Land Tussle: Fear Grips Onitsha Sports Club Members As Thieves Break Premises Steal TV Set, Other Items
By Juliana Nwachukwu
As the land tussle between members of Onitsha Sports Club and Okposieke family of Onitsha, Anambra State deepens, palpable fear has allegedly gripped members of the club over alleged breaking and entering of the sports club buildings by thieves at night who stolen the plasma television, TV set and other items.
Making the disclosure to newsmen on Sunday, the president of the club, Chief Daniel Okafor, attributed cause of the stolen items to the porousness of the club premises sequel to demolition of the perimeter fence of the club by Okposieke family.
According to him, "the Okposieke family led by Harold Ekwerekwu, stormed the sports club premises and started demolition of our structures. We invited the police and they could not do anything, they said it was a land issue and will not intervene except it is crime.
"What again do police want us to do when the people entered the premises with caterpillars and were demolishing the structures. The vigilante group we invited on three to four occasions were sacked by the police Area Commander.
"I don't have problem with the Area Commander but the police in the state because they refused to do their work by stopping the invaders from further destruction of our structures.
" They even came up to the administrative blocks and demolished the walls which paved the way for thieves to come at night and stole the TV set and other items we are yet to compile. The members of this club are now scared because of the porousness of the premises.
"Most of the members are elders within the age bracket of 90, 80, to 70 years and this place which is a public place is insecure now because there is no more security," he lamented.
The president traced the history of the club to when the then Obi Okosi allocated the land in dispute to colonial masters who on their departure handed over the land to government, and government paid compensation to the land owners then.
"The documents the family is parading are documents from government and the same government issued Certificate of Occupancy to us as the owner of the land.
"In those days the entire area of GRA comprised of Akpaka, Trans Nkisi, Federal Housing,and others were let out by the Obi Okosi to colonial masters who in turn named the areas GRA and on leaving, the colonial masters handed over the land to government," he further explained..
When contacted, Harold Ekwerekwu told newsmen that the indigenes are merely reclaiming their land of 99 years of lease to the members of the club that has expired, insisting that they could come for renegotiation if they want.
He reiterated that the indigenes are law abiding and will not be hostile to the members of the club, adding that a portion where the recreational facilities and administrative blocks are located were not touched.
* Nwachukwu is of the Ministry of Information, Anambra State *
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