Church expresses worry over land grabbers’ activities in Rivers

The leadership of a Faith Based Organisation in Rivers State, ‘Salvation Ministries’ has raised the alarm over the activities of land grabbers in the Igwurita community in Ikwerre local government area in Rivers state.

The body alleged that land grabbers were attempting to acquire over 800 portions of land in the Omuohia community in Igwurita, which was genuinely acquired.

A representative of the Church, Pastor Innocent Samuel, who said this during a media briefing at the site of the land on Sunday called on members of the public not to fall prey to the gimmicks of fraudulent individuals posing as land owners.

Samuel explained that Salvation Ministries, a popular Church in the state with headquarters in Port Harcourt, purchased the land from an elder statesman and former Senator, John Mbata, who he said had previously acquired the property from the Omuohia community.

He further said the call became necessary because, despite efforts by the Church leadership and Senator Mbata to warn the land grabbers from neighbouring communities, they are still encroaching on the over 800 plots of land duly owned by the church.

Samuel stated, “It is Salvation Ministries land, not an individual land. The church acquired it from Senator John Mbata, who had owned this land before we acquired it.

“So we are calling on the general public to be aware that nobody should come near this land. They should not buy from any person. They should not equally maintain any presence here. If you want to acquire property what you do is due diligence to check the root of the title. You equally do what we call due diligence by checking.

“The man that is asking you to come and buy this property is the value of what he is telling you. If he tells you a ridiculous price then you should know that there is something wrong somewhere.”

The cleric also displayed evidence of the Deed of Conveyance and the land plan of 801 plots of land it acquired as necessary steps taken before the purchase of the property.

“We did due diligence by tracing the root of the title of John Mbata to the Omuohia community. Senator John Mbata bought this property first from the Omuohia community. He is in possession at the time before selling to us.

“These are the investigations that Salvation Ministries carried out before we transacted. Salvation Ministries acquired 801 plots from Senator Mbata,” Samuel said.

Also speaking on the issue, the Chairman of Ikwerre Local Government Chairman, Dr Samuel Nwanosike, bemoaned the activities of the land grabbers in the area, saying he has intervened in many cases and successfully returned land taken by land grabbers to their original owners.

Nwanosike stated, “It is my responsibility as the local government chairman to protect properties belonging to people in this area. And my position is clear. If you genuinely buy a property in my local government and documents are there to show that the Root of Title was taken properly, the local government chairman is under obligation to stand and protect the original occupants and those who have titles to that property.

“As far as we are concerned, what we are seeing is not strange to us. In each of these, we have settled many cases since I became chairman in 2015 and we have returned lands belonging to people.

“Communities and families are happy that their lands that have been taken from them by land grabbers have been returned to them,” Nwanosike added