Rivers Community Absolves Kingsman of Land Grabbing Allegations, Gives Seven-Day Ultimatum

The people of Rumuaholu community in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State have absolved their son, Engr. Stephen Nyegwa, popularly called “Uncle”, of any land grabbing allegations, describing such as falsehood and lacking in fact.

The community also stated that their son is not a land grabber or involved in any criminal activities, but an illustrious son with verifiable means of identity and livelihood.

The Regent of the community, Eze Sunny Awo Njiohuo, stated this while speaking with newsmen during a solidarity peace march by the people of Rumuaholu community at Cedarwood Estate on Tuesday to register their grievances over a defamatory statement allegedly made by one Gbenga against their son, Engr. Stephen Nyegwa, describing him as “a notorious land grabber without any means of livelihood identification”.

However, Eze Njiohuo described such allegations as falsehood and misleading, stressing that they lack any iota of truth, and that their son, Engr. Stephen Nyegwa, is a notable figure in the community and cannot be associated with such demeaning character representation.

The Regent therefore urged the general public to discontinue such allegations as they are intended to bring disrepute to their son and bad reputation to the community.

Also speaking, the CDC Chairman of the community, Mr. Graham Elendu Nworgu, described such statements as laughable, adding that the maker of such allegations was ignorant of Ikwerre traditions and culture.

He opined that what Engr. Stephen Nyegwa is contending is purely about his family lineage rights in the sharing of their late grandparent’s lands and property, noting that his family has a right of inheritance in their family lands and property in a polygamous family.

He berated the purveyors of such land grabbing allegations and described them as enemies of the community.

In their various speeches, Comrade Prince Amadi, Innocent Azunda Eke, and Mrs. Helen Igwe, who represented the youth and women, also condemned the allegations in their entirety, adding that their son is known in the community and has no hand in such alleged land grabbing activities, and urged the public to disregard such statements credited to one Gbenga, a non-indigene residing in the area.

The lead legal counsel to Engr. Stephen Nyegwa told journalists that they have written to Mr. Gbenga, giving him a seven-day ultimatum to retract his statement in three national dailies, adding that at the expiration of the ultimatum, they will take further actions against him.

Earlier, in his own speech, Engr. Stephen Nyegwa denied being a land grabber, saying that he does genuine estate business registered with CAC and has over sixty employees in his company.

He thanked the people of his community, chiefs, youths, and women for their solidarity and coming out to speak the truth, adding that what he is contending is his family inheritance with his family and not with strangers.