…Petitions Gov Uzodinma, IGP
By Our Reporter
A fervent battle for justice and equity has ignited in Imo State, as the human rights organization, Justice for Dispossessed Citizens (JDC), Imo State chapter, pledged to pursue legal measures in defense of an Owerre Nkworji Community indigene whose ancestral land was forcefully seized in a distressing manner.
Comrade Erasmus Odogwu, the Imo State Coordinator of Justice for Dispossessed Citizens, has submitted a petition to the state governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma, detailing the harrowing ordeal faced by an inhabitant of the community.
Odogwu revealed to reporters the torment, intimidation, and physical abuse suffered at the hands of individuals identified as vagabonds from his locality, operating under the supervision of Mr. Chukwuma Obodoako, the President of Umoke Progressive Union.
The distressing incident involved the forceful intrusion into the victim’s compound, resulting in the theft of property, including a Vento Volkswagen car and the dismantling of a section of his residence.
Odogwu, addressing the press in Owerre, Imo State’s capital, alleged that this hostile act was an attempt to render the victim homeless and forcibly evict him from his ancestral land, which has been inhabited by his family for over two centuries.
According to Odogwu, the confrontation escalated from the 23rd of October, 2023, when irate youths allegedly acting under the instruction of Mr. Obodoako, threatened the victim’s life over ownership of the land, bequeathed to him by his ancestors.
The community President allegedly colluded with some members of the Odunze kindred to appropriate a section of the land for road construction, disregarding its historical significance as a landmark.
“The President of Umoke Progressive Union, Obodoako, directed the invaders to destroy my home, asserting impunity, claiming he operates above the law,” Odunze lamented.
Despite the victim’s valiant resistance, he was overwhelmed, with his property stolen, and his home vandalized during the process. He is currently on admission in a hospital in Imo State.
During a press briefing, the JDC presented a protest letter, drafted by Odunze’s legal representative, Chief Anayo Emenua of Emeanua Anayochukwu and Associates, Ezemonye Chambers, Lagos.
The letter, addressed to the President of Umoke Progressive Union and copied to law enforcement authorities, highlighted the unjust dispossession and inhumane treatment meted out to Odunze.
Expressing discontent over the lack of prompt action on Emenua’s protest letter, the JDC implored the Inspector General of Police to launch an investigation into the alleged injustice suffered by the victim, emphasizing the urgency of the matter.
The Justice for Dispossessed Citizens (JDC) is renowned for its legal interventions and public awareness campaigns aimed at addressing unlawful property dispossession cases, providing aid to affected individuals, and advocating for necessary legal reforms to protect citizens’ rights.
