* Fixes February 27 for accelerated hearing
By Ugo Jim-Nwoko, Owerri
Justice Clement Akobundu of the Imo State High Court on Thursday, January 23rd 2025, ordered Imo State
government to restrain from further trespassing or excavation of the farm lands belonging to the Umuolea Kindred in Umuchie Eziama Ngor-Okpala Local Government till the substantive matter brought to court by the Umuolea Kindred through their lawyer, Ngozi Olehi SAN is determined.
The Presiding Judge made the order in response to the oral application made by the plaintiff’s counsel in that regard and after giving due consideration to the need to ensure peace and guide against any resort to self help either by the Defendants in the nature of further forceful entry and escavation of the lands which are the subject of the litigation or by the Plaintiff’s in an attempt to repel further forceful entry into the lands in dispute while the matter is still in court. The court decried the absence of the Defendants in court in the previous proceedings of the court on the matter. However. Appearing before Justice Clement Akobundu, the Acting Solicitor-General of Imo State, Mrs
Gloria Egwuagu pleaded with the court for time to study and prepare the
responses of Imo State government to the suit filed by the plaintiff’s Counsel
Mr Ngozi Olehi SAN on behalf of the Umuolea Kindred of Umuchie Eziama,
Ngor-Okpala whose farmlands were recently invaded and excavated by the Imo state government agents and those of Evangelist Ebuka Obi of Zion Ministry Incorporated who claimed that the land was acquired eighteen years ago by the
Achike Udenwa administration. The court granted the request of the acting Solicitor-General of Imo State as prayed and in order to ensure speedy dispensation of justice in the case, the Court made an order for accelerated hearing of the case. The matter has been adjourned to the 27th
of February 2025 for accelerated hearing.
The Umuolea kindred had last year paid series of Save-Our Soul visits to prominent Imo State indigenes and media institutions on the forceful
land grabbing dispute, among whom is Most Reverend Dr Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, the Catholic Archbishop of Owerri and
President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria.