Abuja Businessman In A Multi-million Naira Land Grabbing Saga

CYRIACUS IZUEKWE

An Abuja-based businessman, Mr Cyriacus Obiakor may be in for another trouble after he allegedly got himself involved in a land grabbing scandal in Umuchu Town in Anambra State.

P.M.EXPRESS reports that Obiakor is facing about N12 million suit for trespass and damages after his failed efforts to use the police to intimidate and arrest the children of the late Daniel Nwolu Njirika to take over their family land.

In the suit with number, Ag/MISC59/2017 before the Anambra State High Court sitting in Aguata Division, the applicants, Raphael Njirika, Azubuike Njirika and Chidiebere Njirika were seeking to enforce their fundamental human rights as enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution over threats and intimidation to use the police to take their family land.

The respondents are Mr Cyriacus Obiakor, Inspector General of Police, one CSP M.A. Yunusa And ASP Hassan.

The relief sought includes that it was a gross violation of the fundamental rights of the applicants for Obiakor to use the officers of the Nigeria Police to surrender the family land to Obiakor who is the first respondent in the matter.

The relief also sought for the court to order for perpetual injunction restraining the respondents by themselves, agents or privies from arresting, torturing, detention or any act tantamount to the violation of their rights and general damages against the  respondents and any order as the court deemed fit.

In the affidavit in support of the motion by one of the applicants, Mr Azubuike Njirika on behalf of others, stated that sometime in August 2017, Obiakor on record used the some police officers, namely Yunusa and Hassan to arrest the applicants by fabricating stories that the applicants threatened him with machete and stole his maize in a land reportedly belonging to Njirika family.

No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit and the parties were said to have been served by the court bailiff. P.M.EXPRESS had earlier reported how Obiakor arranged with some police officers from the Force Headquarter at Abuja and moved to Umuchu town to arrest the applicants in the court premises.

However, it was learnt that his efforts failed after the officers detailed to effect the arrest used their discretion after some members of the community reportedly informed them that Obiakor was a well known notoriously land grabber in the community and they left and only invited the  suspects in the matter.

It was learnt that Obiakor was not happy with the development and made moves to arrest the applicants; threatening to use his influence and money to permanently lock them at the underground cell at Abuja until they agreed to cede the land to him.

The applicants then went to court and filed the suit to protect their rights.

P.M.EXPRESS had reported what could be described as the rich suppressing the poor which played out at Umudim kindred in Ibughubu village in Umuchu town,  Aguata Local Government in Anambra State.

Obiakor had arranged with the police from Abuja headquarters and came to the village to arrest the family members of Humphrey Njirika to take over their land.