Menace of land-grabbers in Igbo communities,
….They’ve created disunity, litigation, bloodbath among brothers
…NASS should amend land use law to protect communal lands —Community leader
By Anayo Okoli, Ugochukwu Alaribe, Jeff Agbodo, Emmanuel Iheaka & Chinedu Adonu
INDISCRIMINATE acquisition of ancestral and communal lands by land grabbers has created deep crises in many communities in Igbo land. Some of these crises which pitched brothers and communities against each other have led to litigations, and in some cases, escalating to communal fights and bloodshed.
Sometimes, these crises are perpetrated by some compromised community leaders, including monarchs, who connive with land grabbers, which include individuals and government agencies – to sell community land. Another worrisome aspect is the idea of these land grabbers secretly buying family land through junior members of a family without the knowledge of surviving elders of such family, an act forbidden in Igbo custom.
Land grabbers often claim that such land is for government or public interest projects, but later turn it to private ownership and use. Some of them would later divide the land into plots and sell to the public, including members of the original owners from the same communities.
This practice has in some instances, pitched communities against state and local governments, who they believe tricked them into giving away their valuable land.
The case of Enugu State
In Enugu State, before the coming of Peter Mbah’s administration, many communities were engrossed in crises over inappropriate acquisition of land. Some had escalated to bloodbath while others were hanging in various courts. Communities and families were pitched against each other and government agencies as well as real estate developers. It was such that could hinder development if not well and decisively managed. Rather than use its powers and force to either revoke and take over ownership of the disputed lands, the government wisely decide to set up an Inter-ministerial Committee on Property and Compensation. The committee thoroughly looked into the documents in respect of each case and after satisfactory verification, was able to resolve most of the problems. Compensation was paid to those that deserve it. Now in Enugu, sanity has been restored to the process of acquiring land both from communities and individuals.
NASS should amend Land Use Act to protect communal lands —Azumara
The President-General of Ngwa Ukwu Ancient Kingdom in Isiala Ngwa North Council, Abia State, Chief Victor Azumara, suggests that the National Assembly should amend the Land Use Act to protect ancestral and individual lands from land grabbers.
He alleged that the highly connected people in communities are involved in the grabbing of individual and communal lands, noting that the problem of land grabbing has created disunity, litigation and bloodshed in many communities.
“The best solution to the problem is for the National Assembly to comprehensively review and amend the Land Laws and protect communities from the exploitative tendencies of these land grabbers, who often use law enforcement agencies to intimidate their people.
“The menace of land grabbing is a recent development which has crept into many communities in Igbo land. It is often the handiwork of the elite against their people. It has created disunity in many communities and has even resulted to bloodshed and litigations.
“Arising from the Land Use Decree promulgated by the Military in Nigeria, State Governors were empowered to authorise the use of communal lands for public interest. What constitutes public interest was not explicitly defined. This created a vacuum which has been exploited by highly connected people to deprive their communities of jointly owned ancestral lands.
“The practice is still unabated, due to the absence of an amendment to the Land Use Decree, which is now a Law in Nigeria. The agitation for an amendment to that Law has not yielded any dividend. Litigations and violent agitations are the only options for affected people but in most cases, the powerful people involved in this ugly practice, often have their way,” Azumara said.
Imo laments encroachment into Govt. land
Incidentally, government is also accusing individual citizens of grabbing government lands.
Abia Government is currently battling those it accused of taking over government land, particularly in Aba.
In Imo State, the government has said that individuals are taking over its lands, including recreation parks and empty spaces. The government said that individuals are also encroaching on its lands and places designated as green verge.
The Secretary to the Government of Imo State, Chief Cosmas Iwu, in a statement noted that government is out to reclaim all its lands and directed local government chairmen to recover such lands and warned that defaulters will be arrested.
According to Iwu: “It has come to the attention of Imo State Government that unknown persons have embarked upon illegal acquisition of lands belonging to Imo State Government particularly Local Government headquarters, schools, hospitals and health centres, recreational centres/open spaces and other lands belonging to the state government under the guise of recovering their ancestral lands.
“The Land Use Act of 1978 (as amended), vests all lands in each state in the governor who holds them on trust for the people and grants individuals or corporations rights of occupancy.
“To the best of the government’s knowledge, nobody has been granted any right to possess any part or whole of the lands already ceded to the schools and health centres.
“Consequently, the Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma has directed the immediate vacation of individuals and/or corporate bodies who have encroached on the said lands.
“All the Local Government Chairmen and Education Secretaries are hereby directed to, within two weeks, recover such lands from the illegal occupants irrespective of what use they had put such lands into. Anyone caught flouting this directive will be arrested by security agencies and prosecuted. Be warned.”
Ebonyi worst hit; Govt’s efforts to resolve land dispute-induced crises being resisted
In Ebonyi State, land grabbing and land crisis have been a major problem tearing many communities apart, which in some cases, have led to loss of lives and properties.
Over the years successive governments in the state had witnessed land crises in different villages, communities and councils across the state. The situation has been giving the government serious concern because in most cases, government officials fuel the crisis due to their vested interests. In fact, there is no local government area in the state that doesn’t have a land matter ongoing or ending in the court or being handled by the government.
Some of these land crises which have claimed many lives include the one between Abaomege and Ishinkwor communities in Onicha Council of the state. Efforts made by previous administrations in the state to end the fratricidal war had not been successful.
Governor Francis Nwifuru set up demarcation committee to find lasting solutions to the various communal wars but the warring communities seem to be frustrating the efforts of the state government. Some of the land disputes dated as far back as 1912, yet the people are not yielding.
However, Governor Francis Nwifuru has set up a committee to resolve the various land disputes. The question remains whether the committee would succeed.
Group laments encroachment of national assets
The Project Manager, Advocacy for good Governance, Comrade Onyebuchi Igboke observes that the issue of land grabbing in Igbo communities is a complex and dangerous menace that has escalated beyond communities to state and national assets.
According to Igboke, land grabbing has become an illegal, fraudulent venture that threatens community stability and national patrimony. He explains that land speculators often operate deceptively, presenting themselves as investors or representatives of government initiatives to deceive communities and local leaders.
“Land grabbing is becoming a very smart venture. It is an illegal and fraudulent trade fast growing in our society. They may promise employment opportunities or government intervention, but their true intent is to acquire land unlawfully, often in collusion with dubious traditional rulers or officials. Once land is acquired through these schemes, it is parceled and sold, sometimes at exorbitant prices, leading to loss of communal land and potential crises.
“A recent alarming case involves the National Museum in Enugu, which is reportedly under threat due to encroachment by land grabbers. Structures have been erected on the museum’s land, some by companies, without proper authorisation or accountability.
“The land was reportedly sold at prices around N120 million per plot, indicating the lucrative but illicit nature of these activities.”
Igboke emphasized that land grabbing is no longer confined to community lands but now encroaching on government assets, posing a significant national threat.
He urged the Federal Government to develop and enforce policies to curb this menace, protect cultural properties like the National Museum, and prevent future crises. He indicates his intention to petition relevant authorities on the the National Museum matter.
Abia Monarch raises alarm over massive land acquisition by people not known to the communities
In Abia, the traditional ruler of Okahia Autonomous Community in Obingwa Council Area, Eze Okey Ananaba has raised alarm over what he described as security threats posed by massive land acquisition by strangers in some communities in the area.
Ananaba raised the alarm during a sensitization visit/town hall meeting by the officials of the Greater Aba Development Authority, GADA, in his community. He expressed concern that strangers have already acquired over 5,000 plots of land in strategic border communities such as Mgboko Umuanunu, near the boundary with Akwa Ibom State and Akpaa Mbato community behind the National Institute for Nigerian Languages, NINLAN, Ovom, Aba.
He said: “We are concerned that people suspected to be herders have already acquired over 5,000 plots of land in strategic border communities such as Mgboko Umuanunu, near the border with Akwa Ibom State and Akpaa Mbato community behind the National Institute for Nigerian Languages, NINLAN, Ovom, Aba. There are other massive land acquisitions in other communities in Obingwa LGA and environs. We don’t know the reason behind the acquisition of these massive land areas in most communities in Obingwa Council.”
The monarch disclosed that traditional rulers in the area have severally petitioned the Abia State Government over ongoing land transactions, but lamented that nothing has been done to check the ugly trend.
“Traditional rulers in Obingwa Council have petitioned the Abia State Government to halt the ongoing land transactions. Traditional rulers are the people at the rural communities, the government should give urgent attention to any report from us because we feel the pain. We are the eye of the government in our communities.”
He called on Governor Alex Otti to investigate the trend of massive land acquisitions in Obingwa council to know what the lands are acquired for.
Some of the people who spoke at the town hall meeting alleged that the lands were acquired with the active connivance of some traditional rulers in the areas in question.
“There is no way a massive land of up to 1,000 plots, will be acquired by anybody in the rural communities without the traditional rulers being aware; it is not possible. The leadership of traditional rulers must also check themselves and report the bad and suspected ones among them to the government.
“But the problem is that it is still the state ministry of lands that will register and give approval to these massive acquisition of lands without proper checks on why an individual or group is acquiring over 1,000 plots in a rural community.”
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INDISCRIMINATE acquisition of ancestral and communal lands by land grabbers has created deep crises in many communities in Igbo land. S
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