The Enugu State Government on Friday pulled down a twin duplex belonging to one Jonathan Emejulu two days after he demolished the perimeter fence of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport.
Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi had on Thursday vowed to send a strong message to Emejulu for allegedly daring the state government by demolishing the airport fence while executing the judgment of Enugu State High Court.
The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, had also on Thursday during an inspection, decried the demolition of the perimeter fencing at the airport.
Emejulu was said to have on Wednesday demolished some structures including ongoing perimeter fence of the airport following an order of the Enugu State High Court which ceded the expanse of land in Airport Road Layout, Phase IV and V to him.
Previous attempts to execute the court order had reportedly failed due to alleged intervention of highly placed politicians from the state.
Emejulu in suit no. E/ 165M/2020 returned to the court through an application by Motion on Notice for the court to compel the Commissioner of Police, Enugu State and the Inspector General of Police to execute the court judgment.
But the government on Friday ordered that Emejulu’s property be demolished and brought a bulldozer to the twin duplex located on Eziokwe Street, Community Estate, off Nike Lake Resort Road, Trans Ekulu, Enugu.
Our correspondent gathered that in executing the governor’s order, the Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority, at about 10 am on Friday, stormed Emejulu’s houses and demolished the twin duplex.
ECTDA Chairman, Josef Onoh, who supervised the demolition, said that the buildings stood on waterways, thereby blocking the flow of erosion.
The Notice of Violation served on the victim by the Department of Building Inspection, ECTDA also stated that the building violated building standards.
Meanwhile, the owner of the property has described the demolition as a duly planned reprisal by the state government due to his move to recover his landed property illegally sold by some government officials.
Emejulu said the demolition of his property was a clear indication that the government was chastising him and had a hand in the forceful takeover of his land.
PUNCH
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