For the people of Ifa Ikot Okpon in Uyo local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, 2024 Christmas celebration was uneventful as many of them were unexpectedly rendered homeless following demolition of buildings by the State government.
About 100 houses, 182 people and 52 families were affected in the exercise, while several other buildings have been marked for further demolitions.
A visit by DAILY POST correspondent to the community showed the place in ruins and desolation, even as those whose houses were marked for demolition are living in fear over the impending calamity that would befall them in no distant time.
Narrating his ordeal, Kokoete Sunday Edah, a pastor with the Living Faith Church, who is a victim of the demolition, explained how his house and church were pulled down without prior notice or compensation.
He said, “My name is Kokoete Sunday Edah. I’m a native of Oron, Akwa Ibom State. I purchased this land 20 years ago from a native of Ifa Ikot Okpon and have lived here with my family since that time.
“This place was like a bush then until successive governments especially, Udom Emmanuel, built that ring road and dualized the road.
“I have lived without any problem in this community. But in October 2024, some people walked into my compound and told me that the government wanted to take over the land.
“They did not say that I built on government property.”
Edah said those government officials valued his property and left with the assurance that adequate compensation would be paid to him and sufficient notice given so that he would get another accommodation and evacuate his properties.
He explained that to his chagrin, on the 19th of December, while he stepped out of his house to get something, he received a call from a neighbour that he should come home as some people were demolishing his building.
“Unfortunately on the 19th of December I went out, I didn’t go far; I had a call that a machine was bulldozing property close to my place and when I got back, lo and behold they were bringing down my property.
“My children were inside crying, I was confused, I looked up and said God where are you? Are you still the same God that we serve?
“I called the Director of lands and inquired what happened, he said to me, ‘pastor it’s not our making, I acted under instruction, the instruction was, ‘demolish first, after, we will pay’.
“I was mad at the response. The situation was so sad, all my belongings were gone, no opportunity was given to me to go in and take out a pin.
“My certificates, clothes, television, personal belongings were lost, not only my building was gone.
“My family doesn’t have a place to stay, the hunger is much, the frustration is beyond what I can say, I have been rendered homeless! Koboless! Frustrated! The government we voted for? Maybe the government will wait to see us go to the dustbin to pick food and eat,” Pastor Edah narrated, fighting back tears.
Not only the clergy, over fifty victims who gathered at the village hall, Ifa, had similar tales, which were: their buildings were marked in October 2024, their properties were valued, they were promised adequate compensations and time frame to evacuate their properties.
However, the state government eventually did not pay the compensation, and their properties were demolished without pre-notice.
A retired journalist from the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, FRCN, Mr Charles Bassey, who said he used his lifesaving to put up a structure, said from the Uyo master-plan as put up by the former governor, Architect Obong Victor Attah, the side of Ifa that was demolished was not part of government acquired place and wondered why the state government would choose to depose them in such a manner to use the place for judges’ estate.
“I took loans from IPPIS, my entire life-savings was what I used in building that house.
“When I got a call that my house was marked for demolition, I asked why?
“I was told that the place was meant to be used for judges’ estates.
“From the Uyo master plan, this side of Ifa that was demolished was not part of the government acquired place. I did my findings,” he said.
On his part, a 75-year-old landlord, Anthony Thomas Ekot, who said he had lived in the community for over 30 years without any problem, wondered how he would gather resources again to build a house at old age.
“Before I bought that land, I consulted the village head of this community and he approved it for me.
“I don’t know how I will be compensated for this. The house is a twin 3 bedroom flat and 3 self contained and a big store. The zinc which I bought 8 bundles now cost N500,000 each bundle.
“I am now 75 years old. How will I raise money now to build a new house for my family because I can die anytime?” The Septuagenarian queried amid tears.
However, the loss incurred by these victims was the gain of street urchins, scavengers also known as ‘Iron Condemn’, as well as area boys as they used the window to engage in a looting spree.
Some of them, DAILY POST gathered, brought in tricycles, trucks, wheel barrows to park woods, irons and any other property trapped in the rubble that they could lay their hands on.
They also maimed anyone who dared to stop them from their malicious activities.
Charles Bassey, who said he was away in Delta State on the day of the incident said, “My wife was teargased and assaulted by one of the soldiers guiding the exercise because she wanted to go and save some things.
“When they finally left, she was also assaulted by the street urchins, area boys who were looting the remaining properties. That is why when you go to the site you won’t see anything, wood, iron or even nails. They will put keke and park things and leave.”
Meanwhile there is a claim that the victims must have built their houses on government acquired land.
The immediate past Commissioner for Lands and Town Planning Captain Iniobong Ekong (Rtd) had said during the December 2024, Inter Ministerial briefing that his ministry had recovered land from illegal property developers who had encroached on government land.
The former Commissioner, who did not mention the areas acquired by the state government, could not be reached before filing the report as he and other commissioners were relieved of their duties by governor Umo Eno a few days ago.
Land in question not acquired by State government – Ifa village head insists
Speaking with the Village Head of Ifa Ikot Okpon Etteidung Uwem Tom Udo, he said the Akwa Ibom state government has never acquired land from the community as there was no record in the Ministry of Lands to prove it.
Udo disclosed that owners of the demolished buildings were shocked when a bulldozer brought by the Ministry of Lands with security operatives invaded their community on 19 December last year and demolished houses with household property inside.
He said the community cannot stop the government from acquiring land for overriding public interest but wondered why the government took such an approach against the people.
He maintained that even if there was such a document of land acquisition, the state government would have notified owners of the buildings on the planned demolition and follow due process.
“It is known that the government takes land for overriding public interest.
“But in this case, what is the public interest here? As we speak now, 182 families have nowhere to live after their houses were demolished,” he lamented.
He challenged Akwa Ibom state government to produce any document to prove that the community land had been acquired.
According to him, “We had five meetings with the past commissioners for land in the state, including the state governor when he was the Commissioner for Land.
“We asked them to show us documents of the land being taken over by the government and evidence of compensation to the land owners but it was not there.
“When Umo Eno was the Commissioner for Lands, I knelt down during one of our meetings and begged him that the government should leave the land to owners and he promised that the government had withdrawn from the land.
“Now I don’t have access to governor Umo Eno. I would have reminded him of the scene in his office.
“I am pleading with him now through this medium to come and rescue us from the hands of overzealous officials who have rendered our people homeless.
“I am very sure that he is not aware of the situation, I know he is a compassionate governor and a man of God.”
He also appealed to the people to maintain decorum and not to take laws into their hands, expressing optimism that governor Eno would attend to their plights.
Victims demand compensations, drag government to court
Meanwhile, the community has dragged the state government and its agents to court and demanded for compensation of N600m for their lands taken and prayed the court to also compel government to negotiate through the state Estate Valuers to pay for the buildings demolished.
In a suit number HC 1/11/451/ 0514 between Etteidung Uwem Tom Udo, Etteidung Edet Effiong Udodong, Etteidung Ime Effiong Akpan and four others vs Hon Commissioner for Lands And Town Planning, Attorney General And Commissioner for Justice, the Governor of Akwa Ibom State and the Government of Akwa Ibom state as defendants, the community sought for reliefs in respect of the land and buildings demolished.
In the court summons which was made available to journalists in Uyo, the community prayed the court to: “Declare that the parcel of Land situate at Ifa Ikot Okpon Community in Etoi clan of Uyo local government area known traditionally as Akai Itiat Nwomo Anyiam stretching to Edem Eko Umana has not been acquired and is not the subject of any compulsory acquisition by the defendants”.
Other prayers include: “a declaration that the defendants cannot take over the claimants’ land/demolish their properties on the land known as Akai Nwomo Anyiam stretching to Edem Eko Umana situate at Ifa Ikot Okpon Community without complying with the law regulating the compulsory acquisition of property in Nigeria as provided and N600m damages for the unlawful encroachment, trespass, take over, destruction of property, farmlands on the land.”
Meanwhile, the case will come up on February 11, 2025 for hearing.
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