Umahi’s Ebonyi kinsmen accuses him of forceful eviction, land grabbing accusation baseless, frivolous – aide

By Chuks Eke

Indigenes of Umuchima autonomous community, Uburu in Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi state  have accused the incumbent Minister of Works and former Governor of Ebonyi state, Senator Dave Umahi of forcefully evicting them from their ancestral homes and grabbing the lands measuring a total of about 300 hectres.

They alleged that this ugly development started shortly after Umahi was sworn in as Governor of Ebonyi state in 2015 and continued even when he was appointed as Minister of Works till date.

They are therefore calling on both the federal and Ebonyi state government authorities to intervene and at the same time return the confiscated lands to their original owners, mostly now that he could not build any government structure on the lands as he claimed when he was evicting the indigenes who incidentally are his kinsmen, rather, he merely handed the lands to his brothers and relations.

In a strongly worded petition signed on their behalf by Celestine Uzo, Publicity Secretary of United Umuchima Community General Assembly and made available to newsmen in Onitsha, the indigenes lamented that most pathetically, Umahi’s desecration of their customs/traditions, demolition of their ancestral homes/farm lands and annexation of same have led to premature deaths of some kinsmen/women.

In the petition titled: “Death tolls resulting from dehumanizing actions of Senator Umahi against his own kinsmen, Umuchima Community”, the petitioners complained bitterly that a hilarious period suddenly turned to darkest period for Ndi-Umuchima when on assuming office as the Governor of Ebonyi State on May 29, 2015, expectations and hopes were so high in Uburu where he (Umahi) comes from. Of course, Umuchima Community is one of the 14 communities in Uburu, and the most populous one for that matter”..

“Suddenly, the petitioners continued, this hilarious atmosphere became sour the moment he as the then Executive Governor started taking measures that disrespects and relegates Ndi-Umuchima to the background”.

“First, he hid under the guise of State and Federal governments, and forcefully evicted natives of Umuchima from their ancestral homes/farmlands. These nefarious actions were not carried out without Intimidation, harassment and bullying from his armed thugs”.

“For instance, Mrs Elizabeth Offora (known as Nwunye Offora)

whose homes & economic trees were being demolished, on

seeing escavator exhuming the decomposing dead body of her late

husband who was buried few months ago, slumped, went into a state of coma and eventually died three days later. Such a gory sight of her husband’s decomposing corpse triggered chemical reactions on the widow and she died leaving their children as orphans”.

“In a related development, Regina Mgbeke (Mama Otonwamgbeke) also a widow suddenly became half paralysed after she was impoverished and rendered homeless by Umahi’s

orders as well as his agents and she later died leaving their

children as orphans”.

“Similarly, an 81-year old Mazi Amadi Onu had dehumanizing

experiences from Umahi’s orders/agents. The old

man’s ancestral homes and economic trees were demolished,

tombs of his forebears escavated which is a slap to ancestral

heritage/traditions; Mazi Amadi Onu wailed like women, got blind and became bedridden till he died, courtesy of those heinous, vindictive activities”.

Still not satisfied with these ugly developments, the petitioners alleged that Umahi equally ordered his groomed boys to terrorise Umuchima community until one Paul Eze is hunted down.

According to them, Paul Eze was a vibrant youth of about 33 years old.

He stopped Umahi’s agents from pulling down Osuji Samuel Anike’s compound. The agents then called Umahi on phone and he personally drove down to the site, that was the said compound. On getting there, Paul insisted that the compound would not be demolished”.

“At this stage, Umahi ordered his boys to get him down, his boys started hitting him until Paul became weak. And the compound was pulled down. Paul later became ill as a result of the punches and died. It should be noted that the mayhem going on at Enuebor Umuchima sends shock

waves down the spines of the residents and literally caused every resident of the community to live in fear because nobody knows whose compounds shall be visited next for demolition”.

“This is the condition under which he subjugated the people of

Umuchima since he became governor in 2015 till now that he is the Minister of Works. The most unfortunate and unexplainable emotional trauma his boys and illegal activities in Enuebor Umuchima has further taken more lives and property. Mrs Susana Chukwuogbogo equally died of shocks as Umahi ordered machines to pull down her husband’s compound”.

Though not keen to mention some of the agents working for him in the alleged land grabbing deal, the petitioners insisted that the agents are natives of other communities recruited by Umahi to ensure complete invasion and annexation of Enuebor Umuchima.

They further mentioned those they simply described as ‘black sheep’ of Umuchima Community who have confessed severally that they were brainwashed, deceived and are being used against their own community, adding that they have lost the will and power to say no to their paymaster.

“There was even a time they coordinated shooting at our kinsmen after Community General Meeting at Enuagu. At other time they conspired, surrendered some

youths with guns and abducted two and it took the intervention of Umuchima women shouting round the entire Uburu before the victims were released. On 25th Jan, 2025 they mobilised some hooligans and coordinated destruction of native people’s homes, doors, windows, building materials and made away with lots of valuables at night”.

“This action led to the death of Mrs Janet Esu Enyi Nwanjoku on January 25, 2025; because the old woman thought that her only surviving son had been killed. The height of their deadly activities came in May 2025 when

they hired and accompanied abductors and went after members of Umuchima Community National Leadership in the persons

of: Arc Sunday Chukwu – President General who lives at Owerri and Mr Ezenwa James O – Secretary General who lives at Nnewi, Anambra State. Unfortunately, it has been gathered that all these despicable activities are carried out on the orders and sponsorship of Senator Umahi”.

“We the people of Umuchima Community, Uburu hereby call on the general public and human rights activists to help us draw the

attention of both State and Federal Governments under which Senator David Nweze Umahi hides to dispossess Ndi-Umuchima of their ancestral homes/farmlands to send delegation to Umuchima Community to identify government establishments if there are any and define the size of lands required

for such projects”.

“Senator Umahi has rendered many homeless, impoverished many and caused the death of many since 2018 till date. Currently, the desecration, demolition as well as annexation of Umuchima Community ancestral

homes and farmlands are on going with impunity. Let the public hear our cry; and let the State and Federal Governments come to our rescue”.