Friday, December 12, 2025 - The people of Umuonyima Autonomous Community in Owerri Municipal Council on Thursday protested with a coffin over forceful encroachment on their ancestral land at the Otamiri riverine area by an Imo State Government contractor.
The community said the recent encroachment is a total
affront on their right to property ownership, especially the one bequeathed to
them by their forefathers.
Speaking during the protest, the Secretary General, Elders
in Council, Charles Ucheoma, explained that what prompted the protest was the
thwarting of earlier agreement between the community and Chinedu Chukwunonye
Company, where it was agreed that out of 170 metres of land, that the company
should take 35 metres starting from the river base leaving the rest for the
natives.
He said that the agreement which was initiated by the state
government to maintain peace was totally flouted by the company as it went
ahead to claim the entire land.
Ucheoma asserted that despite the community’s repeated
peaceful engagements with the company, it still went ahead, subjecting the
entire community to emotional trauma, fear and uncertainty, and destroying
crops planted by the villagers.
“We have authentic documents given to us by the Ministry of
Lands backing our ownership which was released to us by the state government in
2021.
“Despite that, we have written several petitions to relevant
bodies informing them on the activities of the company and today we decided to
go traditional by staging a protest with coffin to register our readiness and
determination to stop any further encroachment,” he said.
The community secretary general advised the company to
maintain the initial 35 metres already given to it and allow the villagers to
make use of the rest, for the sustenance of their families.
He made it clear that the native owners of the land will
employ both legal and traditional means to make sure their ancestral heritage
is preserved and protected.
Elder Ucheoma narrated that the land owners remit reasonable
amount of money to the state treasury and wondered why government will allow
such action to be visited on community.
Speaking on behalf of the youths, Ikechukwu Nze said that
the company exceeding what was given to it in the agreement amounts to land
grabbing. He vowed that the youths are ready to resist the company’s action.
Mrs Fidelia Uzoma, speaking on behalf of the women, lamented
that the crops they cultivated in the planting season have been destroyed by
the company.
She added that the land in question is their only means of
survival and whatever happened to it will affect the entire community.
“We depend on this land for our livelihood. The food we eat
comes from this land and this is what remained for us after many encroachments
by government and developers,” she said.
Mrs Uzoma urged Governor Hope Uzodinma to intervene and call
the company to order.
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