The community, during a protest on Friday also urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to make public the report of the investigation the state government mandated it to carry out on the sale of their lands by some individuals who claimed to be Land Management Committee in the community.
The protesters carried placards with various inscriptions such as “No more land grabbing of Ifite Nteje land,” “Governor Soludo, come to our rescue, implement the report of the Panel of Inquiry white paper,” and “EFCC, make public the report of you investigations on Ifite Nteji fraudulent land sales,” among other inscriptions.
While marching round major roads in the community, including the ever-busy Ugwu Nengo Road and Airport Road, the protesters advised those who are claiming to have bought land from the said “illegal” land committee to go back to them for a refund.
Speaking on behalf of the community, Chairman of Ojiani Nteje, (Custodians of Ifite Nteji Lands), Chief Paul Egwuatu, said that the community lands are not for sale, adding that youths do not sell land when their elders have not approved.
Egwuatu said, “Ifite Nteji community has not appointed or elected anybody or group of people to act as Land Management Committee, neither has it given anybody ‘Power of Attorney,’ like some people are claiming to have been given, to manage the Ifite Nteje lands.
“The state government instituted a Panel of Inquiry in 2019 after a land related crisis that led to loss of lives and destruction of properties, but the report is being sat on for reasons they cannot explain. We call on the governor to implement the white paper report.
“The non-implementation of the Panel of Inquiry White Paper many years after the panel sat has emboldened some youths from Ifite Nteji to continue to sell their communal land to developers without the consent of the elders of the community, thereby causing more problems.
“The people who imposed themselves on the community as Land Management Committee have been illegally selling our lands, building houses and hotels with the money they made from their fraudulent land sales. The developers who patronise them know that what they are doing is illegal.
“They have connived with their so-called Land Management Committee, just three people, arresting and intimidating our elders and youths who challenged their illegal and unilateral sale of our communal ands with law enforcement agents, but we will continue to resist their intimidation.”
Also speaking during the protest, another member of Ojiani Ifite Nteje, Chief Christopher Alee, said their women no longer farm on their land because the land grabbers have taken over their farming lands with security men who sometimes rape the women who have gone to farm.
The Treasurer of Ifite Nteje Development Union, Mr Innocent Ugwo, said that the Chairman of INDU, Mr. Nnamdi Uwadiegwu is currently being held by the Police in Abuja because he declared the Land Management Committee illegal during their last community meeting.
