Geoffrey Anyanwu, Awka
The people of Isu-Aniocha community in Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra State have sent a Save-Our-Soul (SOS) to Governor Willie Obiano over alleged invasion of community by some individuals with the aided of some top government officials.
The attackers, who were said be sponsored by a former chairman of the local government that hails from town, were said to have violently attacked teachers and students of Community Secondary School, Isu-Aniocha, injuring many.
The invaders had reportedly broken into the school and were alleged to have parcelate its land and sold out to unsuspecting individuals with the support of some people in state government.
President General (PG) of Isu-Aniocha Development Union (IDU), Chief Anthony Onyeagolu, who spoke to newsmen on the disturbing development in the community, on Sunday, disclosed that the invaders left various degrees of injuries on the staff and students of the school who tried to question and stop their operations.
Onyeagolu said the alleged arrowhead in the trouble, a former Awka South Local Government Area chairman, Chief Cosmas Okonkwo, equipped the former Youth Leader he sacked and his group to attack the community, at the weekend, and they maimed many and destroyed property including buildings and vehicles.
He said, “We want urgent government intervention in this matter because the way things are going, if the Governor does not intervene now it might lead to bloodshed, and that we don’t want in this community.”
Further narrating what was happening in the community, the President General said, “The former Chairman of Awka North local government, Cosmas Okonkwo and his group went it the Community Secondary School Isu-Aniocha land and divided it into two claiming that it was his kindred that gave the land for the school and that they were taking their land back.
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“We summoned meeting and warned that nobody should go to that land as it was for the school and his kinsmen said their hands were not in his move and action.
“I went to Ghana and was there when my people called that he Cosmas Okonkwo had gone back to the land, brought caterpillars and cleared the land destroying the crops the teachers planted and surveyed put beacons.
“He parcelated the land and gave some to some government people and ministry of lands and sold some. He built block walls and three stalls and put the inscription of Military zone all over the place.
“When the education authorities in the state directed the teachers and students to pull down the walls and they did, Cosmas Okonkwo mobilised thugs and they beat up the teachers and students, gave the principal and vice serious injury and the students were chased out of the school.
“The matter was reported to CPS Awka, police came and arrested people working in the said land but they were released after somebody allegedly called from Government House and they went back to continue work on the school/community land and the police did nothing again to the attack on the teachers and students.
“We want the Governor to come into this matter, we want to know those government officials behind this because they are also using the Governors name, that he was aware of their taking of the land.
“We have written petitions to the Ministry of Education and Governor but have not heard from them and our people are agitated.”