.Warns of looming economic genocide
CYRIL MBAH, Abuja
The people of Mbaishii, an embattled community located in the Ngor/Okpala Local Government Area of Imo State, Southeast heartland have appealed to the Presidency and the military high command to immediately intervene and order the withdrawal of the detachment of soldiers, who allegedly laid siege on the community at the prompting of the state administration which apparently embarked on a land grabbing campaign on behalf of a religious organisation.
Elders of the area operating under the umbrella of Mbaishii Community Assembly told newsmen at a World Press Conference on Wednesday that residents of the community now live in constant fear of their lives and cannot access their farms or engage in other meaningful economic activities as a result of the tight restriction of movement imposed by the security personnel.
The conference was addressed by Dr. Ugo Jim Nwoko, who warned of “a looming economic genocide, starvation and sickness” even as he conveyed the call of the community for immediate rescue to save the people from imminent death.
His words: “As we speak to you now, the Nigerian military and the police have occupied over 30,000 hectares of farmland belonging to Mbaishii communities in aid of land grabbing by the Imo State Government in favour of Evangelist Ebuka Obi and his Zion Ministry Incorporated for over nine months now.
“Mbaishii was originally made up of six large autonomous communities namely: Eziama, Alulu, Amala, Ntu, Obokwe, and Oburu autonomous communities located in Ngor-Okpala Local Government Area of Imo State with a combined land mass of over 200 kilometres and from which five additional autonomous communities of Alatia-Amala, Ikem, Ubichukwu, Umuchulu and Okpala were created.
“This conference is addressed by Umuchie Eziama, Umulu, Umuegirige, Umuogba Eziama, Umuocham Ntu, Umuokpo Ntu, Umuhoko Ntu and Alatia-Amala autonomous communities, which constitute a substantial part of the area known as Mbaishii in Ngor-Okpala Local Government of Imo State.
“We are crying to the world to hear us that over 80% of our farmland, from which we make a living, generate income to finance the education of children, pay taxes, contribute to community development projects, foot critical health bills, fund marriages and burials, as well as other state government engagements, as majority of us are predominantly peasant farmers, with no other ostensible means of livelihood.
“We hereby bring to the knowledge of the world that in the 2024 farming season, our people were able, as usual, to cultivate very large proportions of our farmlands spanning across over ten thousand hectares with crops like cassava, yams, potatoes, vegetables, plantain and other edible roots and grains.
“While we were expecting to enjoy bountiful harvest from our 2024 farming season and also commence our farming activities for 2025 season, our hopes and high expectations were dashed with depression as we saw massive deployment of men of the Nigeria military, Police and other security personnel on the instructions of the Imo State Government since the beginning of 2025, destroying our farms and the yields of the 2024 farming seasons and also preventing us from farming on the lands, all in a bid to forcefully take over our farmlands illegally under the guise of compulsory land acquisition.
“This is a gross violation of Article 22 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which guarantees the rights to property, economic, social and cultural development with due regard to our freedom and identity and in the equal enjoyment of common heritage of mankind. The Charter in Article 14 specifies that the right to property can only be encroached upon for reasons of public need or general interest of the community.
“The African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Right enjoins states and governments to individually or collectively ensure that the exercise of this right is not compromised. While we concede to the right of the Imo State Government to compulsorily acquire land within the state, we also insist that such compulsory land acquisition must be for demonstrable overriding public purposes with strict compliance with the due process of law in consonance with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and the Land Use Act 1978.
“We wish to state categorically, that the Imo State Government, at no time acquired the 30,000 hectares of land or any portion thereof in respect of which the Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma hiding under the cover of the Government of Imo State has deployed the men of the Nigeria Army, Police and other security personnel to parade and occupy, as no such documents to such purported acquisitions exists anywhere.
“We do recall that sometime in 2006, the Imo state Government under Governor Chief Achike Udenwa had indicated interest in compulsorily acquiring about 2,000 hectares of land for a certain Chinese village, but the move was aborted following the insincerity of the handlers of the so-called acquisition and the consequential widespread opposition and multiple litigations by indigenous land owners and all other stakeholders against the perceived fraudulent acquisition.
“As a matter of fact, two villages namely Umuokpo Ntu and Umuhoko Ntu, in old Ntu autonomous community in Mbaisii, got two separate judgments wherein the Imo State High Court declared the purported acquisition as unlawful and unconstitutional and made orders of perpetual injunction restraining the Imo State Government and her agents from trespassing into their lands.
“The said judgments of the Imo State High Court were in suit numbers HOW/624/2006 delivered on Monday 24th day of May 2010 by and HOW/627/2006 delivered on Tuesday 26th of July 2011 both judgments were delivered by Justice C. M. I. Egole.We also further state that since the failed compulsory acquisition in 2006, nothing else was heard about the intended acquisition, and that our people had since continued exercising full and unencumbered possession, carrying out our farming and cultivation as well as palm oil processing until late 2024, when Imo State Government brought in a certain Evangelist Ebuka Obi and his Zion Ministry to take over an entire 30,000 hectares of farmland belonging to our clients, citing a non-existing acquisition that purportedly took place in 2007.
“We wish to reiterate categorically that no form of acquisition of land took place, either of the 30,000 hectares or at all and challenge the Imo State Government or anyone to present documentary evidence to the contrary. It is our conviction to state as follows: We are the original customary title holders of all that large expanse of land in question by virtue of customary inheritance as provided in the Land Use Act.
“Compulsory acquisition of land is not by mere allusion, as the Imo State Government is doing, and we further challenge the Imo State Government to present proof that our subsisting prior customary title had been cancelled and revoked, because compulsory acquisition of property amounts to revocation or cancellation of existing titles. Section 44(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) protects citizens against compulsory acquisition of property, save as provided for in the Land Use Act.
“The claim by Imo State Government that our land was acquired reveal a stark ignorance of the legal process of compulsory acquisition of land under the Land Use Act.It is our belief that, assuming without conceding that all necessary procedures were followed, and our lands were acquired, the mere fact that the land was purportedly re-allocated to the Zion Ministry for the purposes of evangelism or for church business and for profit making, will invalidate the entire process, having derogated from the spirit and letter of 1999 Constitution and the Land Use Act (supra).”
The community condemned the use if armed security agencies to intimidate innocent villagers and preventing them from going about their lawful businesses. “It is our right therefore to state unequivocally, that the deployment of the men of the Nigeria Military, Police and other security personnel to our community, and using them to intimidate our indigenes and residents, is not only illegal and unconstitutional but a gross abuse of executive powers by the Imo State Government.
“By the combined effects of Section 217 (2)(a), (b)(c) and (d) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (supra). The Nigeria Armed Forces is established and maintained for the following purposes to wit: Defending Nigeria from external aggression, maintaining its territorial integrity and securing its borders from violation on land, sea or air. Suppressing insurrection and acting in aid of civil authorities to restore order when called upon to do so by the president, but subject to such conditions as maybe prescribed by an Act of National Assembly, and Performing other functions as maybe prescribed by an Act of the NASS.
“From the foregoing constitutional provision, it is only when Nigeria is at war with external forces, and for the purpose of securing its frontiers or where there exists insurrection that the necessity to deploy the military would arise. It is not in farm lands where there is no external aggression or war in our community, nor is there any form of insurrection therein, even if there was, it is only the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and not any governor, that is constitutionally empowered to deploy the Nigerian Military, and only subject to such conditions as maybe prescribed by an Act of the National Assembly, the community argued.
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