Imo Community Protest Against Land Grabbing

Photo 1: Some of the community elders addressing the press during the protest.

Photo 2 : MD, Cudoc Construction Company
Chief Chinedu Chukwuonye

By Everest Ezihe, Owerri

Umuoyima Autonomous Community in Owerri Municipal Council of Imo State have cried out to Cudoc Construction Company owned by Chief Chinedu Chukwuonye to leave their only ancestral land, Ugwumiri Okpo Umuoyima Otamiri for them to avoid the wraths of the land.

The community that went haywire in protest, marching round the land environment on Thursday with palm fronds, coffin, traditional rituals and placards while addressing journalists through their leader, Elder Charles Ucheoma, the Secretary General, Elders in Council Umuoyima autonomous community, pointed out that the land was legally alloted to them in 2021 by Imo State Government with all the necessary documents in their possession.

Ucheoma said, “In 2021 we paid Imo State government more than N4m for the release and approval of the community ownership of the land, the approval letter and titled documents were given to us”.

The community leader disclosed that since then, they have been optimally making use of the land through farming and some portions even alloted to some individuals for developmental purposes.

He also observed that, “unfortunately in August, 2025 we met Hon. Amara Chyna Iwuanyanwu, the Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly encroaching on the land, which we vehemently resisted, as he brought fake documents from the State Ministry of Lands and when it was obvious to him that he was parading a fake documents from Owerri North LGA, he gentlemanly decided to pull out”.

Ucheoma noted that the community were again shocked, last November, when the Managing Director of Cudoc Construction company, Chief Chinedu Chukwuonye who he said was contracted by Imo State government to dredge Nwaorie River and only entitled to take 35 meters of the land from the river started encroaching on the same communal land by taking 170 meters from the river, which he alleged as being against his agreement with the State government.

“All we are demanding, is that, if he takes his approved 35 meters from the river, we still have 135 meters belonging to the community. We’re baffled, why he wants to unjustly grab the entire community land with intimidation and undue harassment despite our efforts to appease him.

“The communal land have authentic documents from the State Ministry of Lands and released to us since 2021and was signed by Barr. Enyinnaya Onuegbu, the then and even now, the State Commissioner for Lands. You can go to the land ministry and verify.

“We have written petitions to several relevant institutions of the government and they have intervened, yet Cudoc is unrelenting. Yesterday, being Wednesday 10th December, 2025 we planted palm fronds round the entire disputed land as tradition demands, and this morning Thursday 11th December, 2025 we have brought out our men, both youths and women protesting with placards, coffin and certain traditional rituals as a final warning for him to justly leave the community only ancestral land.

“The land is 24 plots in number and we have already fenced about 10 plots, which he has the gut to pull down and destroyed our people’s agricultural products, planted on the land.

“We don’t want problem, thus we have used every peaceful and legitimate means to stop him and it seems that he doesn’t want to listen. Already, the community is angry with him for attempting to grab their only remaining ancestral land, obviously, it will not work. Please, let him stay clear” he passionately advised.

Adding his voice, Mr. Ikechukwu Nze, a youth leader and Head of Nze family of Umuoyima autonomous community passionately appealed to Governor Hope Uzodimma to come to their rescue and save them from the alleged land grabbing encroachment by Chief Chinedu Chukwuonye of Cudoc Construction Company, noting that they made so much sacrifices to ensure that the State government release the land for them in 2021.

Nze further appealed to Chukwuonye to thread with caution so as to avert the wraths of the land.

Also speaking, Mrs. Fidelia Uzoma, a woman leader noted that they farm on the land and expressed disappointment over the alleged grabbing while enjoining the State government for earliest intervention so as to avert injustice and breaking of law and order.

Frantic efforts made to reach Chukwuonye, even through his MTN phone line, was abortive as his phone was on voice mail and messages dropped on the voice note was not replied before going to press.