Nkwo Nnewi Triangle which is believed to be the Centre of Nnewi has been riddled with a lot of controversies recently. Individuals who have decided to play politics with the unity and peace of Nnewi because of their personal interests, have resorted to the use of falsehood and deceit in an attempt to tear the town apart.
Situated at the heart of Nnewi, Nkwo Nnewi Triangle became a subject of controversy recently when top Nnewi Business Leader and Manufacturer, Chief Sir. Dr. Cletus Ibeto (Omekannaya), moved to some portion of the land, and started some construction works.
The move made by Chief Ibeto began to generate controversy as some individuals, although who are believed to be influenced by a popular Nnewi politician, raised an eyebrow, and through the media, started to raise questions on why Chief Ibeto will move to the land, claiming that the land belongs to Nnewi.
From online agitation, the agitation which was still believed to be sponsored moved to offline, as thugs invaded the land in the night, and pulled down the fence on the portion of the land where Dr. Cletus is currently building.
*Conflict of Ownership*
While some believe that the entire land in Nkwo Nnewi is owned by Nnewi Community, other believe that the land is owned by individuals and not the community. However, many are on the side that Nkwo Nnewi Triangle is owned by individuals who later gifted some portion to the Community. Another set of people are of the opinion that the land belongs to the shrine called Edo Nnewi.
The Position of Chief Oliver Nwagbala
According to Chief Oliver Nwagbala, Nkwo Nnewi Triangle comprises of big portions of land owned by Nnewi community and few private properties owned by Chief Oliver Nwagbala, an upstairs building at Round-About owned by Chief Edmund Ngonadi (Edmack) and another portion owned by Chief JCN Ikejiuba (Ike Oil) situated along old Onitsha – Owerri Road.
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In a recent statement credited to him, which was published by Anaedoonline.ng, the private properties in Nkwo Nnewi Triangle are portions of lands housing Total Petrol Stations, Dacon Petrol Stations (Formerly Texaco owned by Mr. David Onedibe), DHL Office, Federal Mortgage Banks and the rest.
In his argument, even when the administration of the Former Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, took over Nkwo Nnewi Triangle from Nnewi to build a shopping mall in 2012, owners of the private portions of the land, Nnewi community and Chief Oliver Nwagbala independently sued Anambra State Government, Nnewi North LG under the Chairmanship of Mr. Patrick Ubajaka and Anambra State Urban Development Board (ASUDEB), while Chief Agu Onyeka was PG Nzuko Ora Nnewi.
He revealed that in 2020, a High Court, after reviewing documented evidence of ownership, pronounced a judgment in favour of Oliver Nwagbalaas and others, as such, the private portion under current development by Chief Dr. Cletus Ibeto should not be mixed up or confused as portions belonging to Nnewi community.
*Chief Agu Okonkwo’s Position*
Coming from a historical perspective, Chief Agu Okonkwo’s revealed that in the past, Nkwo Nnewi Triangle is called Nkwo Edo Nnewi, because that was where Nkwo Edo Nnewi Nnewi market was domiciled.
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According to him, Nkwo Edo Nnewi is not owned by Nnewi Community, rather, the land is owned by different quarters in Nnewi, which are Otolo, Uruagu, Umudim, and Nnewichi. He also admitted, that aside from the lands owned by different quarters in Nnewi, there are also families that have some parcel of land there, but not inside the triangle.
He revealed that it was after Afia Olu (New Yam) Festival of 1978, that people started calling the land Nkwo Nnewi Triangle. He said that in the triangle, the biggest portion of land there is owned by Nnewichi, followed by Uruagu, Umudim, and finally Otolo, as such, the land is not owned by Nnewi Community, because if it was so, Nnewichi won’t have the largest land there and it will be shared with the formula of Otolo (9), Uruagu (7), Umudim (5),
and Nnewichi (4).
He also noted that even when the popular Ejiamatu Igbokwe attempted to take over the entire Nkwo Nnewi Triangle and Agbo Edo extension, it was Chief Cletus Ibeto that financially sponsored the move made by Late Chief BUC Aghazu, Chief Ernest Obiora, Late Chief Dozie Ikedife and His Royal Highness, Igwe Kenneth Orizu (III), to recover the land.
For Chief Agu Okonkwo, since Nwagbala family has handed over their land to Chief Cletus Ibeto to build, Chief Ibeto is within his right to build on the land. He however called on Igwe Nnewi needs to call for an urgent meeting to resolve the ongoing issues.
*The position Obi Afam Iloka (Obi Okpuno Uruagu Nnewi)*
Nkwo Nnewi Triangle was formerly called Nkwo Edo Nnewi until 1978 when it changed to Nkwo Nnewi Triangle.
According to him, different portions of lands there, were owned by individuals, not the community. The individuals were those who donated land to the different quarters, he revealed that the portion of the land which belonged to Uruagu was donated by families in Okpuno Ebenator.
Chief Afam Iloka insisted that Otolo is the only quarter in Nnewi that does not have any land in Nkwo Triangle because Ufodu family which was supposed to donate land for Otolo Nnewi refused to do that.
He revealed that where Dacon filling stations and Total petrol stations is situated is owned by Chief Oliver Nwagbala until the demolition by Anambra State Government. Others who have properties in the land include, Late Chief Edmund Ngonadi (Edmack) which was sold to him by Anosike family, Chief JCN Ikejiuba (Ike Oil), and others.
He said that the portion of land where Chief Cletus Ibeto is currently building on, belongs to Nwagbala family, and since he already has an agreement with the family, nothing can stop him from building on the land. He frowned at those who mobilized thugs and hoodlums to the site and demolished the fence of Chief Cletus Ibeto, noting that the building will begin again and nothing will happen.
Nnewi Versus Anambra State Government
It will be recalled in 2012, that the then Governor of Anambra State, His Excellency, Mr. Peter Obi allegedly conspired with some with individuals from Nnewi to take over Nkwo Nnewi Triangle and other private properties for the building of Nnewi Shopping Mall.
A group of patriotic Nnewi Indigenes led by Late Senator Onyeabo Obi kicked against the project and manner the land was taken. While Nzuko-Ora Nnewi took government to court, Chief Edmund Ngonadi (Edmack), Chief JCN Ikejiuba (Ike Oil), and Oliver Nwagbala also took the government to court to reclaim their land.
In 2017, as the legal battle continued, the immediate past Governor of Anambra State, His Excellency, Chief Dr. Willie Obiano wrote a letter addressed to His Royal Highness, Igwe Kenneth Orizu (III), stating that the uncompleted shopping mall project has been handed to Nnewi with the condition that Nnewi will refund all the money spent by the government on the project, that Nnewi will complete the project with time envisaged in the original plan and that Nnewi after completing the project will let the shopping mall to those who is was contracted to.
While Nnewi refused the above condition, the legal battle continued. In 2020, Chief Edmund Ngonadi (Edmack), Chief JCN Ikejiuba (Ike Oil), and Oliver Nwagbala won Anambra State Government in Nnewi High Court, as the court ordered the government to return the land to the owners.
As at today, Nzuko-Nnewi and Anambra State Government is still with the government in court to reclaim the remaining portion of the triangle.
Demolition by the State Government
On Friday, 9th December, 2022, officials believed to be from Anambra State Government demolished the ongoing structure being built by Chief Cletus Ibeto on his own portion of the land. The demolition is a flagrant disregard of court order which recognized Oliver Nwagbala as the owner of the said property and which the State Government never appealed in Court thereby equally recognizing the Ownership of the said portion to Oliver Nwagbala
It is expected that the State Government should have stood as an unbiased in the recent crisis in the Nkwo Nnewi Triangle but it has decided to join one party to further fuel the crisis under the guise of maintaining law and order, while acting in a lawless manner.
NKWO TRIANGLE: CLETUS IBETO REMAINS A DIGNIFIED SON OF IGWE NNEWI
This high-handed and overzealous approach by the state government absolutely shows that the government has no regard for the rule of law and for this to happen under the watch of a Professor as Governor, is completely crazy.
Way Forward
If viewed from the obvious, there appears to be a conspiracy aimed at either causing an unrest in Nnewi or damaging the reputation of Chief Cletus Ibeto. There is an urgent need for Igwe Nnewi, His Royal Highness, Igwe Kenneth Orizu to make a statement on the crisis or call for a meeting to resolve the issues.
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