By Anayo Ndukuba 104-year-old woman, Mrs. Margaret Nwuelo, has dragged a billionaire, Cletus Ibeto and 14 others before an Anambra High Court, Nnewi for alleged land grabbing.
The Centenarian in her statement of claim/writ of summons asked the court to cause the defendants to pay about N1.5bn for disturbing her peace over a piece of land she claimed to have bought with her late husband in 1957.
She instituted the action on behalf of the representatives of the family except the 12th defendants ( her grandson’s wife) and her offspring.
She sought amongst other things from the court an order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants, their servants, agents, privies or any other person howsoever described from further trespassing on her land at No 136-140 Abel Okoye Road, Egbu, Umuenem, Otolo, Nnewi.
She also asked the court for ” a declaration that by the invasion, trespass, demolition and subsequent actions of the defendants on the 1st plaintiff/plaintiffs’ properties on the piece and parcel of land on the 6th January, 2020; the plaintiffs’ constitutionally guaranteed right to dignity of human person, right to own properties, right to privacy , right to life and right to personal liberty were grossly violated.
“A declaration that the plaintiffs are entitled to the statutory right of occupancy of the piece and parcel of land.
“An order directing the defendants to pay the plaintiffs the sum of N30.9m being the estimated value for the repair and replacement of the demolished structures on the land when the defendants invaded it on the 6th of January, 2020.
” An order directing the defendants to pay plaintiffs the sum of N21.5 millions being the estimated value of some of the items carted away and/or damaged by the defendants and their agents.
“An order directing the defendants to pay plaintiffs the sum of N1.3bn for general, aggravated and exemplary damages the plaintiffs suffered by the defendants’ deliberate and unlawful invasion of the land”
Nwuelo further asked the court to cause the defendants to pay her and other plaintiffs the sum of N320m for the gross violation of their constitutionally guaranteed fundamental human rights, when they invaded her land as well as an order directing the defendants to pay the cost of her legal fees for the action assessed at N50bn.
The matter was adjourned to June 17. #####
