The land located in Independence Layout was allocated to Ezugwu by former Governor Sullivan Chime and subsequently issued with a certificate of occupancy (C of O) in 2014.
The Governor Peter Mbah-led Enugu State government has demolished a building belonging to Barrister Okey Ezugwu, a retired Assistant Comptroller-General of Nigerian Immigration Service in a manner described by many witnesses as “land grabbing” by the authorities.
SaharaReporters reliably gathered that the land located in Independence Layout was allocated to Ezugwu by former Governor Sullivan Chime and subsequently issued with a certificate of occupancy (C of O) in 2014.
Thereafter, he commenced development on the property and had since invested billions of naira, some he borrowed from the banks to complete.
SaharaReporters had reported on February 20, 2023, on how former Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi-led administration also issued multiple Certificates Of Occupancy to one landed property, thereby causing confusion among the owners.
It had been reported that while Sullivan Chime administration allocated Plot P/23CD Independence Layout, Chief Ezugwu, and issued C of O in 2014 with File No: GAL/08031 and Certificate Number 011910. Ugwuanyi’s administration allocated the same property to one Oke Hyacinth Ayogu and his company HYMAC Real Ltd in 2021 with a C of O issued regardless.
While Ayogu and his company had gone to court to challenge the allocation of the property to Ezugwu and others in 2014, he later abandoned the court case after the state government filed a motion for joinder in the suit which was granted by the trial judge.
Instead of pursuing the court case, he abandoned it and procured soldiers from Army headquarters to terrorise Ezugwu and his family. After the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), arrested him for trespassing on the property, he waited until Governor Peter Mbah was inaugurated as governor of Enugu State.
Having allegedly invested heavily in Mbah’s campaign, it was time for Governor Mbah to “reward” him.
SaharaReporters gathered that Governor Mbah through the State Capital Territory Development Authority (ECTDA) on July 14, 2023 went and marked Ezugwu’s house for demolition. They gave him 48 hours to remove the house, despite the matter still pending in Court.
It was gathered that the said Hyacinth Ayogu, an ally of the Secretary to the Enugu State Government, Prof Chidiebere Onyia, came to Ezugwu’s house on Monday, July 17, 2023, with soldiers from Abuja and officials of ECTDA, who reportedly manhandled his workers, and carted away CCTV cameras that captured their brutality and 40000 mha power bank.
They were said to have also brutalised the retired Immigration Officer, Barr Ezugwu, and his phones taken away.
However, SSG Onyia was contacted and after having a meeting with the parties on Monday in his office, he reportedly directed the ECTDA which he supervises to demolish the property.
A video of the demolition seen by SaharaReporters on Tuesday afternoon shows soldiers cordoning off the street and fence of the retired Immigration Officer’s house joined by mobile policemen said to have also come from Abuja while an excavator was seen pulling down part of the many building. The fence and gate of the house had already been pulled down at the time of filing this report while excavators were making frantic effort to pull down the buildings.
When contacted, Barr Ezugwu, confirmed the development, wondering why Okeh Hyacinth Ayogu and his sponsors should visit him with such cruelty.
He said that the government didn’t give him any reason for the demolition of his property. “On Monday Hyacinth Ayogu came with soldiers and some officials of ECTDA and brutalized my workers. They equally brutalized me and when I reached out to 82DV of the Nigerian Army I was told that they are not in control of the soldiers that came to my house to brutalize me and my workers. I was confidently told that the soldiers were approved for him (Ayogu) by the Chief of Army Staff.”
He added, “Sensing that the CCTV in my house recorded their brutality they went and carted away all the CCTV and my phones. They flushed everything in the phone before returning it but they are still with my CCTV cameras. After the incident the Secretary to the State Government, Prof Chidiebere Onyia invited all the parties and I showed him all my documents and allocation papers.
“Unfortunately, this morning the Okeh Hyacinth Ayogu rolled out caterpillars and excavators to my house and demolished my property. I am distressed that such impunity could take place in my own State under this administration. It is difficult for me to fathom the conspiracy behind the whole thing. I have my allocation papers and C of O to the property. I have always paid my ground rent. I.m a very loyal citizen of the State. The Governor is our father and our brother and I am using this medium to plead with him to take a passionate look at my case.
I have tremendous respect for the new administration.
Meanwhile, efforts to get a reaction from SSG Onyia, failed as he was reportedly attending an official government engagement.
