- As residents of Oriental Estate send SOS to govt
From Geoffrey Anyanwu, Enugu
The Enugu state Police Command confirmed yesterday that it has arrested one Jude Jonathan Emejulu and another male suspect maliciously demolishing part of the perimeter fence of Akanu Ibiam International Airport Enugu.
The destruction of the airport perimeter fence on Friday was said to be the second time Emejulu was demolishing the fence built by the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).
This is as the residents of Oriental Estate, Enugu, have called on the federal government to take a decisive action against Emejulu, who they said has made it a habit to demolish the concrete perimeter fence of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, and threatening the security of the airport and residents of the estate.
Confirming his arrest and plan to arraign him in court, the State Police Public Relations Officer, Daniel Ndukwe (DSP) said, “One Jude Jonathan Emejulu ‘m’ aged 66, alleged to have maliciously damaged a part of the perimeter fence of Akanu Ibiam International Airport Enugu, have been arrested alongside another male suspect, by Police Operatives. Exhibits recovered from them include: two (2) Pickaxes, five (5) Monday hammers, 2 shovels and a re-inforcement bars. They shall be arraigned in court and prosecuted once investigations are concluded. Further development will be communicated, please.”
But landlords of the estate who spoke to newsmen at the weekend, called on both federal and state governments to come to their rescue as the said man has been terrorizing them for some weeks now with police and armed thugs.
Emejulu, it would be recalled demolished long stretch of the concrete perimeter fence of the airport which was then under construction, necessitating the total demolition of his residence, a duplex in Enugu by the state government and his going into hiding as the Minister of Aviation then declared him a wanted man.
The landlords expressed shock that the police in Enugu state would escort Emejulu forcefully break keys of the entrance gate of the estate to have access to the fence of the airport to destroy federal government property.
Speaking to newsmen shortly after the Airport Manager, Hilary Umunna, made an on the sport inspection of the destruction done to the fence by Emejulu and his agents, the chairman of the estate, Chris Anameje said resident of the estate have not had rest for some weeks now as Emejulu had constantly terrorized them with police and armed thugs.
He said: “It is quite unfortunate the disturbance and menace that is being caused by one Architect J.J. Emejulu within this our zone, this his disturbance started as far back as 2017, that was when he started giving trouble here, destroying houses, breaking down fences and buildings all around in the name that he owns the land. but unfortunately, he couldn’t present any title document to that effect, even to the government house.
There was sometime he came and broke a whole perimeter airport fence claiming that his property is within the airport territory. After doing that he couldn’t be apprehended, he ran away and after sometime, when the former Governor left he came again. He normally come with police escort, that is the surprising thing, sometimes he comes with as much as 40 police escorts. Even the one that happened yesterday, being the 12th of January, 2024, he came with some, will I term them unknown gunmen, in fact they came with police van and from inquiry they said they that they were here with the instruction of the Commissioner of Police Enugu state. funny enough, they stood guard and gave him support while he came with touts and they were breaking down the already finished airport concrete perimeter fence.”
The chairman said he alerted the Air Force about the security breach, “I informed that there is a security breach, that some group of men are actually breaking down a section of the airport fence, they went into swift action and by the time they came the touts ran away but they were able to apprehend the man behind the demolition. When he wanted to runaway with the police he was dragged down from the police vehicle and the policemen drove away swiftly.”
Describing Emejulu’s activities in the area as a torment to residents of the estate, he expressed surprise as to how one man would be giving terror and encroaching on government properties.
He further said “We pray that government come into it and look into. The federal government should apprehend him and decisively deal with him. The time he tried it during the former Aviation Minister, Sirika, right at the airport he instructed for his arrest and termed him a wanted man, I am so surprised that up to now he was never apprehended. He supposed to be languishing in jail and not to be moving about freely with escort. We pray that the federal government should apprehend him, caution him and put him to order the right way.”
Another landlord, an engineer, Chidiebere Didigbo, confirmed that they bought their land from Dr. D.O.D. Eneh, who owns the Oriental Estate according to the confirmation got from the State Ministry of Lands.
Also Joshua Akachukwu, a landlord, also corroborated the story of the demolition but expressed shock that one of Emejulu’s men who was arrested with escaped, noting that the estate was under serious threat.
Also speaking, a legal practitioner and landlord in the estate, Obeta said, “At every pointing time when we think that this problem is resolved, it will rear its head again and secondly, we share the same adjoining fence with the airport. When this thing was happening yesterday, we thought it was a terrorist act, because a particular airline was landing when some group of men and police sauntered forcefully into the estate and started destroying the fence that will lead them into the federal government FAAN property.
“If there is any land in dispute, it is already before a court of competent jurisdiction and when a matter is before a court of competent jurisdiction, every issues that related thereto becomes subjudics. So we disagree with the strategic way people are using the police to intimidate us. Since December 20th we have not slept in this area and is no longer acceptable.”