Major Speaker and Advocacy/Public Affairs Consultant to the Communities, Dr. Sam Amadi. Spokesperson of Mbaishii, Dr.Ugo Jim-Nwoko , Barrister Armstrong Ukwuoma, Mr. Ndubuisi Eke, and Mr Aaron Okereafor
By Amah
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Tension is escalating in Ngor-Okpala Local Government Area of Imo State, as the people of Mbaishii have raised urgent alarm over what they described as a coordinated land grab facilitated by the Imo State Government and allegedly enforced by the Nigerian military and police.
At a world press conference held at the NUJ FCT Secretariat in Abuja, leaders and representatives from eight autonomous communities, making up the Mbaishii bloc, including Umuchie Eziama, Umulu, Umuegirige, Umuogba Eziama, Umuocham Ntu, Umuokpo Ntu, Umuhoko Ntu, and Alatia-Amala, decried the forceful occupation of over 30,000 hectares of their ancestral farmland.
According to the communities, the land grab is being executed to benefit a religious organization, the Zion Ministry led by Evangelist Ebuka Obi. They stated that since late 2024, their agricultural activities have been severely disrupted by the deployment of military and police forces who have prevented them from accessing their farmlands and destroyed existing crops and economic trees.
The communities argued that no legal acquisition of their land was ever carried out, and no documents exist to support the state’s claim of acquisition. They recalled a previous attempt in 2006 by the then-Imo State Government under Chief Achike Udenwa to acquire only 2,000 hectares for a Chinese village, which was stopped due to litigation and a lack of sincerity.
They cited past judicial victories, including judgments in suits HOW/624/2006 and HOW/627/2006, which declared previous attempts at compulsory acquisition of land in Ntu communities unlawful and unconstitutional. These judgments are still standing and reinforce the community’s legal rights over the land.
The affected communities maintain that their title to the land is based on customary inheritance, which remains valid under the Nigerian Constitution and the Land Use Act. They insist that any attempt to override this title without formal revocation and proper compensation is illegal and unconstitutional.
The people of Mbaishii are demanding immediate withdrawal of the security forces, an end to the destruction of their farmland, and full accountability for the violations. They called on President Bola Tinubu, the Chief of Army Staff, and the Inspector-General of Police to intervene and halt the ongoing occupation.
This assault on our economic base has all the features of a genocide. A silent, systematic erasure of a people’s means of survival,” the spokesperson said.
The Mbaishii communities called on President Bola Tinubu, the Chief of Army Staff, and the Inspector-General of Police to immediately order the withdrawal of security forces from their lands and halt what they described as “executive lawlessness.”
They also urged journalists and media houses to investigate the matter independently and bring international attention to what they described as “a blatant abuse of power, a breach of fundamental rights, and a threat to democracy.”
“This is no longer just about land. It is about the soul of justice, the dignity of human life, and the survival of our people,” they concluded.
The Imo State Government and Evangelist Ebuka Obi’s Zion Ministry have yet to issue an official response to the allegations.
