A business man in Asaba, Delta state capital, Mr. Godwin Oke Onomuhara, has alleged that a land he reportedly bought from former Director General of the Direct Labour Agency (DLA), Hon. Ngozi Okolie, has been taken over by an interloper. The land is situated in Okpanam, a fast growing community in Oshimili North local government area of Delta state.
Mr. Onomuhara told Emerald News on Thursday that he bought the land with all documents fully signed from Hon. Okolie in 2016 with ownership fully transferred to him. He told this medium that Hon. Okolie personally called him to buy the land and that it was Okolie’s driver, one Otite Ekpere, that drove him to the land.
He said he paid N1.2million for the land in 2016, adding that he had registered the land with the Ministry of Lands and Survey, with all documents fully in his possession. He said at the point of registration there was no indication that the land had been registered.
According to him: “We bargained and he agreed to sell the land to me for N1.2m, that was in 2016. The copies of the deeds are all with me. I paid him the money in 2016. I did the survey of the land, he signed since 2016. Since then, I have been in possession of the land. I have been sending people to the land to maintain the place.
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“But I was surprised that on the 15 of July when I got here around 3pm, the land has been cleared by somebody else not authorized by me. The land belongs to me and nobody can come here to do any development without my consent. The land was registered by me. When I got to the ministry, I was not told that somebody else had registered the land.
“The land belongs to me. The business I have with him has been consummated since 2016. I don’t have any connection with him concerning this land. If he trespasses this land, the law will take its course. Nobody else can come and work in my own land without my permission. It is not possible. It is my land.”
Emerald News who visited the land with Mr. Onomuhara, reports that the land has been cleared, some bamboos in the place have been felled in preparation for full possession and eventual development process to commence.
But to indicate his grievance, Onomuhara put the entrance gate under lock and key, wrote on the fence and gate that the land belongs to him and nobody should trespass the land.
But when contacted for comments, Hon. Okolie said: “I’m not interested in that matter. Let the person who told you tell you the real story about the land.”
ATTACHED ARE COPIES OF DOCUMENTS SIGNED
