By Chuks Eke
No fewer than four tenants of Kilometer 1, Asaba/Benin Expressway were feared dead, while five others sustained bullet wounds, following the escallation of land dispute between the landlord, Kingsley Ijebuonwu and another claimant, Jerry Nkeweshe.
The incident which occurred on Monday, according to the Caretaker of the house, Dalha Muhammad, sparked off at about 12 noon when according to him some armed members of the vigilante group suspected to have been hired by Nkeweshe stormed the buildings with about 15 vehicles and opened fire on the tenants for failing to vacate the compound as he had ordered them to do.
According to Muhammad, four of the tenants died instantly as a result of the direct shooting at them, while the five others who sustained various degrees of injuries as a result of bullet wounds were hospitalized at St Rebecca’s hospital, Asaba, Delta state capital, where they are currently having the pellets extracted from their bodies.
Also speaking on the incident, Alhaji Auwalu Dalhatu Chairman of Abraka Quarters, confirmed to newsmen on phone that the vigilante operatives had earlier visited the compound on Friday, November 21 and warned the tenants to quit the compound within the weekend because it belongs to a certain Senator from the area.
Dalhatu also confirmed that the tenants, brandisbing a court judgement in favour of Kingsley Ijebuonwu who they identified as their landlord, in turn told the vigilante operatives that they were relying on the court judgement which showed that Ijebuonwu is their authentic landlord.
Dalhatu disclosed that after the Friday threat by the security operatives, they also went to the nearly Division B Police station and reported the matter, adding that the Division Police Officer even assured them of adequate protection.
He said the tenants were highly disappointed with the action of the police when on Monday, they alerted them about the attack being launched against them by the vigilante operatives but the police could not do anything until the attackers completed their mission and left before the police came and started asking after the operatives.
The security operatives had stormed the compound on Monday, asking the tenants why they were still there in defiance of their last Friday order to vacate the property and before they could open their mouth to explain that they had a court order from the landlord asking them to ignore Nkeweshe’s threat, the operatives had opened fire on them.
The tenants identified those reportedly shot dead by the operatives as Kabiru Abdullahi and one other simply known as Mohammed, while two of those injured were Baba Ado and Muzan.
“The invaders claimed that they were sent by a political bigwig to come and eject them and we told them that our landlord, Mr. Kingsley Ijebuonwu, has a court judgment which we presented to them.
“Earlier, the Invaders came last Friday and told us to quit and that if we fail to quit on or before Monday, they will come and we will get it hot. True to their vow, today they killed four of our members.
“We met with the DPO, ‘B’ Division, and presented the copy of the judgment to him and he pledged to send a police team to protected us,” he stated.
Also Dalha Mohammad, who is caretaker chairman of the compound, corraborated the view of the chairman of the Hausa community, stating that bullets were being extracted from those injured at St Rebecca hospital.
In a swift reaction when contacted, the landlord of the disputed land, Mr. Kingsley Ijebuonwu, traced the history of the land to when his father, Christopher Ijebuonwu acquired the land and had one Chief Uwadiboa from Iselleukwu as tenant.
“Later the Uwadibia started claiming Ownership and on the process he died and his wife, Gloria and son, brought in Jerry Nkewesi who went and brought forged (C of O) that bears Francis Torlowei and used his own passport to impose on the passport.
“We had earlier complained to the Commissioner of Police and had judgments on two occasions in our favor on the land.
In a seift reaction, landlord of the disputed land, Kingsley Ijebuonwu who spoke to newsmen in Onitsha on Monday evening, traced the history of the property to when his late father, Christopher Ijebuonwu acquired the land and had one hisf Usadubia from Issele-Ukwu as a tenant.
“Usadubia, as a tenant, later started claiming ownership of the land and on the process, he died and his wife, Gloria and son brought in Jerry Nkeweshe who went and obtained a forged Certificate of Occupancy, C of O that bears the name Francis Torlowei and used his own passport to superimpose on the C of O. We had earlier complained to Delta state Commissioner of Police and I had court judgement on two occasions in our favour on the land”.
Reacting to the development, legal counsel to the landlord, Barr. Charles Obodozie condemned the invasion, adding that there are pending court cases on the matter, adding that his client, Ijebuonwu had already obtained two favourable court judgements on the matter”.
Confirming the incident, the state Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, SP Bright Edafe, told newsmen on phone that he was not yet aware of the deaths but was aware of injuries arising from the process of executing a court order.
He added however that the state Police command is investigating the matter to get to the root of it all.
