Civil War: Nigerian Army Confiscates Property of Enugu Resident? Military Opens Up
- The Nigerian Army has denied the claim that it forcefully laid claim to the property of one Nana Ogbodo, a resident of Enugu because it was captured during the civil war
- According to the military, the property in question was part of those allocated to the Nigerian Army after the civil war and was not part of those exchanged with the state government
- The army explained that the property was then sold to Ogbodo Nana without the consent or approval of the Nigeria Army, which is a basic law requirement for a lawful transaction
The Nigerian Army has refuted the claim that it has confiscated the property of a resident in Enugu on the ground that the military authority took over the property during the civil war.
An online media, not TheTalk.NG, earlier reported the claim by the civil society, the Civil Rights Realisation and Advancement Network (CRRAN), which petitioned the minister of defence, Muhammed Badaru, to intervene on the matter.
Army speaks on confiscating property of an Enugu resident
Photo Credit: @HQNigerianArmySource: Twitter
Army accused of forceful takeover of property
In the petition, CRRAN alleged that the Nigerian Army at the 82 Division in Enugu had confiscated the property of one Mr Nana Ogbodo because the soldiers claimed the property situated at No.7, Abakaliki Lane, GRA, Enugu, was captured by the military during the civil war.
The petition, signed by the organisation’s president, Olu Omotayo, copied the Chief of Army Staff of the Nigerian Army, Lt Gen Taoreed Lagbaja, and the General Officer Commanding of the 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, Enugu.
Enugu property: Army explained what happened
But the Nigerian Army, in its reaction, denied the allegation, adding that it was completely unfounded and targeted at tarnishing the military’s image and thwarting its efforts to restore peace in the South-East region of Nigeria.
“Available official records indicate that immediately after the end of the Nigerian civil war, the Military Governors/Administrators of Enugu State allocated 36 properties to the Nigerian Army (NA) to address the accommodation needs of officers in the 82 Division. These properties were acknowledged by the Enugu State Government as belonging to the Federal Government and, by extension, the NA on 14 April 2008. Accordingly, the State Government initiated a proposal for an ownership exchange of the properties. In the terms of the agreement of the proposal, the NA was to release 26 of the said properties to the State Government. In return, the State Government would construct alternative accommodations within the Abakpa Military Cantonment for the NA.
“The property in question, Plot 30, Abakaliki Road, was among the 36 properties allocated to the NA but was not part of the 26 properties involved in the proposed exchange with the State Government. The Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) issued by the State Government to Barrister Ogbodo Nana on 22 November 2022 is defective as the C of O was granted without a proper revocation of the original title held by the Nigerian Army, which would be a necessary legal step to change ownership.
“Furthermore, in April 2023, Colonel Ugwuoke (retired) was ejected from House No 7 Abakaliki Lane after it was discovered that he had attempted to acquire the property through the State Government without proper authorization. The subsequent sale of a portion of the land to the current claimant, Barrister Ogbodo Nana, was done without the consent or approval of the NA, which would have been required for a lawful transaction.”
See the full statement of the army here:
Source: TheTalk.NG
