HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES HALTS DEVELOPMENT ON DISPUTED IMO LAND, ORDERS DISARMING OF ARMED GROUPS

Legislative committee intervenes in Ngor Okpala land ownership dispute, directing an immediate stop to heavy machinery operations and requiring security agencies to neutralize armed intimidation

The House of Representatives Public Petitions Committee has ordered an immediate halt to all construction and site development activities on a disputed tract of land situated in the Ngor Okpala Local Government Area of Imo State.  

The legislative panel issued the directive following public hearings into petitions alleging illegal land acquisition, high-handedness, and the deployment of armed personnel to intimidate local community residents.  

Presiding over the session, the committee chairman explicitly barred developers and corporate entities from deploying heavy earth-moving equipment, including bulldozers and caterpillars, onto the contested property pending a final determination of the matter.  

Addressing reports regarding the presence of armed groups enforcing access to the area, the committee mandated law enforcement authorities to disarm all unauthorized security operatives and local armed individuals patrolling the community.  

The chairman disclosed that preliminary inquiries made to key security agencies, including the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police Force, revealed that neither institution had officially assigned or authorized firearms for the individuals operating in the area. 

Asserting its constitutional mandate to investigate public grievances regardless of parallel judicial filings, the legislative panel adjourned further proceedings until November 2026 to allow all involved parties to submit certified legal documents, land titles, and supporting evidence.