PRESS RELEASE DATED THIS 23RD OF OCTOBER, 2025
By
Dr. Colnel Ogwumerum Eke
RE: JUDGMENTS IN SUIT NUMBERS: CCC/22/2015 BETWEEN MR. COLNEL OGWUMERUM EKE & OTHERS. VS CHIEF FRIDAY IBEANBUCHI ANYA & OTHERS; PHC/1640/CS/2024 BETWEEN CHIEF SUNDAY AMADI & OTHERS VS. VS. HON. EZE NDAMATI & OTHERS; PHC/4344/2019 BETWEEN CHIEF SUNDAY AMADI & OTHERS VS. CHIEF FRIDAY EBEANBUCHI ANYA, COLNEL OGWUMERUM EKE & OTHERS AND CERTIFICATE OF WRIT OF POSSESSION/EXECUTION DATED 26TH MARCH, 2025 ISSUED IN RESPECT OF OHIA AGBADA ESILARU LAND MEASURING WELL OVER 6,000 PLOTS OF LAND: I, DR COLNEL OGWUMERUM EKE AND MEMBERS OF EKEANYANWU FAMILY OF RUMUAGHOLU COMMUNITY, OBIO/AKPOR LGA, R/S ARE NOT LAND GRABBERS: AS JUDGMENT CREDITORS, WE ARE IN LAWFUL POSSESSION OF OHIA AGBADA ESILARU LAND: THE GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD IGONORE ALL THOSE WHO ARE BENT ON GRABBING OUR FAMILY LAND USING GOVERNMENT POWERS
Recall that sometime in 2015, I, Dr. Colnel Ogwumerum Eke and Lord C. C. Nwosu filed Suit No: CCC/22/2015 between ourselves as Claimants and Chief Friday Ibeabuchi Anya and 7 Ors. for themselves and on behalf of Rumuagholu Community as Defendants sometime in 2015 over the ownership/title to the large expanse of land known as and called, Ohia Agbada Esilaru Land, measuring well over six thousand (6000) plots of land and situate at Rumuagholu Community, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State.
While Suit No: CCC/22/2015 was pending at the Choba Customary Court, Chief Sunday Amadi, Chief Barnard Nna Eme, Elder Emenike Woka, Mr. Ernest Worgu Ihunda, Mr. Isaac Abaa and Mr. Owhonda Amadi (hereinafter called the 1st set of Parties) for themselves and as representing the Rumumba and Rumuechinwere Compounds of Ikenkwara Community in Rumuosi Town, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area applied to join the suit on the basis that they were the rightful owners of the said Ohia Agbada Esilaru Land which (land) they christened Ohia Nsumide, Ohia Egbelu Rumuosi and Ohia Wokide lands and the Choba Customary Court rightly dismissed their application for joinder on the 5th day of October, 2017. The certified true copy of the Ruling delivered on 5/10/2017 is herein annexed and mark same as Exhibit COL 1.
After dismissing the Rumuosi people’s (1st set of Parties) application for joinder on the ground that they (Rumuosi people) had no interest in the said land (the Ohia Agbada Esilaru land) which the Rumuosi people called, Ohia Egbelu Rumuosi and Ohia Wokide, the Rumuosi Community (1st set of Parties) and her representatives accepted the ruling and did not appeal same.
The matter (Suit No. CCC/22/2015) proceeded without the representatives of Rumuosi Community joining, that is, between us (Judgment Creditors) and representatives of Rumuagholu Community (Judgment Debtors) until judgement was entered in our favour.
After judgement was entered in the suit, representatives of the present Rumuosi Community (1st set of Parties) in the person of Chief Sunday Amadi with the 5 others who had earlier applied to join the suit at the Choba Customary Court filed Suit No: PHC/4344/2019 at the High Court of Rivers State seeking leave to appeal the Judgement as interested parties affected by the Judgment and in a considered Judgment, my Lord, Hon. Justice F.A. Fiberesima before whom the matter was pending dismissed their application for being an abuse of court process on the ground, among others, that having not appealed the ruling of the Choba Customary Court refusing their motion for joinder on the basis that they lacked interest in the land (Ohia Agbada Esilaru Land), they could not competently seek leave to appeal the same judgement. I annex the Judgment of the High Court of Rivers State presided over by Hon. Justice F.A. Fiberesima in PHC/4344/2019 dismissing the application for leave to appeal the judgement in CCC/22/2015 and mark same as Exhibit COL 2.
Again, the 1st set of Parties (Chief Sunday Amadi and 5 Others) (the Rumuosi community) accepted the Judgment of Hon. Justice F.A. Fiberesima and did not appeal same to date but, filed a suit for judicial review in PHC/3412/2019 between Chief Sunday Amadi & Ors. and Colonel Ogwumerum Eke & Ors. and the High Court of Rivers State, per Hon. Justice S. H. Aprioku also dismissed their said suit. I annex the judgement in PHC/3412/2019 as Exhibit COL 3.
I state on record that the Rumuosi community (1st set of Parties) and her people are bound by the ruling of the Choba Customary Court in CCC/22/2015 to the effect that representatives of Rumuosi Community did not disclose that they had interest in the Agbada Esilaru land (Exhibit COL 1), which land they have always called, Ohia Egbelu Rumuosi and Ohia Wokide land, even in their application for joinder.
I equally state that the Rumuosi community and her people herein are bound by the Judgment of Hon. Justice F.A. Fiberesima in Suit No: PHC/4344/2019 (Exhibit COL 2) which in law, is an appeal itself.
Immediately after Judgment was delivered in Suit No: CCC/22/2015, the present Judgment Debtors/Respondents (Rumuagholu Community) appealed the said Judgment to the Customary Court of Appeal in Appeal No.: CCA/PH/51/2019 and on the 3rd day of November, 2020, the appeal was dismissed by the Customary Court of Appeal, Rivers State. I hereby annex a certified true copy of the Record of Proceedings of the Customary Court of Appeal on the 3rd day of November, 2020 and mark same as Exhibit COL 4.
My family and I (Judgement Creditors/Applicants) could not enforce the Judgement delivered on the 9th day of September, 2019, within the time stipulated by the applicable Rules of Court because the Judgement Debtors/Respondents filed an Appeal at the Customary Court of Appeal, Rivers State, but, after the said appeal was dismissed on the 3rdday of November, 2020, we applied for revalidation of the lifespan of the Judgment and same was accordingly granted on the 7th day of June, 2022. I hereby attach the Certified True Copy of the Order of the Honourable Court revalidating the Judgment of the Customary Court in Suit No: CCC/22/2015 and Mark same as Exhibit COL5.
The Rumuagholu community tried to resurrect the appeal by filing a fresh application for leave at the Customary Court of Appeal, Rivers Stateto appeal the judgement in CCC/22/2015 and CCA/PH/26 MISC/2020 between MR. ATUZIE OVUNWO & ORS. VS. MR COLNEL OGWUMERUM EKE & ANOR., but the Learned Judges of the Customary Court of Appeal in a well-considered ruling delivered on the 28th day of September, 2021 dismissed their application. I hereby attach Certified True Copies of the Record of Proceedings of the Customary Court of Appeal dismissing Suit No: CCA/PH/26 MISC/2020 between MR. ATUZIE OVUNWO & ORS. VS. MR COLNEL OGWUMERUM EKE & ANOR. on the 28/09/2021 and Mark same as Exhibit COL 6.
Sometime in 2024, the Deputy Sheriff and other lawful officers of the Choba Customary Court commenced the enforcement of the Judgment in Suit NO: CCC/22/2015 over portions of Ohia Agbada Esilaru Land and the enforcement was still ongoing when the 1st set of Parties (Chief Sunday Amadi, Chief Barnard Nna Eme, Elder Emenike Woka, Mr. Ernest Worgu Ihunda, Mr. Isaac Abaa and Mr. Owhonda Amadi for themselves and as representing the Rumumba and Rumuechinwere Compounds of Ikenkwara Community in Rumuosi Town) filed Suit No: Suit No: PHC/1640/CS/2024 between Chief Sunday Amadi & Ors. v. Hon. Eze Ndamati & Ors. seeking to quash the Judgment in Suit No: CCC/22/2015, set aside the enforcement of the Judgment in Suit No: CCC/22/2015 and to prohibit the Choba Customary Court from issuing a writ of possession/certificate/order of execution.
After issues were fully joined by all the parties concerned, my Lord, Hon. Justice D.G. Kio of the High Court of Justice, Rivers State in a well-considered Judgment dismissed the suit for lacking in merit. The court amongst other things held that we (myself and my family) should proceed to enforce the Judgment in Suit No: CCC/22/2015 and that the Choba Customary Court can validly issue the order of execution/writ of possession to us over the entire land measuring well over 6000 (six thousand) plots, subject matter of Judgment in Suit No: CCC/22/2015. I hereby annex a certified true copy of the Judgment Order of the Honourable Court in Suit No: PHC/1640/CS/2024 and mark same as Exhibit Col. 7.
In delivering judgment in favour of our favour and against the 1st set of Parties, the Honourable Court awarded cost of N500,000.00 (Five Hundred Thousand Naira) only each in our favour, the Police (Commissioner of Police, Rivers State) and the Choba Customary Court (Respondents in the suit) against the 1st set of Parties and their Rumuosi community including Mr. Lucky Nwogu, Mr. Mondale Okoro Igbenidion, Engineer Okechukwu Obara, Engineer Basoene J. Benibo, Prince Andy Okeke, Prince Desmond U. Nzelegwu, Ohakwe Mosco, Dr. Christian U. Abu, Gabriel A. Oke, N.S. Onwochei, Esq., Omunakwe Amadi, Pharm Anele Eyi, and others at large (hereinafter called the 2nd set of Parties).
Of particular concern to this discuss is the fact that the 1st set of Parties have now appealed against the judgment of my Lord, Hon. Justice D.G. Kio in Suit No: PHC/1640/CS/2024 in Appeal No: CA/PH/454/2025 and that appeal is currently pending till date. I hereby annex the certified true copy of the Notice of Appeal and the front page of the Transmitted Record of Appeal in Appeal No: CA/PH/454/2025 as Exhibits Col. 8a and Col 8b respectively.
Armed with the various Judgments of Court over Ohia Agbada Esilaru Land in our favour, we applied to the Deputy Sheriff and other officers of the Choba Customary Court to enforce/execute the Judgment in CCC/22/2015 and equally applied to the Court for protection of the Police and other security agencies to enable the officers of the court carry out the execution of the Judgment in Suit No: CCC/22/2015 and same was granted by the Court. I hereby annex the Certified True Copy of the Order of the Honourable Court granting protection to the officers of the Court while they enforce the said Judgment and mark same as Exhibit Col. 9.
The officers of the Choba Customary Court saddled with the responsibility of enforcing the Judgment of the court in Suit No: CCC/22/2015, with the protection of the Police and other security outfits have now fully enforced/executed the said Judgment in line with the Judgment of the Honourable Court and a Certificate of Writ of Possession/Execution over the entire Ohia Agbada Esilaru Land, measuring well over six thousand (6000) plots of land already issued by the Honourable Court in our favour indicating that execution over the entire Ohia Agbada Esilaru Land, measuring well over six thousand (6000) plots of land has already been fully levied and possession firmly taken. I hereby annex the Certified True Copy of the Writ/Certificate of Possession/Execution over the entire Ohia Agbada Esilaru Land, measuring well over six thousand (6000) plots of land and mark same as Exhibit Col. 10.
The 2nd set of Parties who claimed to derive title over portions of our clients’ Ohia Agbada Esilaru Land from the same Rumuosi people (1st set of Parties) that we have won in court severally have now regrouped themselves into a very deadly and notorious land grabbing syndicate and are working in synergy with
the 1st set of Parties and with the aid and full support of Hon. Gift Worlu who has constituted what he tagged, “Committee Against Land Grabbing” with Hon. Alex Wele as Chairman, Mr. Chika Sampson as Secretary, Dr. Kelvin Akani as Legal Adviser, Goodluck Ogunka, Kenneth Orlumenem, Joshua Chinda, Ogbonda Victor, Amadi Kelly G., Hon Derrick Wakonhor and others as members, hereinafter called the 3rd set of Parties.
It is instructive to note that in spite of the various court judgments in our favour and against the 2nd set of Parties, both the 1st and 2nd sets of Parties have been forum shopping from court to court in gross abuse of court process just to secure a favourable judgment against us and our Ekeanyanwu family and ultimately dispossess us from being in peaceful possession of the land. All attempts at dispossessing us of our land have proved abortive. The 1st and 2nd sets of Parties are not done yet. They are now acting in synergy with the 3rd set of Parties, particularly, Hon. Gift Worlu, the Chairman Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Rivers State to forcefully invade our Ohia Agbada Esilaru land in guise of acting as a Committee Against Land Grabbing.
It is regrettably surprising that what the 1st and 2nd sets of Parties could not do through the courts, the 3rd set of Parties, particularly, the Chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State is now unlawfully and forcefully attempting to do it for them including constituting himself into an Appellate Court to interpret the extent of the land our clients won in court, superintending over lands the courts had decided and are still arbitrating and forcefully attempting to dispossess us of the land.
I wish to state on record and very clearly too that we are natives of Rumuagholu Community, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State. We are not land grabbers as speculated by the Parties. We have numerous judgments against the 1st set of Parties and by extension, the 2nd set of Parties. A judgment creditor cannot be a land grabber over the piece of land he has won in court. We have multiple judgments in our favour against the 1st and 2nd sets of Parties. Conversely, the 1st and 2nd sets of Parties do not have one judgment against us over the piece of land. The right question begging for answer is, as between us (judgment creditors) and the 1st and 2nd sets of Parties (judgment debtors), who should be described as land grabbers? This much we had earlier chronicled to Hon. Gift Worlu through our Counsel, Dr. Godswill U. Dike, when he (Hon. Gift
Worlu) made a draconian broadcast in Naija Info. FM sometime in September, 2025 and directed that we should vacate our lands in spite of our judgments even without formerly inviting and hearing from us. One wonders the particular interest Hon. Gift Worlu has over our land and why he is bent on doing mischief to us.
For the record, I make bold to state that till date, Hon. Gift Worlu has not formerly issued an invitation letter to us to state our case but, he has already made a publication via Naija Info. FM prejudging us and “overruling the courts”. He has constituted a committee to dispossess me and my family of our land in guise of fighting land grabbers. He has equally petitioned me and my family to the office of the Inspector General of Police and when the Police did not bow to his antics, he petitioned the Police to the National Assembly all in his sinister bid to grab our land using government powers. A judgment creditor is now adjudged a land grabber while judgment debtors are being aided by Hon. Gift Worlu as the true owners of the land. Can there be any justification for that if not to grab our land using government powers? A supposed Local Government Chairman who ordinarily should have been neutral has now become partisan and taken side with the 1st and 2nd sets of Parties against me and my family.
I believe the 3rd set of suspects know the right answer to the foregoing question but, I equally understand the genesis of the current onslaught against me and my family. We are not from Akpor Kingdom while Hon. Gift Worlu and the 2nd set of suspects are from Akpor Kingdom but, we are not bothered because the law is on our side.
While I am not against the National Assembly investigating the Petition submitted by Hon. Kingsley Chinda, I state on record that such investigation should and must be limited to lands that are actually subject of grabbing. It should have nothing to do with lands that have passed through the courts and are currently pending in courts like our Ohia Agbada Esilaru land.
The current attempt by the 3rd set of Parties to aid the 1st and 2nd sets of Parties who have lost severally in court, in grabbing our land in the guise of “Committee Against Land Grabbing” is unlawful, illegal and ultra vires the powers of the 3rd set of Parties and same shall be legally resisted at the highest level.
I want the general public to know that my presence and possession of the land are in tandem with pronouncement of my Lord, Hon. Justice D.G. Kio in Suit No: PHC/1640/CS/2024 (Exhibit Col 7) and equally in tandem with the pronouncement of Choba Customary Court. See Exhibits Col. 9 and Col 10 respectively. The 3rd set of Parties cannot adjudge us (judgment creditors), land grabbers when the Honourable Courts have adjudged us land owners. The Petition submitted to the National Assembly against the IGP is aimed at intimidating the Police and cowing them into submission. The target is to dispossess us of our lands.
For the record, I respectfully acknowledge the constitutional powers of Mr. Speaker to cause an investigation to be carried out with respect to petitions submitted to the House but, with the greatest respect sir, restraint and caution must be exercised over matters that have already been litigated in court and are equally pending in various courts including the Court of Appeal. The current attempt by the 3rd set of Parties to have the National Assembly investigate a subject matter the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal are already seized of is not only unlawful but, also contemptuous. With respect, it is ultra vires the powers of the National Assembly.
It is equally instructive to note at this point that while the 1st, 2nd and 3rd sets of Parties have perfected their sinister plans to force themselves on our land, the 1st and 2nd sets of Parties have themselves filed two new separate suits in abuse of court process against us still over the same piece of land. While these two new suits are pending, the 3rd set of Parties have now petitioned to the National Assembly and now want the National Assembly to usurp the powers of the court by interfering directly and thereby contending jurisdiction with the Honourable Court. This cannot be tolerated in any civilized society. I hereby annex copies of the court process in Suit Nos: PHC/3142/CS/2025 and PHC/3144/CS/2025 as Exhibits Col 10 and Col 11 respectively.
For the avoidance of doubt, I state on record that I am not against any attempt to mediate on the land dispute but, since the subject matter is already in different courts including the Court of Appeal, any mediation over the land must be sanctioned by the courts. Leave of the Honourable Court must be sought and obtained else, such mediation will amount to a direct affront on and usurpation of the revered powers and authourity of the court and ultimately amount to an exercise in futility. Suffice it to say that neither the National Assembly nor the Committee against Land Grabbing set up by Hon. Gift Worlu can mediate/invite, arbitrate and or make any pronouncement as it relates to our Ohia Agbada Esilaru Land which the 1st and 2nd sets of Parties call Ohia Egbelu Rumuosi and Ohia Egbelu Wokide without firstly, seeking and obtaining the leave of the Honourable Court where these matters are pending. We have already submitted ourselves to the jurisdiction of the Honourable Court as law abiding citizens of Nigeria. We cannot submit ourselves again to any other jurisdiction without the leave of the Honourable Court.
By way of an aside, I state that the mere pendency of Suit Nos: PHC/3142/CS/2025 and PHC/3144/CS/2025 at the High Court cannot supersede, override or take precedence over the final judgment of the same High Court. See Exhibit Col. 7. Again, the 2nd set of suspects had unsuccessfully attempted to prosecute me for malicious damage, forceful entry among other spurious
charges but, the learned trial Magistrate struck out the charge and discharged me as the learned trial Magistrate noted that we had been awarded the land we were alleged to have maliciously damaged by three different High Court Judges and that we cannot destroy or trespass into our own property. We hereby annex the certified true Copy of the Ruling of the learned trial Magistrate as Exhibit Col. 12.
I state very quickly that neither the National Assembly nor the Committee against Land Grabbing set up by Hon. Gift Worlu can, with the greatest respect, investigate the propriety or otherwise of the Petition submitted by Hon. Kingsley Chinda as it relates to our land as to proceed to do so will be arbitrary, unlawful, illegal, draconian, ultra vires and contemptuous. I say so for the following reasons:
1. The 2nd set of Parties were not parties to any of the suits exhibited as Exhibits Col 1 to Col. 7 respectively, so they cannot in law, question the propriety or otherwise of the said Judgment through the 3rd set of Parties.
2. The 2nd set of Parties’ claim of title/ownership to any of the portions of our clients’ Ohia Agbada Esilaru Land is tied to the Rumumba and Rumuchinwere Compounds of Ikenkwara Community of Rumuosi Town, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Rivers State (1st set of Parties) and as I have rightly shown above, we have sufficient judgments against the Rumumba and Rumuchinwere Compounds of Ikenkwara Community of Rumuosi Town which judgments have ordinarily abated whatever interest the Rumumba and Rumuchinwere Compounds of Ikenkwara Community of Rumuosi Town and their alleged purchasers (Victory Estate Landlords’ Association/2nd set of Parties) have in our land. These judgments are binding on the Rumuosi people and all those who allegedly derived their title to Ohia Agbada Esilaru Land from them, including the Rumuosi Victory Estate.
3. The National Assembly is not the Court of Appeal or an appellate court to now assume jurisdiction to investigate, receive petitions, review/interpret the judgment in Suit No: CCC/22/2015 to ascertain the extent of the land litigated in that suit, more so, when the extent of the land litigated in the said suit and the nature of interest the Rumuosi people from whom theVictory Estate Landlords’ Association (2nd set of Parties) purportedly derived their title from had been determined by a court of law in Suit No: Suit No: PHC/1640/CS/2024 between Chief Sunday Amadi & Ors. vs. Hon. Eze Ndamati & Ors.
4. I am appalled by the fact that Hon. Gift Worlu proceeded to petition to the National Assembly when he knows or ought to know that we are legally on the land.
5. Again, any investigation against a valid and subsisting judgment of court that has not been set aside on appeal is unknown to our jurisprudence and is not one of the ways sanctioned by our laws to challenge a judgment of court.
6. Carrying out an investigation/petitioning to the National Assembly against a judgment of court that has been fully enforced is contemptuous in law.
7. The position adopted by Hon. Gift Worlu is contemptuous and runs afoul of the judgment of my Lord, Hon. Justice D.G. Kio.
I make bold to say that, the National Assembly does not have the constitutional or legal vires to receive petitions or investigate the propriety or otherwise of our possession of our land owing to the peculiar circumstances of this case. We, as Judgment Creditors have every right in law to remain in lawful possession of our land in line with the extant laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and there is no legal impediment to that effect. It is only the Court of Appeal that can stop us, not any administrative order/directive or investigation.
While I note, albeit with pity, the situation of the 1st and 2nd Parties, which of course, can be likened to the case of a drowning man helplessly looking for help in the middle of the river and strenuously nay, effortlessly clinging onto a floating leaf on the false assumption that it is a life- saving tree.I note with regret, that it is preposterous and utterly grotesque for Hon. Gift Worlu and his Committee to be usurping the powers of court exclusively preserved for the Judiciary in Section 6 (6) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (As Amended).
I reiterate for the umpteenth time that, there is no legal impediment to our ownership and possession of our land and the Hon. Chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area cannot arbitrarily assume the function of the Court of Appeal.
The general public should therefore, ignore rumour peddlers and mischief makers who may have been misled by the position of Hon. Gift Worlu and his Committee as it relates to our land.
The Knee-Jerk Resort to misinforming the public and resorting to Government patronage is a clear indication that the Rumuosi people and their Rumuosi Victory Estate cannot win in a fair contest, having already lost severally in court. The public should not be deceived by their antics.
Finally, I state that as Judgment Creditors, we (my family and I) are entitled in law, to reap the fruit of our judgment and to not have same hindered by any stringent investigation or at all.
It is for the foregoing reasons that I respectfully cause this publication to be made to appeal to the Rt. Hon. Speaker, House of Representatives, to exercise restraint and caution as the courts are seized of the subject matter of our Ohia Agbada Esilaru Land and any investigation touching on the said land will amount to an affront on the authority of the courts including the Court of Appeal.
My family and I will not relent in our pursuit of justice in this and every other matter relating to our Ohia Agbada Esilaru Land.
Signed :_________________________
Dr. Colnel Ogwumerum Eke