The Secret is Out! How Regina Daniel's Husband Used Power to Grab Community Land From Poor Farmers
EtalityBLOGDec 5,2020
Ninety-year-old Oghedo Osodi inherited four acres of farmland from her husband but that land, which was her only means of sustenance, was grabbed by Ned Nwoko, a billionaire former lawmaker from Delta State.
Mrs Osodi’s four acres of land was part of vast pieces of land, including those collectively owned by indigenes of Idume-Ugboko community, controversially acquired by Mr Nwoko to build his proposed Sports, Technology, and Arts (STARS) University.
Mr Nwoko, a member of the royal family of the community, represented the Aniocha North-South and Oshimili North-South federal constituency in the House of Representative between 1999 and 2003.
Mrs Osodi said she watched with terror as a bulldozer, guarded by heavily armed policemen, uprooted and cleared palm trees, rubber trees and other cash and food crops on her land.
The nonagenarian said she fled for her life after the policemen started shooting sporadically to disperse an angry crowd from the village.
Like Mrs Osodi, 67 years old Sunday Kainebi, suffered a similar fate. On January 14, 2017, Mr Kainebi said, some associates of Mr Nwoko took over his land.
“I was at home that afternoon and I was informed that a bulldozer was on my farmland. I met them. They were more than 50, including policemen. When I asked one of them, He said it was their oga that sent them. He said Ned Nwoko.”
Unlike Mr Kainebi and Mrs Osodi, Jude Isonye said he confronted Mr Nwoko for trespassing on his land and the former lawmaker promised to compensate him. Mr Isonye said he turned down the ex-lawmaker’s offer.
“They started creating a narrow way. They destroyed parts of my farm. It was at the boundary between Ugboko and Onicha-Ugbo. I met Ned himself… He said I should leave and that he would pay. I told him: see, you are taking us for a ride,” said Mr Isonye.
Benedict Dungu said associates of Mr Nwoko destroyed his ready-to-harvest cassava on According to the guideline of the National University Commission, promoters of universities must first show that they have acquired enough land before they are granted the statutory approval of setting up the university.
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