The Uvwie Traditional Council and land owners in Uvwie have petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for breach of public trust and illegal conversion of their land acquired for public purposes into private property by some unscrupulous army generals who have sold the lands to Shoprite, Delta Area Chevron Employers Multipurpose Cooperative Society Ltd and others for over N2 billion.
In the petition dated Monday, April 4th, 2016 and signed by Barrister Victor Otomiewo, the petitioners recalled that despite their protest, the Nigeria Army through the then Midwestern state in 1974 acquired a large portion of their land running into several hectares without compensation and started the construction of Effurun Barracks which was completed in 1979
They said after the completion of the barracks, representatives of the family, seeing that not all the lands purportedly acquired were developed and occupied, requested that these lands be released to them for farming, their main source of livelihood. “Some of our clients families who had no other land to fall back to, had no choice than to relocate to other neighbouring towns to settle, while others lost their lives due to hunger and deprivation arising from lack of land to continue their farming activities” the petitioners said
The families regretted that rather than release the unused portion of lands to them, the commanding officer of the Effurun Barracks in league with some serving and retired Army Generals were now converting these unused portion of lands into private use by leasing, assigning, and outright sale to private individuals, organizations through the instrumentality of the Nigeria Army Properties Limited while proceeds are paid into the private accounts of the Commanding Officer, Effurun Barracks and some army generals.
They regretted that the Army Authorities are now moving into Uvwie villages which were not part of the purported acquisition with the sole aim of leasing, assigning or outright sale of their lands to private investors.
The army generals accused,who are shareholders of Nigerian Army Properties Limited according to the Corporate Affairs Commission are Major General Saleh Mohammed Sani, 200,000 shares, Brigadier General J. A. Okunbo 150,000, Brigadier General Charles Airhiavbere 150,000
The petitioners on behalf of the land owners are, Mr. Wilson Nikoro, Mr. John Omimi Ofugara, Mr. Johnson Aruruje, Chief Alfred Orugbo, Chief Julius Oghojamuni, Chief Isaac Iteke, the Uvwie Traditional Council of Chiefs and the Uvwie General Improvement Union.
