There was commotion at No 3 Savage Crescent G.R.A. Enugu on Wednesday as a bulldozer arrived early morning to bring down structures housing over 50 residents.
The equipment was accompanied by people who said they were acting on the instruction of Mr. Innocent Chukwuma, the Chief Executive Officer of Innoson Group.
The bewildered residents, who are now praying for Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi’s intervention, said they were being threatened because of their poor status in the society.
They told journalists that some of them had lived in the compound for over 15 years and were religiously paying their rent to the rightful owner of the property, Mr. Ifeanyi Nwankwo until Mr. Chukwuma surfaced last week, claiming that Radio Nigeria, Enugu Zonal Station, gave him the property on a 15-year lease.
But the occupants said they had no business with Radio Nigeria but their landlord of over 10 years, Mr. Nwankwo.
“What happened here today can only happen in a society where there is no law,” spokesman of the occupants, Justice Uzowulu, told journalists.
He disclosed that trouble started last Saturday when Mr. Chukwuma (Innoson) arrived at their compound with over 20 policemen and ordered them to vacate the property before Tuesday.
“We were shocked to receive such a threat from him. We asked him his business with the property because many of us have lived here for over 10 years and we know our landlord, Mr. Ifeanyi Okonkwo.
“He claimed that Radio Nigeria gave him the land on lease. We could not understand that because this property has nothing to do with Radio Nigeria. We reached out to the lawyer.
“Nobody has ever disturbed us inside this premises; we have been lawfully paying our rent when due.
“Not until that Saturday when Innoson came here with over 20 policemen, surrounded us, intimidated us, claiming that he is the rightful owner of this place. We were surprised, we were looking at him. He said he will start work there on Tuesday. He started attacking me personally that I was the one that shouted at him on the phone.
“Later that evening, two huge men came again and started pointing at every part of the compound, that they were coming, let anyone come and stop them.
“So, early this morning, we saw a bulldozer, we asked them what they came to do; they said they were sent to demolish this place.
“He said he would produce a document that shows this place belongs to him, but till this moment there is nothing.
Asked whether Radio Nigeria had ever come to lay claim to the property, he said “since we have been here Radio Nigeria has never shown face here to harass us or claim ownership of this property.
“We are now begging the good Governor of Enugu State, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi to protect us from Innoson. We are poor but law-abiding citizens of the State.”
