Prof. Bart Nnaji
A land dispute between Distinguished Professor Bart Nnaji, renowned Nigerian engineer and former Minister of Power, and a group of squatters in the Onuogba Nike community in Enugu East Local Government Area has escalated following claims by the squatters that they were victims of land grabbing.
The squatters held a press conference in Enugu on Thursday, September 12, 2024, making sensational allegations against Prof. Nnaji, but these claims have been largely dismissed by media houses as baseless.
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Reports indicate that only a few outlets published the squatters’ accusations, while many journalists declined after determining the story lacked merit.
According to insiders, the squatters are themselves guilty of illegally occupying the land, which Prof. Nnaji legally owns.
Prof. Nnaji acquired the land in 2005 from the original owner, Chief Hyacinth Alinta, who had a Certificate of Occupancy.
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The land had previously been sold to Chief Alinta by the original owners from the Onuogba community.
The dispute arose when a group of migrants from Ezza Nkomoro in Ebonyi State began squatting on the property, resisting efforts to remove them. Legal battles over the land, initiated by Chief Alinta and inherited by Prof. Nnaji, were finally resolved in 2013 in favor of the landowner.
Despite winning the court case, Prof. Nnaji opted for a compassionate approach after the intervention of the Catholic Bishop of Enugu Diocese, Most Rev. Dr. Callistus Onaga.
He delayed his plans to develop the land, allowing the squatters the opportunity to either purchase the land or vacate it peacefully.
In a press release made available to DAILY GAZETTE on Saturday by Prof. Nnaji’s media assistant, Chijioke Ogbodo, none of the squatters took advantage of the offer, and they remained on the land for more than 11 years.
The situation took a tragic turn in 2023 when a local contractor, Mr. Sunday Ozoemena, who had been advising the squatters to negotiate peacefully with Prof. Nnaji, was murdered.
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Mr. Ozoemena, a community member, had been contracted to build a perimeter fence around the property. His murder is currently under investigation.
Despite these challenges, both Prof. Nnaji and Bishop Onaga continued to show patience, offering the squatters multiple chances to either pay for the land or accept financial support to relocate.
In August 2024, the squatters were given a final deadline to register their intent to purchase the land through their local Parish Priest, with Prof. Nnaji offering financial assistance of up to N1 million for those willing to move.
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However, no one responded to the offer until eviction processes began.
The squatters maintain that the land is their ancestral home, but they have been unable to provide any documentation to support their claim.
The court ruling in 2013 firmly established Prof. Nnaji’s ownership of the property, refuting the squatters’ claims.
The delay in vacating the land has hindered Prof. Nnaji’s development project, which includes plans for an automotive parts manufacturing facility and an independent power project in Enugu, in partnership with South Korean investors.
Ogbodo emphasized that Prof. Nnaji’s goodwill has been repeatedly exploited, but after years of patience, he is now moving forward with the legal and moral steps to regain possession of his land.
Sources within the community suggest that some of the squatters have been misled by individuals who sold the land illegally.
The Catholic Parish Priest, who has been mediating the conflict, remains a reliable source for independent verification of these developments.
The land dispute continues to generate tension, but Prof. Nnaji’s legal ownership is not in question, and efforts to develop the property are expected to proceed after years of delay.
