Some Nimo Indigenes have staged a protest against the leadership of Nimo Town Development Union, NTDU, following alleged illegal sale of some portions of a vast expanse of community farmland.
The land, identified as “Ana Owa”, had some portions of it according to protesters sold to the tune of nine hundred million naira to even non-indigenes, without approval, accountability and or accruing benefits to the community.
speaking to newsmen at Nimo, the leader of the protesters and former chairman, Lagos Branch of NTDU, Barrister Chuks Okonkwo, explained that the arbitrary sale of the Nimo commonwealth was not in the interest of sustainable development, adding that all efforts by concerned citizens to stop the action proved abortive.
Barrister Okonkwo further alleged that widows at Oye Market Nimo, were dispossessed of their means of livelihood, and their rented shops given out to the rich by the leadership of the town union.
Contributing, a seventy-six-year-old man from the community, Mr. Donatus Nkeechi, alleged that dissenting voices over the illegal actions in the community were silenced.
The protesters also alleged other administrative lapses against the leadership, including that the machinery of the town union is being used to brazenly breach fundamental rights of Nimo Indigenes, customs and traditions.
Reacting to the allegations, the National Secretary of NTDU, Mr. Patrick Egbekpalu, said their allegations against the leadership of the community were unfounded, as the decision to develop the said land was taken by Nimo General Assembly in 2012.
Contributing, Igwe Maxi Oliobi of Nimo Community, who also saw the protesters as trying to cause problem in the community, called on those alleging illegalities to ask relevant questions to authorities for clarifications, adding that his reign in Nimo has been peaceful.
Despite notice of peaceful protest and request for police protection by concerned citizens of Nimo Community, heavy presence of a combined team of security operatives, including the Army, Police and Civil Defence, disrupted the protest, and later stationed at strategic places in the community.
Meanwhile, an indigene of Nimo, Miss Ugochukwu Onyeka alleged that one of the security operatives deployed to the community over the protest seized her mobile phone while taking photos, and according to a reliable source, it is not certain that the said phone has been released to the owner after the protest and as at the time of filing this report.
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