By Okechukwu Onuegbu
The people of Omogho in Orumba North Local Government Area (LGA) of Anambra State have appealed for governor Chukwuma Soludo's intervention to save them from economic waste, hunger and homelessness allegedly caused by developers of the aerotropolis which included a second airport and industrial park.
The State government had last year, announced a plan to construct a new airport and industrial park when the Managing Director, Chinua Achebe Cargo International Airport, Mr Martins Nwafor toured the sites where the projects were said to be sited at Ndikelionwu, Orumba North LGA.
But people of Iwolo and Umunaba villages, Omogho dismissed the report that the project was being sited at Ndikelionwu, noting that contracting firm led by government officials from the State ministry of works were actually on their lands measuring over 4000 hectares, demolishing their economic trees and other agricultural produce worth millions of Naira without prior.
Investigation also showed there is a pending suit over parts of affected land since 2016 with suit number AG/48/216 at Ekwulobia High Court involving people from the two villages against a company and others, including Anambra State government as 5th defendant.
The Chairman of Iwolo village, Mr Somadina Umeh told FactcheckNg.com that the contractors and government officials came to their farmland with about 22 tractors around January 8 or 9, 2026, destroying agricultural produce, economic trees and other properties.
"On inquiries, they said they came from the Ministry of Works on a mission to clear the place for the proposed new Anambra State Airport at Ndikelionwu. But we told them to stop work because the land belongs to us and we were not given prior notice that would have enabled us to harvest our produce and evacuate other necessary things before the demolition. They refused, still busy encroaching on our homes.
"We demanded a meeting with the government officials but when they came they refused to speak to us on camera for documentation. We demanded to see the boundary for the airport but they couldn't show us. We insisted they must stop work so they won't render us homeless. We remembered that the governor earlier debunked the planned airport. That is why we are more scared and calling for the governor’s intervention," he added.
He pleaded with the governor to schedule a meeting with them so they could negotiate the modalities for siting the project, including clarifying the ownership of the land, establishment of the boundaries and hectares needed and payment of adequate compensation to those whose agricultural produce, economic trees and others were demolished.
Also speaking, a 48-year-old widow, Mrs Eucharia Umeh, who posited that her farmland was affected, listed the extent of the damage incurred to include 55 chains of rice, 20 plots yam valued chain, 60 plots of cassava, economic trees and others valued at about N15 million.
"I slumped when I heard that my agricultural produce had been destroyed. On recovering from the hospital I went home to behold the gory site. My entire household has been devastated. Even where my son farmed was affected. Those I took loans from for farming are after my life. I would have harvested the crops if I was given a notice. Soludo, please help us. We are not against development or any project you want to site in our town. All we want is for the right thing to be done. Please compensate us," she added
On his part, another victim, Mr Nonso Uchedike, said he lost over N10 million worth agricultural produce at the course of invasion into his farmland and urged governor Chukwuma Soludo to save them from more encroachment which according to him, could force some persons to commit suicide having lost a lot already.
However, the Traditional Ruler of Omogho, HRM Igwe Raphael Offor, while affirming that the project was being sited in his domain, said the community was duly informed by the governor that it would be sited and they agreed happily.
The monarch further maintained that plans were on ground to compensate all the affected persons once the contractors establish a boundary for the project for easy compilation of names of the individuals whose farmlands or houses were demolished.
But the Anambra State Commissioner for works, Engr Ifeanyi Okoma denied knowledge of the ministry's encroachment, destruction of agricultural produce and other properties or development of airport city at Umunaba and Iwolo, Omogho community.
Okoma said the project is being sited at Ndikelionwu and no report of damaging people properties have been established.
Also, the Anambra State Commissioner for Information, Dr Law Mefor, who explained that the project had not been awarded, added that he was unaware if work had commenced anywhere to that effect as he promised to reach out to us later.