The Abba community of the famous writer, Chimamanda Adichie, has revealed why they are frequently having issues with Chief Arthur Eze of Ukpo, in the Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra State.
In a statement by the President General of Abba Town Union ( ATU), Ekwuagana Alexander, made available to the RAZOR Newspaper, the community accused Arthur Eze of trying to amass their land but they refused.
The community alleged that their rejection of monetary offer coming from Prince Arthur Eze to forego their patrimony was the beginning of their affliction.
The community’s statement read partly, “The men and women of the Abba community have become an endangered species when they rejected a monetary offer coming from Prince Arthur Eze to forego their patrimony.
“Ever since June 2019, various institutions and apparatus of Government both at the State and Federal levels have been deployed to subjugate, victimize, intimidate, and harass men and women of the Abba community to stampede and pressure them to abandon their quest to reclaim their ancestral home.
“Many have been locked up in police custody in Awka and Abuja; some have been charged to different courts in Anambra State on trumped-up charges.
“The Abba community market and farmlands have been overrun with the popular Abba Junction being renamed with the complicity of State Government officials. Even the name ‘’Abba’’ was not allowed to appear in the State Government mounted signposts to indicate direction to Abba homeland.
“In 2021, the President General of Abba Town Union was abducted in his office by men later identified as officers of the former SARS, Awkuzu. He was kept in the custody of SARS and later Custodial Centre Onitsha for a cumulative period of 82 days.
The community further allege that the travails of their son, the proprietor of Best Aluminum, Chief Pius Nweke,was recently sentenced for 10 years for illegal possession of firearm was coterminous with the land dispute.
The community said,”The constant attacks on Chief Pius Nweke are to subdue him to bow before a Pharaoh having been thought to be the arrowhead of the opposition of the Abba community in the litigations for the defence of their ancestral home.
“The Abba community where Chief Nweke hails from is deeply worried that the life of Chief Pius Nweke is in grave danger by the undue interest of the top management of the Nigeria Correctional Centre and Mr. Chukwuemeka Patrick in particular in this matter.
“Chief Pius Nweke even at the time of his conviction and for more than forty years before his conviction is a well-known industrialist who has in his employ over 1,500 staff with many people under his scholarship programme.
He is the Managing Director of Best Aluminum Manufacturing Company Ltd – a foremost Aluminum Manufacturing Company east of Niger. He is happily married with children and has an aged mother to look after.
We want the world to be notified that the Nigerian Correctional Service is to be held responsible for any ill health, impairment or death happening to Chief Pius Nweke (Ikemba).
