyi Anaeme, “I did not buy my four plots of land from the villagers (owners who are the Akpukwu family) but from the contractor that developed Otigba Estate in 2007 and he gave me the land in dispute, called buffer zone free because it is a public land. In 2012 because the buffer zone was mountanous, I had to bring it down to a level that will be passable and put tenants who mold blocks there.
“From the original plan the four plots I bought ended at the buffer zone, meaning that after my plots you get the buffer zone and I built nine shops at the end of my plot. Nobody has come for payment of rent or loyalty for the buffer zone that I left because it is for public use.
” On 30th May, this year, Ezeayom who they called Ikemba stormed the buffer zone with armed thugs, caused malicious damage to the blocks being molded by my tenants there and commenced building on the land. I rushed to the villagers and they told me that he, Ifeanyi has bought the land from the chairman of the past executive.
“”All efforts made for a peaceful settlement was frustrated by the villagers in collaboration with Ikemba and it downed on me that they have compromised against me and I had to bring in the police.
“Ikemba must leave that land, it was given to me by the contractor after buying four plits of land from him. It is a buffer zone and frontage of my plots of land. It is not meant for building and that is why I did not build on it,” he stated
Contacted, Ikemba said that he has documents/approval from Anambra State Government that included Anambra State Physical Planning Board for the building he is embarking upon adding that the police and ASUDEB that Chief Anaeme invited against him came and were satisfied with the building and left.
He disclosed that Anaeme has been writing fictitious petitions against him to ASUDEB, media, among others just to tarnish his image over the plots of land situated at Otigba Enuovuve Layout Nkwelle-Ezunaka, which he officially bought.
He recalled that trouble started after he commenced construction of a block of stores on the land he bought in 2016 from the Akpukwu family adding, “Surprisingly Ifeanyi Anaeme attempted to stop the construction using thugs but was resisted and he later went and invited Anti cult and also officers of Zone 13 on the ground that the plot of land was being used for cult meetings and encroachment on government land,”
“But after their investigation it was discovered that his claims were false and was advised to steer clear of the plot of land and he started using fictitious name of Mr. John Okafor under the guise of the chairman of Concerned Residence and Landlords Otigba Enuovuve layout, to make all kinds of unsubstantiated claims which was not verifiable,” he stated.
When contacted the chairman of the Akpuwku family, Hon. Emmanuel Mgbadike, confirmed that the family sold the plot of land to Chief Ikemba who shares a boundary with Ifeanyi Anem, stating that Ikemba has not done anything wrong but rather blamed Anaeme for leaving the land without buying it from the family over five years despite advice from the family for him to buy it
The chairman who spoke through his vice, Chief Obi Jideofor, added tha, “The land has more plots before the buffer zone. We had wanted to use the land in question for shopping because when we sell to people they will leave it undeveloped,” he stated
Contributing, the chairman of Otigba Estate, Chief Anthony Okwuchukwu Ugokwe, said that he advised Anaeme to stop his fight against Ikemba adding that Ikemba did not do anything wrong to him.
“Ikemba has his documents and purchased the land from the owners. I went to Anaeme and told him that he is fighting a battle he would lose. If Anaeme likes let him call the IGP or Head of state, that land belongs to Ikemba, for over five years that the land was empty why did Anaeme not buy it. He thinks he will get it free of charge, how can the owners give two plots to him free of charge, ” he querried.
“
