Fresh controversy has hit the Imo State Government as Barrister Enyinna Onuegbu, Commissioner for Lands, Survey and Physical Planning, has been formally petitioned to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over an alleged illegal land grab in Nkaraha Community, Ohaji-Egbema LGA. The Akpelu Family, rightful owners of a disputed 262-hectare parcel within the Ogburuzo Ogwu Palm Plantation, accuse the commissioner of blatant abuse of office and criminal contempt of a standing Supreme Court judgment.
In a petition dated June 16, 2025, submitted to the ICPC Chairman, the family detailed how Onuegbu allegedly disregarded a Supreme Court ruling delivered on December 13, 2013 (Suit No: SC/250/2005), which affirmed their ownership rights. According to the petition signed by Chinedu Akpelu and Jonathan Akpelu, the Commissioner has been issuing unauthorized public notices claiming government acquisition of the land—without Exco approval, legislative appropriation, or any gazetted order.
Documents attached to the petition include Certified True Copies of the Supreme Court judgment, original survey plans, and two controversial acquisition notices signed by Onuegbu on March 25 and June 14, 2025. The family alleges that behind these notices lies a fraudulent scheme to allocate the land to private individuals with strong political connections—an act they describe as “criminal expropriation masquerading as state policy.”
Disturbing revelations in the petition also accuse Onuegbu of conducting clandestine site inspections with real estate speculators weeks before issuing the public notices. The family insists these acts constitute serious violations of Sections 19, 22, and 25 of the ICPC Act, 2000, and amount to public corruption, fraudulent enrichment, and gross misconduct in office.
Adding a constitutional dimension to the case, the Akpelu Family referenced Section 287(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which mandates compliance with Supreme Court judgments by all authorities and persons in Nigeria. They stressed that Onuegbu’s continued defiance is not just administrative recklessness but a dangerous attack on the judiciary and the rule of law.
Senior government officials, when contacted by the family for clarification, reportedly distanced themselves from the acquisition, with several sources claiming no official process had been followed. This fuels growing speculation that the Commissioner’s actions may have been self-driven and unauthorized.
The family’s petition demands that the ICPC launch a full-scale investigation, arrest and prosecute Onuegbu for abuse of office, trace and recover any illicit proceeds from the illegal land sales, and issue a public report to serve as a deterrent against future abuses by public officeholders. As tension builds, civil society organizations and property rights advocates are now closely watching the ICPC’s next move, with many calling this a litmus test for Nigeria’s anti-corruption fight.
