Mbaishi autonomous communities in Ngor-Okpala Local Government Area, Imo, have called on President Bola Tinubu to immediately stop the siege allegedly laid on their 30,000 hectares of land by some personnel of Nigeria’s military.

Ugo Jim-Nwoko made the call on behalf of the communities during a news conference on Wednesday in Abuja.

Mr Jim-Nwoko, the spokesperson of the communities, alleged that fully armed military personnel arrived and laid siege on their 30,000 hectares of farmlands for nine months.

The autonomous communities are Umuchie Eziama, Umulu, Umuegirige, Umuogba Eziama, Umuocham Ntu, Umuokpo Ntu, Umuhoko Ntu, and Alatia.

He further alleged that the traditional owners of the land have since been prevented from accessing their farms through a series of intimidation, harassment and brutalisation by the military personnel.

They traced the land issue to 2006 when a former governor of the state, Achike Udenwa, indicated interest in acquiring 2,000 hectares of the land to build a Chinese Village.

He said however, the project was abandoned due to opposition against the acquisition process.

Mr Jim-Nwoko said that two villages dragged the Imo State government to court and got two judgments that annulled the acquisition of the land.

He said they also got perpetual order against the government, restraining it from further trespassing on the land.

He said unfortunately in spite of the subsisting order, the current government under Hope Uzodimma made moves to forcefully take over the land by all means.

He alleged that the state government unlawfully allocated the land to Zion Ministry Church to build a factory for production of red candle, olive oil, holy water and its worship center.

He said the move was without consulting the traditional owners of the land.

He accused the state government of breaching the 1999 Constitution, adding that such land could only be acquired by the government in the overriding public interest and not to serve the interest of any church or individual.

He said the actions of the state government was capable of causing security challenges and pleaded with Tinubu to wade into the matter.

He pleaded with him to order the withdrawal of the military personnel from the land so as to enable the communities to resume their  farming activities.

“We state further that ever since the deployment of the military, police and other security personnel, our indigenes are being intimidated and cowed, thereby giving the state government and the Zion Ministry the latitude to encroach on our farm lands.

“They have in the process, destroyed all economic trees and other crops which are the main economic sustenance of our agrarian economy,” he said.

He said that they are peace loving and law abiding citizens who would not take laws into their hands.

“The media should help us call on Mr President, the Chief of Army Staff and the Inspector-General of Police to withdraw the security personnel from our land and stop them from intimidating law-abiding citizens,” he said. 

Present at the news conference were public affairs analyst and mediator, Sam Amadi, Armstrong Ukwuoma, among other community leaders.

 (NAN)