A community in Ifite Umueri, Anambra East Local Council Area of Anambra State has staged a protest against the destruction of their economic trees and farmland by agents of the state government.
The community during the protest said they have fortified their area to ward off land grabbers in the name of airport project expansion.
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They said if government does not retrace it step they will resort to spiritual means to fight their battle.
According to them, the destroyed farmlands was to pave way for the construction of Landing Light route for Anambra International Cargo and Passenger Airport at Umueri.
The community leader, Chief Chibuzo Ekwenya, who spoke to newsmen during protest, said that the community is ready to invoke spiritual means to battle the land grabbers.
He described the alleged use of security personnel including Army, Police and DSS in the forceful entry and destruction of farmland as barbaric and inhuman.
Ekweanya, who was the former President of Umueri National Youth Assembly, said the land owners, originally donated about 729.606 hectares of land for the airport project but government unilaterally expanded it and took more of the their land .
The Joint Chairman of Umuopu, Umuinu and Enuagu Kindreds of Ifite Umueri, Uchenna Ndumanya lamented that the encroachment was tantamount to forceful eviction of the women of agrarian community from their only means of livelihood and displacement of the youths from their future residential inheritance.
Ndumanya said: “We beg governor Willie Obiano to hear our cry; we are not against the building of the airport on our soil, but we cannot be forced out of land because of our magnanimity.”
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