From Blessing Ibunge, Port Harcourt
Hundreds of victims of De-Villa land scam in Rivers state yesterday, took to the streets of Port Harcourt, protesting alleged threat to life by Mr Kelly Nworgu, the owner of Estate Develop, Livelihood Homes, popularly called De-Villa Homes.
It would recalled that Mr Nworgu is facing trial in a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, for alleged duping of over 400 prospective land buyers of millions of naira through phantom land offers in the state.
The Rivers Police Command had at the conclusion of investigation on the alleged duping of residents of Port Harcourt over land transaction by de-Villa homes, arraigned the suspect (Nworgu) in court for proper prosecution.
The Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, DSP Nnamdi Omoni, had, before the arraignment told newsmen that the investigation revealed that De-Villa boss diverted money paid to him for land sales to other uses and failed to deliver on the agreements.
The trial Judge, Justice Hiliary Oshomah, of the Federal High Court handling the matter had earlier this year granted bail to Kelly Nwogu and livelihood homes limited in the tune of 70 million naira each.
Meanwhile, the victims of the land scam have lamented alleged threat to life by the estate valuer and owner of De-Villa Homes.
In a statement made available to newsmen during the protest, the group decried that De-Villa boss is still parading with security operatives allegedly threatening their continued pushing of the matter in court.
Reading the statement, Mr Chibuike Prince, a native of Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers state and one of the victims of fake land sales, call on the Rivers state Governor, Commissioner of Police in the state and all security agents to come to their aid.
The aggrieved protesters also urged the Inspector General of Police to order the withdrawal of police escort attached to De-Villa boss, alleging that their human rights are being abused by alleged intimidation and threats from the officers with the accused.
“The people standing here are victims of Land Fraud at IPO in Ikwerre Local Government Area behind Port Harcourt International Airport, Rivers state Nigeria by one Mr Kelly Nworgu of Abia State under disguise of land developer.
“We took this matter to court and what we are seeing is threat upon threat now and then, threaten our potential witness in the matter even when we are ready to proof our case beyond reasonable doubt that the man and his company has defrauded us up to billions of naira under pretense that he has land for sale.
“He has been sending people to warn us to withdraw our matter in court, or stand chance of losing our lives one by one.
“We, therefore, call on Governor Nyesom Wike, Commissioner of Police, State security agents and other security agencies to intervene to avoid loss of life, we don’t want ant bloodshed in Rivers state any more.
” We call on President Muhammad Buhari to use his anti-corruption agency to save other Nigerians of all manner of fraudsters,” the land scam victims lamented.
