BY JUDE OSSAI / ENUGU
Soldiers believed to have been sent from the Nigerian Army, 82 Division, Enugu on Wednesday stormed Enugu residence of a retired Army Colonel, Emeka Ugwoke and threw away his property and members of his family out of the house.
The incident occurred when the Army Officer was still away to his county home, Nsukka for Easter celebration.
Addressing newsmen in Enugu shortly after the incident, Col. Ugwoke said that the soldiers stormed his house at about 1:15am on Wednesday and rough handled his wife and the children before throwing them out of the apartment with his property without court injunction.
Ugwoke expressed surprise over the development, claiming that Enugu State Government had already allocated the said property located at 7, Abakiliki road inside an estate, Government Reservation Area (GRA), Enugu to him.
He stated that the property was among the property belonging to the state government that was used by the army.
According to him, when the state government wanted to take over the land, he wrote them a letter for ownership of the property.
The former military officer noted that the letter was dully approved by the state government and expressed surprise over the claim that the property belongs to the Federal Government.
Ugwoke noted that in 2020 when a senior military officer claimed that the property belonged to the Federal Government, the matter was resolved amicably after some interventions.
He said that Army wrote him a letter on March 15, ordering him to vacate the house in two weeks time, stating that it was unfortunate that armed soldiers later invaded his house when he was not around and throw his children out of the house.
According to him, he had written to the chief of Army Staff asking him to intervene, insisting that the state has monetized the property to him.
His words: “I was still waiting for his intervention of the Chief before the soldiers stormed his residence
“Sometimes in 2008, the Enugu state government wanted to take over the state property that Nigerian Army personnel were occupying and I am living in one of them. I wanted to benefit from it and the division said I should meet my state so that if they give me, that’s okay.
“I wrote several application to state government and in 2013, the then governor, Sullivan Chime approved my application. I couldn’t further the process because I was away until 2015 and that was in a critical period when attention is drawn to politics only.
“When the new governor came, he said I should hold on, that their are series of committee to verify those things, which eventually ended and I was given papers of the apartment.
“My colleagues understood until 2020 when a certain GOC came around and told me that he want to use the place as guest house.
“And now started claiming that it belong to Federal Government but the matter was addressed and he left it. He set up a series of committee that said the property belong to Federal Government but we know he was influencing them.
“Nothing was heard again until November last year when GOC send 20 soldiers to my house to come and remove my things but after some intervention from senior colleagues they left. In March 15, 2023, they wrote me and asked me to park out within 2 weeks, despite my presentation of papers and approvals from the state.
“As I travelled to the village for burial yesterday, 11th of April, by 1:15am this morning, 12th of April, my daughter called me because my wife was not around, she was in the hospital and my daughter said that about 40 soldiers invaded our house and trying to forcefully open the door before my house help opened the door. They were harassing and beating my children telling them to pack their things.
“They started packing my things outside, you can see them here before my wife drove from the hospital around 2:00am and two female soldiers beat her up on her arrival dragging her to go out of the compound.
“I tried to make call to them to know the problems, I have written to Chief of Army Staff and I have not gotten response. Why are you invading my house and nobody is ready to listen to me. I came down to Enugu from Nsukka this morning to the greatest surprise of my life, soldiers invaded my house and destroyed my properties, you can see the air condition, television, everything destroyed and they came and keep it here on the street, 2km away from my house,” he lamented.
When asked if he has reached out to the state government over the Nigeria Army claims, he said the state government was surprised at the claims by Nigeria Army when he reported to the matter.
“I have a paper to show where Nigeria Army acknowledged that the property belonged to state government, Written by Army itself and signed by one Major general on behalf of Chief of Army Staff”, he said.
He however pleaded with the Chief of Army staff to intervene as the property which belonged to the state government had been monetized to him by the state government.
Effort to get the reaction of Army spokesman, Eromosele Unuakhalu proved abortive but a source in 82 Division, Enugu who spoke on condition of anonymity insisted that the retired Colonel was occupying the quarter illegally.
“We knew he will like to seek sympathy hence their decision to record everything that happened.
The source claimed hat Ugwoke was ejected last year and he refused to leave, adding that the Army would not accept somebody trying to acquire its property illegally.
“Why can’t the retired Colonel respect himself and quit the property rather seeking unnecessary sympathy” he stated.
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