A legal practitioner, Rex Erameh has called on the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, to intervene in an ongoing land dispute in Imo State involving Chelsea Group Limited and a church, Zion Gate Ministries.
At a news conference in Abuja, the lawyer said that the disputed parcel of land was meant to build the Imo-Chelsea Industrial Park Limited, under a Public Private Partnership agreement between the group and the Imo State Government.
It said the church wants to convert the same for use as a worship centre.
Erameh said last Wednesday, some youths within the community who were bent on ensuring that they benefit from the economic development which the Industrial Park will provide, took over the land to protect it from being further encroached upon by members of the church, with respect to the building/construction currently going on there.
“This is likely to degenerate into chaos, as from what we have gathered, Ebuka Obi is planning to conclude the church’s 100 days prayer and fasting spiritual exercise on the same land.
“We use this medium to immediately call on the IGP to wade into this matter before it degenerates further, especially as there is a subsisting court Order of injunction,” the lead counsel noted.
He said the case is currently in court, where the church is one of the defendants, adding that an injunction had already been secured, stopping any activity on the land.
“As I speak, they are currently clearing a massive portion of the land, with the intention of putting up a building structure for the church (contrary to the purpose for which the land was allocated to Imo-Chelsea Industrial Park Limited, which is for the development/construction of an Industrial Park) and also, in disobedience of a pending matter and an injunction on the land.
“It will interest you to know that this matter is currently pending at the Imo State High Court, Owerri in Suit No. HOW/773/2024″, he added.
Meanwhile, the church at a press conference in Lagos on Saturday explained why it chose Imo State as the venue for its upcoming three-day World Conference.
According to the ministry, Imo fits the bill in its quest for a larger space to accommodate its rapidly expanding congregation.
The ministry also disclosed that it will establish its Zion City in Ngor-Okpala, Imo State, which will serve as its headquarters that will house a university, secondary school, hospital, and facilities for the elderly.
A Senior Member of the ministry, Patrick Iheonu, said; “We have secured 21,000 plots of land in Ngor-Okpala in Imo State, where we will build a Zion City, not only an auditorium. We would have a university, secondary school, hospital, and old people’s home to cater to our members and indeed the people of Imo State and worldwide. This will serve as our headquarters in Nigeria. Before now, we have held it in Lagos, so for us, it is like a homecoming.”
