The Njoku Chita Family of Umuchima in Ebonyi state have sounded a note of warning against the clandestine steps by Eze Laz Umahi the elder brother to the Works minister ,Engr Dave Umahi in collaboration with other autonomous Chiefs to deprive them of their ancestral land .
The Chita family accused the Eze of Umunaga village Laz Umahi of working towards recruiting a member of the family who has no rights over their own share of family property traditionally willed to them by their late father, to advance their land grabbing plot.
According to the Chita family , the Umunaga Eze visited the eldest son of the Chita family, although from a different mother, with monies, other irresistible items as Greek gifts to induce him into signing away the family land just to give a resemblance of consent.
The family while warning that only entitled members of their family whom the land in dispute was traditionally allotted to have legal rights to the land and are recognized as legitimate owners, any transaction outside and with whosoever regarding the land is already a nullity . They expressed concerns that Eze Laz has resorted to cheap strategies of inducing people to complicate the situation to the advantage of his minister-brother who had allegedly vowed to take the Njoku Chita family land by all means possible regardless their consent. This was the same heist they called University Land Expansion Project and now they are referring to as Community Development Project – is the community their private property to develop?
The family alleged that Eze Laz in his recent moves, did not only pay the visit , he also summoned other autonomous Ezes from Uburu to Abakaliki with strong directives to ensure that no stone is left unturned in executing the land grabbing plot.
The family wondered if the purported development being bandied by Eze Umahi and his cohorts truly exists in the overall interest of the community or for personal interest .
The family reiterated that any person who enters into any agreement with anybody or institution on behalf of the family does not represent the family and should be arrested and prosecuted for fraud.
The family called on the Inspector General of Police to prosecute any person found trespassing on their ancestral home and that anybody or group that transacts any business with any unauthorized persons does it at their own risk.
The Njoku family had earlier accused the minister of works Engr Dave Umahi , his elder brother Eze Laz Umahi and former commissioner of Health in Ebonyi state Dr Umezurike Akuma of deliberate plots to grab their ancestral land despite their earlier donation.
The family in a statement had said it was not against the expansion of the Dave Umahi University of Health Sciences but called on the Minister of works Engr Dave Umahi , his elder brother Laz Umahi and the former Health Commissioner in Ebonyi state Dr Umezurike Akuma to stay clear of their property .
The family, through their counsel had written a petition to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, The Director of Department of State Services , the Inspector General of Police as well as the National Security Adviser, drawing attention to the unfolding method of oppression against them and called on the relevant authorities to halt it forthwith .
Recall the Uburu community had tried exonerating the works minister which was immediately countered by the Njoku family who described the position of the community as face – saving, irresponsible and mere attempt to exonerate the works minister from the barrage of allegations demanding that justice must prevail and that the minister should speak for himself.
On his part Eze Christopher Ngwu, Eze Udoka II , denied being part of a plot to induce anybody to sign away the Njoku family land under any guise .
The Eze said indeed there was a meeting at the instance of Chief Laz Umahi where discussions centered on the need to develop the community
” I cannot take an individual decisions and nobody as far as I know has approached any other member of the family to induce them to give up the land. But like I said , they should understand that the land is for the development of the community .
Also speaking another member of the Njoku family , Chiwueude Njoku admitted that people were sent to him , purportedly from Eze Umahi with all kinds of inducements for him to sign away the land and give the impression that it was a family decision but he rebuffed them.
He expressed concerns that the Ezes have decided to use blackmail and uncivilized means to seize the land I question despite resistance from the Njoku family .
Eze Laz Umahi, elder brother to the works minister simply responded by saying ,”I am on the road let us talk later”, when his comments were sort .
Eze Laz Umahi is the person alleged to have summoned the meeting to strategize on getting any member of the family induced to sign away the land .
