The Okwesi family in Akwuzu, Oyi Local Government Area of Anambra State, has appealed to the Inspector General of Police, stating that they are not kidnappers, but victims of wealthy individuals trying to forcibly take over their land.
Charles Okwesi, chairman of the Okwesi family, who spoke to Daily Trust, claimed that the Chief Executive Officer of Pineleaf Estate, Bishop Dr. Onyeka Nzekwesi, used the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), to arrest them on their own land.
Okwesi recounted the family’s ordeal in the hands of the police, saying the estate owner wanted to intimidate them into giving up their land in Akwuzu.
“They want to take our land by force because they have money. The land at Nkpan Akwuzu belongs to our forefathers, the Okwesi family. Others still have their land around here, but ours is the biggest, and they want to take it from us,”vhe stated.
According to Okwesi, some individuals allegedly sold the Okwesi family’s land to Pineleaf Estate without properly verifying ownership.
“When the estate owner discovered that they had paid the wrong people, they approached us to sell the land to them, but we refused, as we were already negotiating with another estate owner.”
“He told us that whether we liked it or not, they would take the land. They began trespassing, using bulldozers to clear the land. Last week, while we were on the land, they brought a truckload of police officers from RRS Akwuzu, accusing us of being kidnappers and unknown gunmen terrorizing the area. They detained six of my brothers and refused to grant them bail. We are not criminals; we are victims of money bags,” he stated.
Okwesi further explained that when the RRS officers arrived at the land and arrested his brothers, they were brutally beaten with gun butts before being taking them away to the station.
“The estate owner boasted that he would take the land by force and was trying to intimidate us by branding us criminals to seize our property.”
“He claimed that no one would speak for us and that he would use his connections to deal with us and take the land. But he forgot that there is God,” he said.
When contacted for comment, Nzekwesi’s personal assistant, identified as Gbulieaku Onye Ukpo, responded aggressively.
“Do you know who you’re talking to? Get out of my phone and never call me again. What is the business of journalists in land matters? Don’t push me to the wall. What’s your concern about the business you’re talking about?” He asked before ending the call.
When reached for comment, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) for Anambra State Command, SP Ikenga Tochukwu, stated that the police had no involvement in land dispute.
“If the matter is criminal, the police can investigate it,” he clarified.
Efforts to contact Mr. Ibuuru Ifeanyi, the officer in charge of Akwuzu RRS, were unsuccessful. Several calls, as well as messages sent via WhatsApp and SMS, went unanswered.
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