A religious organisation, Gateway International Church (GIC) has begun moves to reclaim its property allegedly taken over by suspected land-grabbers in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
The property, measuring over 24.4 hectares, is located opposite TAF Estate, on Obiri-Ikwerre-Airport Road axis in Alum community, Ikwerre local government area.
Speaking to journalists after a special prayer session on the land, GIC’s executive pastor, Matthew Ogaren, stated that the church decided to reclaim the land from some criminals and miscreants who infiltrated the property.
“This land belongs to Gateway International Church and this is what we want the world to know. There are nuisance people, criminals who are trying to infiltrate into the land.
“The land, measuring over 24. 4 hectares legitimately bought some years ago from Omuoakachi and Omuolunwor families in Mbodo-Aluu, Ikwerre local government area,” Ogaren said.
The GIC executive pastor particularly accused two land agents of being responsible for the land grabbing of the property of the church.
The cleric warned that any person or group patronizing any real estate property owner is doing that at his or her own risk.
He said; “This land belongs to Gateway International Church and we are here to take it over. You can see the several work going on now, this is to enable us secure our portion from any other people coming into the land to claim ownership.
“We want to be very clear, those claiming this land do not have land here. This land belongs to Gateway International Church and that is why we are here to declare to the whole world.
“If you patronize any of the cheap estate real establishment, claiming ownership of the land, please go back and take your money. We own this land, we posses the land.”
He advised those who indulge in land grabbing to stay off from the church land, even as he enjoined whosoever that is sponsoring the land grabbers to also stay off from the church land.
Also speaking, lawyer to the church, Barrister Uzoma Azogu, affirmed the authenticity of the land belonging to Gateway International Church.
Azogu stated that he was part of the negotiation before the land was bought from Omuoakachi and Omuolunwor families in Mbodo-Aluu community.
“The land was bought in phases, phase 1,2,3, and 4, pointing out that the first first phase was bought in 2008. We cleared part of the land and no body disturbed us. Even when we were fencing the land, with the approval from former Chairman, Ikwerre LGA, Hon Samuel Nwanosike, nobody challenged us. Only recently, we observed that land grabbers have infiltrated the land, trying to claim ownership.”
