The Commissioner of Police – Enugu State: A Widow’s Petition Against Nkem Owoh

WILLFUL DESTRUCTION OF MY HOUSE @ PLOT 11 EMEHELUAKU LAYOUT, TRANS EKULU ENUGU BY MR NKEM OWOH (OSUOFIA) AND HIS AGENTS

After mourning my husband, I discovered that there
were some missing documents from our apartment, the most important of
which was the documents for this plot of land. I raised the alarm then
and when nobody came forth with information on its whereabouts, I
quickly ran to the Nigeria Police Station at Abakpa Junction here in
Enugu to make a report. I also went to the Ministry of Lands, where,
armed with the police extract, I was able to obtain the Certified True
Copy (CTC) of the property.
But not long after, Mr Nkem Owoh
appeared, claiming ownership of the land. I tried to inform him that I
had neither sold the land nor authorized its sale to anybody but he
insisted the plot belonged to him. The matter continued to drag between
us until it got to a point when he began to ask that we settle. Having
not sold the land and having no intention to sell the land, I told him
there was nothing to settle. He persuaded me with all manner of offers,
including that of paying extra money to motivate me to relinquish the
land but I said no.
Sir, this plot of land is perhaps the only
major valuable I was able to invest in with my husband and we did it
then because we wanted a proper home for our children. Even now, as I
struggle to bring them up, this land remains the only valuable property
that we have.
So when Mr Nkem Owoh felt he was not succeeding
in persuading me to part with this land, he began to use threats and on
several occasions said he was going to forceful take possession of the
land and vowed that since I claimed God will fight for me, that I had
better bring down my Creator when the chips are down. Each time he comes
to meet me, he usually came with a retinue of dangerous looking thugs
but I was never to be cowed into giving him the only property I am
leaving for my children.
Because my salary was barely enough to
pay our rent, pay for the school fees of the children and provide for
their upkeep, I felt it was proper to construct a house no matter how
small on the land so that we can move in and thus begin to save what we
were using to pay house rents.
Thus I began construction four
years ago (in 2008). I was slowly building this potential home of ours
because my income was not large enough for speedy construction. I had to
even take a loan to enable us finish and park in this year.
Sir,
this building had been practically completed. I had roofed the house
and was about hanging the doors and windows, having also installed the
frames when Nkem Owoh and his agents struck, bringing the entire
structure, my four years of labour to ordinary rubble.
I have
nowhere else to go except to your esteemed office. I am a poor widow. I
have no other source of help except from God and from public spirited
people like you.
When I saw the damage done to this property of
mine, I ran to the Trans Ekulu Police Station where I was rebuffed by
an officer who, even without investigating the matter, concluded that
Nkem Owoh is not a trouble maker and could never have done such evil.
This officer refused my entreaties and sent me away, saying Police do
not treat land matters. But sir, this is not just a land matter. It is a
criminal destruction of property.
I left heart-broken. He
WILLFULLY destroyed all I labored for. He did it because he is rich and
perhaps popular enough to act his way out of justice.
I cry to
you knowing what you have done in the past to help helpless people like
me. I cry to you because someone is trying to forcefully take my
property from me. I cry to you because I trust in your willingness,
disposition and capacity to give justice to the oppressed.
My
confidence is high, knowing that you shall help us find justice. I
therefore kindly pray that you use your good office to cause that this
criminal destruction of my house be handed over to another police
station or team, especially since the Trans Ekulu Police have shown very
clear prejudice at thievery onset.
My life and those of my
children are also in danger. Nkem Owoh, a man society should look up to
for good examples had severally threatened to deal with me for my
refusal to let him take my land. He had stated he would deal with me.
And seeing the crowd of horrible looking thugs he keeps company with, I
feel really threatened. A man capable of destroying such a property has
the capacity to destroy just about anything standing in the way of him
having his way.
Attached are the Certified True Copy (CTC) of
the property given to me by the State Ministry of Lands; the police
extract of my report and the picture of the building.
Thank you very much for your anticipated speedy intervention in this matter.
Very Truly Yours
Gloria U. Ayogu (Mrs.)