By Chuks Eke
Bloody attacks on youths of Umuosodi kindred, Umudei village, Onitsha has triggered off a peaceful demonstration by the entire Umuosodi kindred in protest against those they perceived as land grabbers.
The five youths, some of whom were still receiving medical attention in various hospitals as at the time of filing this report, were beaten to a pulp by some government agencies allegedly hired by the suspected land grabbers, barely 24 hours before the protests took place.
Accorcing to one of the victims who introduced himself to newsmen as Patrick Menkiti, the government agencies, including Operation Udo Ga Achi security outfit and Operation Clean and Healthy Anambra, OCHA Brigade, had swooped on them at the disputed Odachi farm land in the day time and allegedly subjected them to excruciating torture, after which they allegedly dispossessed them of their personal belongings, including their telephone handsets.
During the protest, the demonstrators, numbering over 100 stormed the Odachi farm land with their placards and chanted: “we no go gree, we no go gree”.
Speaking to newsmen during the exercise, some of the elders of the Umuosodi kindred who identified themselves as Johnny Nwanolue and Tony Ekweogwu, stated that the farm land measuring over 300 plots located behind Federal Government College, FGC in the ’33’ Area of Onitsha belonging to Umuosodi kindred is being forcefully taken away from them by the land grabbers.
Armed with placards bearing some inscriptions such as “Chuks Emelife, Ezedinobi Eddy Ibuzor and Chinyelugo Boy Bossh leave our land for us”, among others, they described the trio of Chuks Emelife, Ezedinobi Eddy Ibuzor and Chinyelugo Boy Bossh as inordinate land grabbers, adding that they would never fold their arms and watch them forcefully take over their ancestral land.
The demonstrators also took their protest to Onitsha Area office of Anambra state Ministry of Lands where complained bitterly against the activities of the land grabbers but the Head of the Onitsha Area office of the Lands ministry advised them to take their protest to the office of the state Commissioner for Lands.
Also in his complaint to the Onitsha Area office of the Lands ministry, Ekweogwu explained that the kindred has conceded many of their lands to various government establishments, including Customs Area office at Onitsha, Anambra state Fire Service at Onitsha, Federal Government College FGC, Onitsha, Eastern Academy Girls Secondary School, Onitsha and some others for overriding public interest and yet these land grabbers still have thet temerity to encroach into their Odachi farm land which is the only one left for their agricultural and farming activities.
He disclosed that they have written a strongly worded petition to Governor Chukwurah Soludo for his assistance, adding that they are presently waiting for his reaction.
Reacting to the allegation, Hon. Ezedinobi Eddy Ibuzor a former member of Anambra State House of Assembly that represented Onutsha North 2 Constituency, told newsmen that the state government had already acquired the land and paid them the requisite compensation and as such they no longer have any business laying clams over the land.
Denying that he was neither a land ggrabber nor instrumental to the alleged hiring of OCHA Briade and other security outfits to attack the youths, Hon. Ibuzor wondered why they are still protesting over the parcel of land that no longer belongs to them
