As the people of Ezza Nkomoro Onugba Nike Community in Enugu East Council Area of Enugu State are trying to recover from the shock inflicted on them recently following the pulling down of over sixty-five buildings on Valentine’s Day, there could have been blood spilling yesterday in the area if God had gone to sleep, (of course He doesn’t sleep nor slumber).
Reports available to 247ureports said that the youths of Ezza Nkomoro Onugba Nike Community in their thousands yesterday staked their blood in resisting the entrance of ten bulldozers allegedly sent by the erstwhile minister of Power and Steal, Professor Bart Nnaji to demolish the remaining part of the community. The youths also over powered some suspected hoodlums who were accompanying the caterpillars with sign posts that were to be mounted in the demolished areas
It would be recalled that Professor Bart Nnaji hails from Oruku neighbouring community in Nkanu East Council Area of the State and has for long now being on the news on the matter that has to do with land dispute even from his own community.
Chief Chika Chukwu from Ezza Nkomoro Onugba Nike Community while filleting answers to questions from 247ureports correspondent in Onitsha this morning said the disputed Ogba Agu, Iduma and Ogbo Nta lands were given to Nkomoro people by the Onuogba Community as part of the agreement they made when Onuogba people were in war with Nkwubo Community and the Ezekuna siblings were contracted to waged war against the enemies of Onuogba Nike.
Chukwu wondered why Onuogba Nike Community could claim to have sold Iduma and Ogbo Nta land whereas they are challenging the judgment delivered by Justices Umezurike in favour of Onuogba Nike Community in an Appeal Court.
It was reliably gathered that both the people of Nkomoro had agreed to live as one, should they fight and prevent the invaders of Onuogba from taking what did not belong to them. “And I want to tell you that we have been living as one, living under the ruler ship of Igwe Onuogba Nike even though we are grater in number than them, we inter-marry but of a sudden, the people of Onuogba came up to defile the blood convent they had with our grate-grandfathers” Chief Chukwu lamented.
On whether his people are ready for showdown considering the level of damages done to their property by the earth rolling machines, Chief Chika Chukwu said he is using this medium to appeal to his people not take laws into their hands no matter the level of provocations their enemies will steer them.
247ureports visit to the remote, poor, and neglected community, which had existed for over 100 years without any government presence, especially motorable roads, pipe borne water, electricity, and health facility last week, observed that the people who are predominantly peasant farmers ran to Holy Child Catholic Church Nkomoro as their refuges camp.
Interestingly, the Vice President General of Onuogba Nike Community, Mr. Emmanuel Ubosi confirmed that Prof. Bart Nnaji was behind the demolition. “It was the Reverend Father at Nkomoro that informed our traditional ruler of the barbaric act and the Igwe told him that he never knew anything about the demolition. But the clergy insisted and the Igwe called his subjects before the Reverend Father aimed at unveiling the person(s) who has hands in wiping off a whole community without the knowledge of the Igwe. It was then that we contacted Chief Emmanuel Onybe, the President General of our Community and he confirmed that it was Prof. Bart Nnaji had moved in bulldozers into Nkomoro Nike to recover the land he claimed to have bought from the family of late Hyacinth Alinta ”
We never relented in our research, we then contacted the Prof and he admitted but when asked whom he told, he said he never wanted to tell anybody. All these efforts and discussions were before the Reverend father, having gathered all these facts; we went to the Local Government Chairman of Enugu East as well as the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, Emene Police Division, CSP J.U Kafani and informed them of the development. Mr. Ubosi stated.
Reacting when contacted, the DPO in charge of Emene Police Division, CSP J.U Kafani denied having deployed any policeman from his division to assist or be part of the demolition of the community that has existed for over one hundred years now according to Ezza Nkomoro people.
The DPO said it be possible that some policemen actually went to the disputed land even as he suggested that the police may have come from any of the police formation in the country and his duty as a DPO is to welcome any Policeman that come to book for investigation in his division.
Efforts made to reach Prof. Bart Nnaji to speak on yesterday’s development hit at the rock as his GSM kept repeating; Not available now, try again later.
