By NewsBits
The kindred families of Amechi Uwani, and Obeagu Awkunanaw, of Enugu South LGA, Enugu State, have appeared before the House of Reps Committee on Public Petitions in search of justice.
The communities who are the original owners of the disputed Enugu Centenary City made separate presentations pointing accusing fingers at Deputy Commissioner of Police Akinbayo Olasoji, of the Enugu State Command.
Also indicted are SP Chidiebere Ijioma and Uche Anya of the Enugu Capital Territory.
They urged the Reps Committee to ensure urgent actions against “the excesses of the officers, particularly SP Chidiebere Ijioma and DCP Akinbayo Olasoji of the Enugu State Police Command who are now providing these land grabbers with police cover under which they ceaselessly harass, intimidate, and unjustifiably hound our members to prison on trumped up charges.
“…that you cause the IGP to direct the Department of Force Intelligence (DFI), and Zone 13 Command, to charge to court all cases reported and investigations concluded against these land grabbers and their hirelings, in order to serve as a deterrent and by so doing, protect us from their stranglehold. In the case of DFI, our case which investigation had been concluded since 2021, and the casefile reportedly forwarded to the FDPP appears to have been buried. It is our request that it be revisited for the interest of justice.”
The communities described the Reps Committee as their last hope, “in the face of the most vicious land grabbing spree, and illegal acquisition of our ancestral lands…demolitions by Private Estates International West Africa (PEIWA), led by one Kingsley Eze with his armed thugs and some persons in police uniform; the Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority (ECTDA), led by Uche Anya.
“Our anguish and pain goes beyond the demolitions unleashed on us, we were more alarmed with the gruesome murder of a police officer, Inspector Celestine Orodiovwe of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) Annex, Enugu, in December 2021, who was investigating the case we reported against those we can describe as some hirelings of PEIWA.
“Between 2021 and 2022, there was an alarming spate of heinous crimes, particularly unresolved cases of murder. eg. The murder of Chidera Ogaba, Comrade Kelvin Ezeoha, among others.
“May we also draw your attention to the persistent invasion of our community and the numerous arrests of our people by the Enugu Police Command, particularly, SP Chidiebere Ijioma and DCP Akinbayo Olasoji who are being used to terrorize our people in favour of Kingsley Eze and his PEIWA. SP Chidiebere who has been in Enugu State Command for about 15 years now, has lost his sense of fairness as a police officer. Same as DCP Akinbayo Olasoji, who as the DCP Ops, Enugu Command, personally supervised the demolitions of our buildings alongside his officers.
They recalled that sequel to the murder of Sunday Ngene, an indigene of Obeagu Awkunanaw, in December 2022 the traditional ruler Igwe Mike Nnukwu wrote a petition to the IGP which was assigned to Zone 13 for investigation.
As the police investigation was ongoing, the Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority (ECTDA), issued Notice of Demolition to “all illegal developers at Enugu Lifestyle and Gulf City (Centenary) Master Plan.” This Demolition Notice was published in the Vanguard Newspaper of Friday, April 21st, 2023.
We quickly instructed our lawyer to write A Letter of Objection to the Chairman, ECTDA, to rescind the Demolition Notice and await the outcome of the pending suit in respect of the land in question. We organized a peaceful protest, and in addition our traditional ruler held a World Press Conference on 2nd May 2023 still in respect of the planned demolition.
“As soon as our traditional ruler rose from the World Press Conference, and in a manner intended to intimidate him and the entire community, he was confronted by some officers from the Homicide Section of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), Abuja inviting him and other members of the community to Abuja in respect of the murder of Sunday Ngene. The invitation letter was served on 2nd May 2023 and directed them to report at FCID, Abuja on 4th May 2023.
“Lo and behold, the demolition eventually began on 3rd May 2023 despite all the steps we took. We were taken aback, as we wondered if it were a mere coincidence that the police invitation came on the 2nd, against a police interview on 4th May 2023, and then the demolition of 3rd May 2023. To us it was not a coincidence, it was a well-orchestrated plan by our opponents to use the police to intimidate and overawe us while they carry out the demolition and plunder our community.
“On the day of the demolition, we were amazed by the number of police officers who were mobilized and brought to our community. Well over 100 police officers led by DCP Akinbayo Olasoji, DCP Ops, swarmed our community, heavily armed with various weapons, teargas and smoke gunners which they lavishly and provocatively threw at our people without any resistance.”
They commended the IGP, who as the DIG FCID then, “sent back all our cases to Zone 13 for discreet, comprehensive investigation. Funny enough, when the same land grabbers could not have their way, they sponsored numerous other petitions accusing our people of killing our late son, Sunday Ngene. They eventually found willing tools in the Enugu State Police Command, Hawk Squad who stormed our community, arrested many of our people, and kept them in their custody without trial. Not less than ten of our indigenes were thus incarcerated and remained in police custody for over ten weeks before the police succumbed to pressure and had them released.
“In recent times, DCP Olasoji has devised another means of incarcerating our people. Currently, he deployed over 15 police officers on our land, and they will from time to time move around our community fishing for hapless members to arrest. Once arrested they will be taken to the Area Commander Metro, ACP Sogbeba Dulphine who will quickly arraign them on a charge of Promoting Communal War for which they will be remanded.
“DCP Akinbayo Olasoji has remained a thorn in our flesh, and has shown willingness to cause us endless nightmares. Sometime in January this year (2024), he personally led nearly the entire officers and men of the Enugu State Police Command and some officials of ECTDA to invade our land with force and arms in aid of the land grabbers.
Most recent demolitions were carried out by DCP Olasoji and the land grabbers alongside their hired thugs. We have had cause to formally report the activities of DCP Olasoji to the police high command and to the Police Service Commission, yet we find this occasion more auspicious to report the atrocious acts of those officers because we believe in the potency of your constitutionally bestowed oversight powers.
