Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Abia State Police Command has arrested four persons in connection with an attempt to demolish the property of a 63‑year‑old widow, Mrs. Nkechinyere Ndukwe, at No. 62 Mission Hill, Umuahia. The widow’s son, Obinna Ndukwe, had raised the alarm last week that 10 men stormed the building, removed windows and roofing sheets, and were preparing to pull down the structure before police arrived and arrested four of the suspects while the others fled.
Confirming the arrest, the command’s Police Public Relations Officer, Maureen Chinaka, said the incident arose from a long‑standing property dispute that is already under investigation by the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID). “However, one of the parties involved in the dispute, in an attempt to take possession of the property by all means, mobilised some community youths to remove the roofing sheets of the disputed property,” Chinaka explained. She added that after carrying out that instruction, the youths began removing roofing sheets from other properties not connected to the dispute and were apprehended by the police.
The police advised all parties to the dispute to refrain from taking the law into their own hands, maintain peace, and allow the FCID investigation to run its course. The investigation is ongoing.
The property at the centre of the crisis is a two‑storey building and a bungalow at Plot 62, Mission Hill, Umuahia — once known as the Novotel Hotel before it was converted into residential flats. According to Mrs. Ndukwe, the building was left to her and her children by her late husband. The dispute, which began in January 2026, has already seen the property stripped of doors, windows, wiring and roofing, leaving the structures exposed. “My property is not for sale,” the retired headmistress said. “If they take this from me, they have taken my life”.
Mrs. Ndukwe insists the property is jointly owned by herself, her son and her daughter, and that she never authorised any sale. “How can one person sell what belongs to all of us?” she asked. Her son, Obinna Ndukwe, admitted to negotiating with a representative of a UK‑based buyer, Mr. Chimezie Nwachukwu, but said only N300 million of the agreed N480 million was paid, and that he had repeatedly offered to refund the money – an offer he said was refused.
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Umuahia Branch, has also intervened, writing a “Save‑My‑Soul” letter to the wife of the Abia State Governor, Mrs. Priscilla Otti, urging her to intervene. The NBA described Mrs. Ndukwe as an elderly, hypertensive widow living in constant anxiety as her health deteriorates, and noted that the invaders have vowed to return with bulldozers to demolish what remains and eject her “dead or alive”.
With the arrest of four suspects, the police have warned against further self‑help, while the widow and her family continue to wait for justice, hoping that the law will finally put an end to a nightmare that has already stripped them of their home.
📩 Stone Reporters News | 🌍 stonereportersnews.com
✉️ info@stonereportersnews.com
📘 Facebook: Stone Reporters News
🐦 X (Twitter): @StoneReportNew
📸 Instagram: @stonereportersnews
Add comment
Comments