US-based Nigerian petitions police over Delta land dispute

A United States of America-based Nigerian, Jude Maduka, has petitioned the Delta State Commissioner of Police, calling for immediate intervention in a case of alleged land trespass.

In the petition, dated February 7, 2025, Maduka, through his counsel, Chidel Onuora, alleged that the property, located near the Asaba International Airport, was sold to him in 2017 by Dr Darlington Ijeh, now the state Commissioner for Culture and Tourism.

Speaking South-South PUNCH on Tuesday, in Asaba, Maduka, through his counsel, claimed that when he sought to develop the property, he was confronted by individuals acting on behalf of an unidentified party who also laid claim to the land.

Maduka expressed the hope that the police’s intervention would prevent a breakdown of law and order as he sought to take possession of the property.

He said, “Our client has reported this situation to Mr Darlington Ijeh, who strangely has stopped taking his calls and has remained silent on the matter to his chagrin.

“On the instructions of our client, we had written to Mr Ijeh requesting a meeting with him to discuss the matter, but he is not responding.

“Our client is only coming to invest in the state and if he is treated in such a manner, the people would be scaring investors away.”

Reacting to the allegations, Dr Ijeh stressed that Maduka has failed to fulfil his obligation to negotiate with the Umuodafe Family, who has since secured a Supreme Court judgment concerning the land.

He said, “If there is an issue regarding the property, is he (Maduka) not supposed to go to the property and if anybody comes to question him, he will call the person he claimed sold it to him.

‘’What if at the end of it, he (Maduka) is wrong? I have been receiving several calls on this matter. If he has done something wrong somewhere, he should go and make amends, we are all human beings and bound to make mistakes.

“Ask him when last he called me on the phone. He blocked me on the phone because I was disturbing him to come and ratify the land with the family and at a point he stopped picking up my calls.

“He knows what he is doing; has he made all the payments? Instead of coming to reconcile with the family, he is telling people to call the commissioner.

“Now, the family has gotten a Supreme Court judgement over the land, he should come for ratification, I was able to secure the land to date, is resorting to petition the way out?”