ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- Residents and natives of Uzamu Isinomeh, Emene Nike in Enugu East Council Area of Enugu State, including widows, voiced distress over the demolition of their ancestral homes by the Enugu State Government.
The victims, including Ezinne Blessing Nkemjurum Oguike, an octogenarian widow, recounted how officials allegedly from the Government House, Ministry of Lands, and Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority ordered the demolition of their homes without prior notice.
Mrs Oguike, who hails from Imo State, South East Nigeria and spoke through her son, Chukwuebuka Oguike, said that they acquired the land, which they have been using for over 62 years ago from the ancestral owners of the land before the Akanu Ibiam International Airport was even built.
Mrs. Oguike highlighted their over 62 years of residency and acquisition of the land from their ancestral owners of the land before the Akanu Ibiam International Airport was built, emphasizing their lack of notice or compensation before the demolition.
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Despite efforts to obtain legal documentation, including a Certificate of Occupancy (C of O), Oguike who hails from Imo State, South East Nigeria, said they were allegedly denied issuance due to unspecified orders.
According to her, they were not given any vacation notice or any notice of acquisition of the land by the government before the demolition exercise took place on Monday, April 29, 2024, claiming that they have lost over 500 million naira to the demolition.
Mrs Oguike further stated that a former governor of the state, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi had after listening to their explanations on the real owners of the land , urged them to go and do necessary documentations on the land.
She claimed that after filing the necessary papers for the grant of C of O over the land, her request was approved by the Governor, which approval was communicated to her via a letter dated 20/02/2024.
Furthermore, she stated that she paid the assessed C of O fees of #5,832,120.12 (Five Million, Eight hundred and thirty-two thousand, twelve Kobo into the Enugu State IGR and obtained receipt but was not issued with the C of O on the ground that there was order from above to stop issuance.
The elderly woman said they have documents to prove that the land does not belong to government as they acquired the land from the rightful owners who inherited same from their forefathers.
Another widow and native of Uzamu Isinomeh, Mrs Eunice Agbo , whose ancestral home was also demolished said that after the death of her husband in1979, she took out time to get a photocopy of a map from the Archives showing her late husband, Innocent Agbo, as the owner of the Ishi Nome land.
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She stated that she made efforts to get the Certificate of Occupancy from ministry of land but was told that it was not necessary because the land is their ancestral land.
The widows therefore appealed to the State Government to wade into the matter to stop them from becoming tenants or evicted from their ancestral/acquired land/ home.
“They have been disturbing me since my husband died. My husband died in 1979 and since then they have been disturbing me.
“I have gone to the ministry of lands and archives to make inquiries and it was confirmed that the land belongs to my husband. I have a photocopy of the survey map of the area from the archives where the name of my husband Innocent Agbo was written as the owner of the land.” She lamented.