Chinedum Treasure
At least two staff of Onitsha South Local Government Area, Anambra State reportedly sustained varying degrees of injury when National Inland Waterways Authority, NIWA, stormed two markets, Ndende and Oseokwodu, both in Onitsha, to confiscate the markets, as part of her property.
On arrival, the Local Government contractor handling the markets informed the Chairman of the council area, Mayor Emeka Orji, who sent his secretary, Mr. Paul Onuachalla, and others to the markets to find out what was amiss.
It was gathered that immediately the team arrived the markets, the NIWA security that composed of Naval personnel and police from Lokoja, Kogi state, started beating up the Local Government officials.
In the process, two of the Local Government staff sustained varying degrees of injury.
Two of the council Local security operatives that accompanied the council workers to the markets were arrested and later released by NIWA security who came from Lokoja.
Reacting, Council secretary, Onuachalla, said that the markets belong to Onitsha South Local Government Area and accused NIWA of committing a lot of attrocities in Onitsha South Local Government despite a Federal High court judgment delivered in Awka by Hon. Justice Nnamdi Dimgba in favour of Lake Petroleum ltd.
“NIWA has no right over Ndende and Oseokwodu markets, NIWA committed offence by stopping local Government from collecting revenue.
Coming into the markets to take possession by NIWA is illegal, we inquired from the DPO and other securities in Onitsha and they were not aware of the coming of the said NIWA team and its security personnel from Lokoja, they operated illegally, their mission was illegal.
“They injured two of our staff, two Local Government security operatives they arrested and they released them on their way out because they know their invasion on the markets was illegal,” the secretary further disclosed.
When contacted, NiWA Area Manager, Mr Suleiman Nicholas, said he led his colleagues from Lokoja to an inspection at NIWA Right of Way, along Niger Street Onitsha, where the agency two weeks ago, arrested a 54 years Orji Kelechukwu, who is being prosecuted in the Court by the Police in Anambra State for alleged encroachment on a parcel of land on the NIWA Right of Way, without the permission of the Federal Government agency.
He said on the process Onitsha South Local Government authority wanted to attack them after they tried to disrupt their inspection, but the naval officials and the police men who were in their team, dispersed them, two of them arrested by the security agents of NIWA.
“The Local Government Chairman Mr Emeka Orji, arrived the scene with men of Operation Udo Ga Achi, ‘Agunechemba, probably to intimidate and harass us, but on sighting the naval operatives, he didn’t come down from his White Hummer bus, shortly after seeing that his men have been dispersed and two arrested, he drove off the scene.
“The Onitsha South Local Government Chairman came to Niger Street, but he did not come down from his vehicle, we expected him to come down if he knows that they own the land on NIWA Right of Way, but failed to come down from his vehicle,” he stated.
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